Executive Director - The Marlowe Foundation

Location: St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador (Relocation support, with a negotiable timeline, is available for candidates moving to the region)

ABOUT THE MARLOWE FOUNDATION

Established in 2024, The Marlowe Foundation is a new private family foundation dedicated to supporting arts, culture, and community vitality across Canada, with a particular focus in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Foundation advances its mission through strategic partnerships, thoughtful investment, and long-term stewardship of creative and cultural initiatives.

A core focus of the Foundation’s work is The Masonic Project - the restoration and transformation of the historic Masonic Temple in St. John’s into an inclusive artistic and cultural hub. The Foundation leads the project’s development and capitalization, while working toward an operating model in which the Masonic is activated by an arms-length, not-for-profit arts organization in collaboration with community partners.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Marlowe Foundation seeks a community-minded leader with cultural-sector literacy, strong relationship-building skills, and sound judgement to serve as its inaugural Executive Director. This is a founding-phase role suited to someone who is energized by shaping organizational foundations, developing trusted relationships, and guiding a major cultural project from vision through execution.

Reporting to the Founders, the Executive Director will help establish and steward the Foundation’s strategic direction and operations, while providing senior leadership for The Masonic Project’s planning, partnership, and delivery.

This role is best suited to a leader who values stewardship, collaboration, and long- term community trust. The ideal candidate is someone who can navigate complexity, align with diverse stakeholders, and lead with imagination and integrity.

The Marlowe Foundation is committed to creating an environment where our team can thrive both professionally and personally. We welcome applications from individuals with transferable skills from all sectors, including those interested in transitioning into the fields of arts & culture or family foundations. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification that is listed.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The Executive Director's responsibilities are as follows:

1. Leadership of The Masonic Project

As the Foundation’s first major initiative, The Masonic Project is central to this role.

The Executive Director will:

• Guide the overall vision and direction of The Masonic Project in collaboration with stakeholders, consultants, and partners.
• Lead the ongoing design, construction, and planning processes through the redevelopment phase.
• Assist in setting up the operating charity for The Masonic Project. Shape a long-term operations and programming vision that balances creative ambition, accessibility, community relevance, and operational sustainability.
• Engage artists, cultural leaders, and community partners to ensure the project reflects the diversity and vitality of St. John’s and the province.
• Serve as a steady, integrative presence across creative, operational, and stakeholder functions, resolving any issues with sound judgment.

2. Funding & Sustainability

While the Founders currently support core operations, the Executive Director will help position the Foundation for growth by:

• Exploring and cultivating potential funding opportunities, including grants, partnerships, corporate sponsorships and philanthropic support, in ways that are aligned, relational, and sustainable.
• Building relationships with relevant municipal, provincial, and federal government stakeholders.
• Establishing appropriate and robust systems to track, tend, and acknowledge external funding and partnerships.
• Supporting long-term financial sustainability while maintaining alignment with the Foundation’s mission and values.

3. Partnerships & Representation

The Executive Director represents the Foundation as a trusted, values-driven presence within the communities it serves by:

• Acting as an ambassador and spokesperson for the Marlowe Foundation and The Masonic Project across arts, cultural, government, and community sectors.
• Building strong, reciprocal relationships with artists, cultural organizations, nonprofits, educators, funders, and community leaders.
• Positioning the Foundation as a trusted partner and catalyst for collaboration in Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.
• Supporting inclusive communications and marketing approaches that clearly articulate the Foundation’s purpose and values.

4. Organizational Leadership & Strategy

The Executive Director creates the conditions in which people, projects, and partnerships do their best work by:

• Collaborating with the Founders, their advisors, and with a future Board as it is constituted, to articulate and implement the Foundation’s mission, vision, and strategic priorities, including the thoughtful development of its philanthropic initiatives as governance and strategy mature.
• Establishing clear, proportionate governance and operational frameworks, including policies, procedures, documentation, and reporting systems that support clarity, accountability, and ease of working.
• Ensuring that appropriate legal, regulatory, and risk-management practices are in place to protect the Foundation, its partners, and the communities it serves.
• Overseeing financial stewardship and accountability, including annual operating plans and budgets aligned with strategic goals.
• Providing clear, regular reporting that supports shared understanding and informed decision-making by the Founders and, in time, the Board.

5. Team Leadership & Culture

The Executive Director fosters a healthy, inclusive community and organizational culture by:

• Collaborating with existing consultants and onboarding future staff while encouraging excellence, accountability, and professional growth.
• Serving as a trusted sounding board for staff and partners, maintaining strategic clarity while integrating feedback.
• Creating an environment grounded in respect and collaboration, alongside equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, ensuring that those values are embedded across programs and operations.

TRAITS & CHARACTERISTICS

The successful candidate will bring the following qualities:

• A collaborative, values-driven leadership style grounded in stewardship and strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Self‑starter with strong initiative, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine passion for arts, culture, and community impact.
• Strategic judgment paired with creativity and openness to innovation. High emotional intelligence and diplomacy, with the ability to navigate sensitive dynamics and diverse perspectives, and engage stakeholders with clarity and empathy.
• Resilience, adaptability, and sound prioritization in a dynamic environment.
• Comfort working in ambiguity and building systems where none yet exist.
• Genuine commitment to community engagement, artistic practice, and public service.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Candidates will bring many (though not necessarily all) of the following:

• Senior leadership experience in the nonprofit, arts, cultural, or philanthropic sectors, with strong knowledge of Canada’s arts landscape—particularly in Newfoundland and Labrador—is an asset.
• Experience advancing complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives; knowledge of cultural infrastructure, capital projects, heritage rehabilitation, and / or major renovations is an asset.
• Demonstrated success in partnership development, fundraising, or grant-based funding.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with comfort as a public- facing spokesperson and relationship builder.
• Experience working with or reporting to a Board of Directors.
• Financial and operational literacy, including budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
• Formal education in a relevant field or equivalent professional experience.
• The ability and desire for occasional travel.

COMPENSATION & LOCATION

The Marlowe Foundation offers a comprehensive compensation package, including an annual salary of $100,000 – $150,000, commensurate with experience and

scope of responsibility.

The position will be based in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Relocation support, with a negotiable timeline, is available for candidates moving to the region.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The Executive Director search is led by Martin Bragg and Nicola Dawes of Martin Bragg & Associates.

The Marlowe Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer and strongly supports and values diversity in the workplace. Applications from all qualified candidates are welcome, and individuals from equity-seeking groups are encouraged to apply.

To apply in confidence, please submit a resume and letter of interest (in Word or PDF format) to marlowefoundation@mbassociates.ca on or before March 30, 2026. Candidates are encouraged to apply early as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis Please mention this posting in your application. All applicants will receive an acknowledgement of their application.