Programs Manager — Live Performance, Artist Development, and Special Events (Full-Time)

Job type: Full-time position 
Location: Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre 
Reporting to: Director of Programs

About Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre

More than a museum, the National Music Centre (NMC) preserves and celebrates Canada’s music story. It is inspiring a new generation of music lovers at its home, Studio Bell. Located in the heart of Calgary’s East Village, on-site activities include five floors of interactive exhibitions, instruments, artifacts and Canadian music memorabilia from NMC’s vast collection as well as four separate Canadian Music Halls of Fame. NMC also hosts public programs, live performances across multiple music venues, education programs, and creative artist residencies with NMC’s world-class recording facilities.

Commitment to Fair Hiring Practices

National Music Centre (NMC) believes in the power and importance of fair hiring practices in the workplace. We ensure equal opportunity for all qualified applicants and encourage people of all visible minorities, and those of any religion, sex, age, ability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression to apply.

About this Position

The National Music Centre (NMC) is seeking a dynamic and experienced Programs Manager to lead the strategic delivery and evaluation of live performance and artist development initiatives. This role plays a vital part in advancing NMC’s national mandate by presenting innovative, inclusive programming that reflects the diversity of music in Canada, aligns with organizational programming strategy, and strengthens relationships with artists, community partners, and audiences. 

Reporting to the Director of Programs, the Programs Manager oversees the full lifecycle of ticketed presentations, recording residencies and bursaries, artist and industry development programs, and special initiatives. This role works closely with the Director on strategic concept development and budgeting, and is responsible for ensuring successful program execution through to evaluation. The ideal candidate is highly organized, communicative, collaborative, and thrives in a fast-paced, public-facing environment. They bring strong operational and planning skills and are passionate about delivering meaningful live experiences. Flexibility to work evenings and weekends is required to support on-site programming.

Key Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Lead the budgeting, advancing, delivery, and evaluation of live performances and artist development programs across multiple musical genres and cultural communities, ensuring alignment with organizational programming priorities.
• Develop, steward and evolve NMC’s artist development programs including Artist in Residence, Artist Entrepreneur (AE) West, OHSOTO’KINO Music Incubator, and OHSOTO’KINO Recording Bursary.
• Manage program budgets, including forecasting, cost tracking, and post-event financial reporting.
• Serve as lead on-site programming representative during program delivery, performing stage management, artist liaison and troubleshooting duties.
• Build and maintain strong relationship with artists, booking agents, funders, community partners, national partners, and cultural organizations.
• Collaborate with Production, Events, Marketing, Box Office, Collections, and Fund Development teams to ensure successful planning, promotion, execution, and evaluation of programs.
• Monitor program impact through evaluation metrics, stakeholder feedback, and reporting to sponsors and donors.
• Administer and steward programming Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and related data tracking.
• Work closely with the Finance team to manage budgets, contracts, and payments for artists and partners.

Qualifications/Requirements

Experience: 

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in administration, project management and public-facing event operations within non-profit or for-profit environments.
• Experience in performing arts centres, festivals, museums, galleries, science centres, conferences, or similar institution is highly preferred.
• Experience within the Canadian music industry is considered a strong asset. 

Program Management: 

• Minimum 3 years of demonstrable experience overseeing program development and production.
• Strong organization skills with ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong financial literacy and experience managing program budgets.
• Skilled in translating strategy into operational plans and measurable outcomes. 

Communication: 

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Confident decision maker with strong initiative and time management discipline. 

Technology: 

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Familiarity with applications such as Formstack, Smartsheet, Canva, website content management systems, accounting software, venue management software, and ticketing systems is considered an asset. 

Cultural Alignment: 

• Demonstrated alignment with NMC’s core values of community, diversity, innovation, passion, teamwork, and fun.
• Demonstrated commitment to community engagement, diversity, innovation, and collaborative teamwork.
• Broad understanding of Canada’s musical landscape and cultural ecology. 

Language: 

• Multilingual capabilities, particularly French, are considered an asset. 

Location and Work Arrangement: 

• Full-time position located in Calgary, Alberta.
• Primarily on-site at Studio Bell, Calgary, with limited remote work as approved by the Director of Programs.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends is required to support on-site program delivery and oversight. 

Key Relationships: 

• Director of Programs
• Programs Manager (Education and Public Programming)
• Programs Coordinator
• Departmental Managers (Marketing, Production, Events, Box Office, Collections, Finance, Recording Studios)
• King Eddy management
• Participating artists
• External sponsors, donors, and programming partners 

Apply

Qualified applicants are invited to submit a resume and cover letter in one PDF document to programs@nmc.ca by end of day on March 29, 2026. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held in April. 

No phone calls please.