Interim Head of Archives and Senior Director of Research
About the role
Job Description:
Posting Start Date: 2025-09-08
Posting End Date: posting may remain open until filled
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Office of the VP Indigenous
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Interim Head of Archives and Senior Director of Research
Position #: 36929
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation invites applications for a full-time Head of Archives and Senior Director of Research, commencing December 1, 2025 , or on a date mutually agreed upon and with an end date of August 1, 2026. Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Responsibilities:
The Interim Head of Archives and Senior Director of Research will provide strategic and operational leadership to the Research and Archives Unit during the administrative leave of the current Director. The incumbent will oversee multiple high-priority archival, research, and preservation projects; supervise unit staff; manage budgets and resources; liaise with Indigenous communities and external partners; and ensure the integrity, accessibility, and respectful stewardship of NCTR records.
This role requires strong leadership, deep archival expertise, project management skills, and cultural competence in working with Indigenous laws, protocols, and knowledge systems.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of Residential School Survivors, families and communities are honoured and kept safe for future generations.
The NCTR educates Canadians on the profound injustices inflicted on First Nations, Inuit and the M?tis Nation by the forced removal of children to attend residential schools and the widespread abuse suffered in those schools.
We preserve the record of these human rights abuses, and promote continued research and learning on the legacy of residential schools. Our goal is to honour Survivors and to foster reconciliation and healing on the foundation of truth telling.
The NCTR was gifted the spirit name bezhig miigwan which, in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Anishinaabe people, means "one feather." The name's a reminder that every Survivor needs to be shown the same respect and attention that an eagle feather deserves. The name also teaches us that we are vital to the work of reconciliation.
The NCTR is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anisininewuk, Dakota Oyate and Dene, the homeland of the Red River M?tis, and home to many Inuit.
Further information about the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation can be obtained fromhttps://nctr.ca/
Qualifications:
The successful candidate will have
-
Master's degree in Archival Studies, Library and Information Science, History, Indigenous Studies, or related field (or equivalent experience).
-
Minimum 7 years' experience in archival management, including leadership roles.
-
Proven project management experience with large, multi-stakeholder research or archival initiatives.
-
Strong understanding of Indigenous legal traditions, cultural protocols, and community engagement practices. Experience working with sensitive historical records, privacy legislation, and ethical research frameworks.
-
Budget management experience, including oversight of grants and multi-year funding. Exceptional communication skills for media, academic, and community contexts.
-
Ability to supervise, coach, and mentor a multidisciplinary team
Preferred qualifications include:
-
Knowledge of residential school history, Truth and Reconciliation Commission records, and Survivor testimony preservation.
-
Bilingual in English and French (or proficiency in another Indigenous language).
-
Experience negotiating MOUs/MOAs with Indigenous governments and organizations.
-
Familiarity with digital preservation systems (e.g., Archivematica) and large-scale data management.
-
Experience preparing successful grant applications for archival or research projects.
To enhance the Centre, we particularly invite application from those who can support and enhance our diversity, including Indigenous peoples, women, racially marginalized persons, persons with disabilities, persons of marginalized sexualities and genders, and those committed to a diverse environment.
The NCTR derives its mandate from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action and from the agreements under which the Centre was established and the records of Residential School Survivors first entrusted to its care.
Through this work, the NCTR has a unique role in fulfilling Canada's national obligation, as estaablished internationally by the United Nations Joinet-Orentlicher Principles, to preserve the record of Canada's human rights violations and ensure that such violations can never happen again.
Consistent with the TRC's Principles of Reconciliation, which states that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is "the framework for reconciliation at all levels and across all sectors of Canadian society," the NCTR upholds the UN Declaration and takes guidance from its provisions.
Additional Information:
The University of Manitoba is a driving force of innovation, discovery and advancement. Our momentum is propelled by our campus community - UM faculty, staff and students whose determination and curiosity shape our world for the better. Our teaching, learning and work environment is uniquely strengthened and enriched by Indigenous perspectives. With two main campuses in Winnipeg, satellite campuses throughout Manitoba, and world-wide research, UM's impact is global.
Discover outstanding employee benefits, experience world-class facilities and join a dynamic community that values reconciliation, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. We are one of Manitoba's Top Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. At the University of Manitoba, what inspires you can change everything.
The City of Winnipeg (www.tourismwinnipeg.com), located where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet, is recognized for its vibrant, multicultural community and diverse culture. The city, with a growing population of more than 766,000, is home to internationally renowned festivals, galleries and museums, the historic Exchange District and The Forks, and ever-expanding research, education, and business sectors. From the Hudson Bay waters, across the farmland fields, to the pulse of the cities and towns, The Province of Manitoba's (www.travelmanitoba.com) people and places - its 100,000 lakes, 92 provincial parks, winding river valleys and storied prairie skies - inspire.
The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse ssexual identities). All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.
Applications including a curriculum vitae, references and EDI statement should be sent to:
Lisa Thompson
Director of Operations, Culture & Events
177 Dysart Road
University of Manitoba, Fort Garry Campus
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2
A review of applications will begin on October 1, 2025 and will continue until filled.
Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provision of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae may be provided to participating members of the search process.
About University of Manitoba
We attract people from around the world who share our ideals and vision for positive change. We believe in embracing challenges and taking action. Our students, researchers and alumni bring their unique voices to learning and discovery, shaping new ways of doing things and contributing to important conversations in topics that matter most, from human rights to global health to climate change. We are where imagination and action collide.
Interim Head of Archives and Senior Director of Research
About the role
Job Description:
Posting Start Date: 2025-09-08
Posting End Date: posting may remain open until filled
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
Office of the VP Indigenous
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Interim Head of Archives and Senior Director of Research
Position #: 36929
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation invites applications for a full-time Head of Archives and Senior Director of Research, commencing December 1, 2025 , or on a date mutually agreed upon and with an end date of August 1, 2026. Salary will be commensurate with experience and qualifications.
Responsibilities:
The Interim Head of Archives and Senior Director of Research will provide strategic and operational leadership to the Research and Archives Unit during the administrative leave of the current Director. The incumbent will oversee multiple high-priority archival, research, and preservation projects; supervise unit staff; manage budgets and resources; liaise with Indigenous communities and external partners; and ensure the integrity, accessibility, and respectful stewardship of NCTR records.
This role requires strong leadership, deep archival expertise, project management skills, and cultural competence in working with Indigenous laws, protocols, and knowledge systems.
The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is a place of learning and dialogue where the truths of Residential School Survivors, families and communities are honoured and kept safe for future generations.
The NCTR educates Canadians on the profound injustices inflicted on First Nations, Inuit and the M?tis Nation by the forced removal of children to attend residential schools and the widespread abuse suffered in those schools.
We preserve the record of these human rights abuses, and promote continued research and learning on the legacy of residential schools. Our goal is to honour Survivors and to foster reconciliation and healing on the foundation of truth telling.
The NCTR was gifted the spirit name bezhig miigwan which, in Anishinaabemowin, the language of the Anishinaabe people, means "one feather." The name's a reminder that every Survivor needs to be shown the same respect and attention that an eagle feather deserves. The name also teaches us that we are vital to the work of reconciliation.
The NCTR is located on original lands of Anishinaabeg, Ininiwak, Anisininewuk, Dakota Oyate and Dene, the homeland of the Red River M?tis, and home to many Inuit.
Further information about the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation can be obtained fromhttps://nctr.ca/
Qualifications:
The successful candidate will have
-
Master's degree in Archival Studies, Library and Information Science, History, Indigenous Studies, or related field (or equivalent experience).
-
Minimum 7 years' experience in archival management, including leadership roles.
-
Proven project management experience with large, multi-stakeholder research or archival initiatives.
-
Strong understanding of Indigenous legal traditions, cultural protocols, and community engagement practices. Experience working with sensitive historical records, privacy legislation, and ethical research frameworks.
-
Budget management experience, including oversight of grants and multi-year funding. Exceptional communication skills for media, academic, and community contexts.
-
Ability to supervise, coach, and mentor a multidisciplinary team
Preferred qualifications include:
-
Knowledge of residential school history, Truth and Reconciliation Commission records, and Survivor testimony preservation.
-
Bilingual in English and French (or proficiency in another Indigenous language).
-
Experience negotiating MOUs/MOAs with Indigenous governments and organizations.
-
Familiarity with digital preservation systems (e.g., Archivematica) and large-scale data management.
-
Experience preparing successful grant applications for archival or research projects.
To enhance the Centre, we particularly invite application from those who can support and enhance our diversity, including Indigenous peoples, women, racially marginalized persons, persons with disabilities, persons of marginalized sexualities and genders, and those committed to a diverse environment.
The NCTR derives its mandate from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's Calls to Action and from the agreements under which the Centre was established and the records of Residential School Survivors first entrusted to its care.
Through this work, the NCTR has a unique role in fulfilling Canada's national obligation, as estaablished internationally by the United Nations Joinet-Orentlicher Principles, to preserve the record of Canada's human rights violations and ensure that such violations can never happen again.
Consistent with the TRC's Principles of Reconciliation, which states that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is "the framework for reconciliation at all levels and across all sectors of Canadian society," the NCTR upholds the UN Declaration and takes guidance from its provisions.
Additional Information:
The University of Manitoba is a driving force of innovation, discovery and advancement. Our momentum is propelled by our campus community - UM faculty, staff and students whose determination and curiosity shape our world for the better. Our teaching, learning and work environment is uniquely strengthened and enriched by Indigenous perspectives. With two main campuses in Winnipeg, satellite campuses throughout Manitoba, and world-wide research, UM's impact is global.
Discover outstanding employee benefits, experience world-class facilities and join a dynamic community that values reconciliation, sustainability, diversity, and inclusion. We are one of Manitoba's Top Employers and one of Canada's Best Diversity Employers. At the University of Manitoba, what inspires you can change everything.
The City of Winnipeg (www.tourismwinnipeg.com), located where the Red and Assiniboine Rivers meet, is recognized for its vibrant, multicultural community and diverse culture. The city, with a growing population of more than 766,000, is home to internationally renowned festivals, galleries and museums, the historic Exchange District and The Forks, and ever-expanding research, education, and business sectors. From the Hudson Bay waters, across the farmland fields, to the pulse of the cities and towns, The Province of Manitoba's (www.travelmanitoba.com) people and places - its 100,000 lakes, 92 provincial parks, winding river valleys and storied prairie skies - inspire.
The University of Manitoba is committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring, promotion and tenure (where applicable) for systemically marginalized groups who have been excluded from full participation at the University and the larger community including Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+ (Two Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, questioning, intersex, asexual and other diverse ssexual identities). All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.
If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact UM.Accommodation@umanitoba.ca or 204-474-7195. Please note this contact information is for accommodation reasons only.
Applications including a curriculum vitae, references and EDI statement should be sent to:
Lisa Thompson
Director of Operations, Culture & Events
177 Dysart Road
University of Manitoba, Fort Garry Campus
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2
A review of applications will begin on October 1, 2025 and will continue until filled.
Application materials, including letters of reference, will be handled in accordance with the protection of privacy provision of The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (Manitoba). Please note that curriculum vitae may be provided to participating members of the search process.
About University of Manitoba
We attract people from around the world who share our ideals and vision for positive change. We believe in embracing challenges and taking action. Our students, researchers and alumni bring their unique voices to learning and discovery, shaping new ways of doing things and contributing to important conversations in topics that matter most, from human rights to global health to climate change. We are where imagination and action collide.