Lead Preparator in Vancouver, British Columbia at Vancouver Art Gallery

Lead Preparator

VANCOUVER ART GALLERY

Regular Full Time

The Vancouver Art Gallery is seeking a Lead Preparator to support the planning, fabrication, installation, and maintenance of exhibitions and collections. Working closely with the Director of Museum Services and teams across Registration, Conservation, Curatorial, AV, and Design, this role helps bring exhibitions to life while ensuring museum best practices for art handling and installation. The Lead Preparator oversees exhibition production from concept through installation and de-installation, coordinating schedules, staffing, contractors, and technical requirements for multiple concurrent projects. The role includes supervising preparators and installation crews, mentoring junior staff, and leading onsite problem-solving during exhibition changeovers and special projects.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The focus of your role will be supporting exhibition production and installation/maintenance. This will require you to:

• Collaborate with curators, artists, designers, registrars, conservators, and AV staff to coordinate exhibition production and installations
• Develop exhibition layouts, floor plans, installation strategies, and technical solutions
• Identify fabrication, display, lighting, painting, and gallery alteration requirements
• Coordinate custom fabrication, display cases, mounts, framing, and AV installations
• Establish production schedules and oversee contractors, installation teams, and construction projects
• Perform and supervise artwork handling, packing, crating, moving, hanging, and lighting installation
• Ensure museum-standard care, storage, and transportation of artworks and collections
• Maintain galleries, storage areas, tools, and equipment
• Promote environmentally responsible exhibition practices through material reuse and waste reduction
• Ensure compliance with workplace safety standards and safe operation of lifts, tools, and equipment

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE ROLE

You hold a bachelor’s degree in museum studies, studio art or a related field, plus a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in museum or gallery preparation or related work. You also have at least two (2) years in a supervisory position within a museum, gallery or studio environment. You have strong art handling and installation experience, with a wide range of contemporary artworks and media. Additional skills and abilities include:

• Strong leadership, communication, project management, and problem-solving skills; experience supervising within a unionized environment is preferred
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with AutoCAD, SketchUp, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, and similar software
• Knowledge of museum best practices, gallery lighting, fabrication, and workplace safety standards
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and work with ladders, lifts, hand tools, and power tools, and to walk and stand for extended periods of time

WHAT WE PROVIDE FOR YOU

The Vancouver Art Gallery wants you to be your best. We provide our full-time and regular part-time employees with extended medical and dental coverage, long-term disability and life insurance, joint employer/employee pension contributions and generous vacation entitlements.

Compensation and Work Environment

Salary: Pay Grade 20, Step 5 $34.44 per hour

Hours: 70 hours bi-weekly, 9 day fortnight (5 days week one/ 4 days week two)

This is a unionized position that falls under the jurisdiction of CUPE Local 15 – VMECW. This is an in-office position at the Gallery’s downtown Vancouver location.

TO APPLY

We encourage you to submit your application through our career portal by June 9, 2026, at 11:59pm.

Please note that only applicants with Canadian citizenship, permanent residency or a valid work permit will be considered.  

OUR VALUES

The Vancouver Art Gallery commits to five core values that guide all that we do:  

• We are respectful of the unceded Indigenous territory upon which we are situated  
• We are committed to creating an inclusive and respectful environment  
• We believe that curiosity is a pathway to innovation  
• We establish clear goals and expectations to cultivate a culture of accountability  
• We foster successful collaboration through thoughtful communication and active listening  

The Vancouver Art Gallery is situated on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəyəm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil- Waututh) Nations. We offer a welcoming, team-based office culture, and we are committed to providing equitable access to everyone.  We actively support accessibility, anti-racism, LGBTQ2S+ inclusion, and encourage diversity in our staff, volunteers, visitors, and programming. We cultivate a safer space where all voices are heard, valued and represented.   

MORE ABOUT THE VANCOUVER ART GALLERY

Founded in 1931, the Vancouver Art Gallery is recognized as one of North America’s most innovative visual arts institutions. The Gallery’s celebrated exhibitions, extensive public programs and emphasis on advancing scholarship all focus on historical and contemporary art from British Columbia and around the world. Special attention is given to the accomplishments of Indigenous artists, as well as to those of the Asia Pacific region through the Centre for Global Asias (formerly the Institute of Asian Art) founded in 2014. The Gallery’s exhibitions also explore the impact of images in the larger sphere of visual culture, design and architecture.  

The Gallery’s new Art of Wellbeing Lab furthers its commitment to community by promoting the role of art in fostering health and wellbeing. Developed in collaboration with healthcare professionals, researchers and Indigenous Elders, the lab creates opportunities for individuals to engage with art in ways that support mental, emotional and physical wellbeing.  

The Vancouver Art Gallery is a charitable not-for-profit organization supported by its members, individual donors, corporate funders, foundations, the City of Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.