CALL FOR DCS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 2026-27

About the Opportunity

The Design Council of Saskatchewan (DCS) is seeking a motivated self-starter to serve as our new Executive Director. This position offers a successful candidate the opportunity to help lead a passionate group of volunteers who advocate for great design in our province. Our new Executive Director will join like-minded peers from across professional disciplines in our efforts to celebrate and promote public awareness and understanding of design through community-oriented initiatives and events.

A volunteer-run non-profit organization, DCS is sustained by a committed Board of Directors and spearheaded by an Executive Director. All aspects of our organization - strategic, financial, operational, and administrative - are overseen by the Executive Director, who we expect to take the lead in important decision-making, delegate effectively, and follow through to ensure good results. An overview of expected responsibilities is provided at the end of this listing. We look to our Executive Director to help guide all Council activities, especially during the planning and execution of our signature biennial events - SK Design Week and the Premier’s Awards of Excellence in Design Gala.

The DCS Executive Director is a contract position over a two-year period with the possibility of extension or renewal afterwards. The successful candidate will be offered a contract for approximately 400-650 hours total over the two-year period: 200 hours in 2026 (off year) and 200-450 hours in 2027 (Design Week year).

Average weekly hours will vary over the two-year period, increasing ahead of and during Design Week 2027. The successful candidate will be responsible for setting, tracking, and reporting their own hours outside of events, regularly scheduled meetings, and other Council activities. We expect our Executive Director to fulfill their duties with minimal supervision but consistent and timely check-ins. Compensation is commensurate with experience and negotiations with the preferred candidate but is expected to be in the range of $32-37/hour.

About You

Our ideal candidate:

  • has a background in design (i.e. education and work experience in one of the member disciplines: architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, planning, engineering and geoscience, or graphic design)

  • has work or volunteer experience in the non-profit sector

  • has experience with event planning, fundraising, sponsorship outreach, grant writing, volunteer recruitment, social media, and/or communications

  • has demonstrated understanding of the purpose, structure, and key initiatives of DCS

  • has demonstrated skill in written and verbal communication, time management, problem-solving, and collaboration

  • is willing to take the lead in a diverse interdisciplinary environment and delegate effectively

  • is self-motivated and able to set and maintain their own working schedule with minimal supervision

  • is willing and able to travel to attend DCS events in both Regina and Saskatoon

Interested candidates with different but relevant backgrounds and skillsets are encouraged to apply.

About the Design Council of Saskatchewan

Our mandate:
“Design is all around us. From our homes to the buildings where we work, from product brochures to billboards, from public parks to roads and bridges, the world around us has been shaped and molded for both function and beauty. Much of what we see in the world has been created by applied design professionals.”

A volunteer organization formed in 1983, the Design Council of Saskatchewan (DCS) is the collective voice of six provincial associations representing design professionals working in the disciplines of architecture, planning, engineering and geoscience, graphic design, interior design, and landscape architecture. DCS was established to celebrate and promote public awareness and understanding of professional design in Saskatchewan. DCS volunteers are based in both Regina and Saskatoon.

Every two years, DCS hosts SK Design Week - a series of public events in Regina and Saskatoon that invite our surrounding communities to learn about the applied design professions and how each contributes to our everyday environment. Recently, these events have included lectures, film screenings, panel discussions, scavenger hunts, and construction tours.

Alongside SK Design Week, DCS runs the Premier’s Awards of Excellence in Design program, which recognizes and commends excellence in recent Saskatchewan-based design projects. DCS organizes a jury of design professionals who review and award entries in categories representing each discipline. All entries are displayed and celebrated at the Premier’s Awards Gala held during SK Design Week.

Application Instructions

Please apply with a cover letter and resume to: branden.schick@aodbt.com.

Your cover letter and resume should contain:

  • A brief description of your knowledge and understanding of the organization.

  • A brief description of your approach to fulfilling the Executive Director’s duties as listed in the attached Responsibility List.

  • Your education, work and/or volunteer experience, and interests as they relate to this opportunity and our ideal candidate profile.

Samples of previous design work including graphic design and marketing materials are welcome as part of your application.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. CST on Friday August 28th, 2026. We thank all for their interest, but only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview. If you have any questions, please reach out to Branden Schick at 306-845-9377 or branden.schick@aodbt.com.

Sincerely,
The Design Council of Saskatchewan

Member Associations and 2026 Representatives:

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) - Matt Wingerak

Interior Designers Association of Saskatchewan (IDAS) - Angie Bofoya

Design Professionals of Canada, Saskatoon (DesCan, formerly GDC) - Josh Nagy

Saskatchewan Association of Architects (SAA) - Branden Schick

Saskatchewan Association of Landscape Architects (SALA) - Lindsay Mamchur

Saskatchewan Professional Planners Institute (SPPI) - Keith Folkersen

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RESPONSIBILITIES LIST

Council Administration, Operations, and Leadership:

  • Participate in monthly board meetings and provide report to Board of Directors; help schedule meetings and distribute meeting agendas and minutes as required

  • Oversee sub-committee activities and provide assistance as required; work with each sub-committee to ensure each is meeting their respective goals

  • Communicate effectively, professionally, and in a timely manner with all DCS volunteers and external partners regarding any and all DCS business

  • Manage the DCS email account, regularly checking for and responding to inquiries

  • Manage the DCS website, regularly checking for and responding to inquiries; assist in updating the DCS website when necessary

  • Manage DCS files and information, including the DCS Google Drive

  • Manage DCS volunteer contact list

  • Coordinate Information Services Corporation (ISC) Annual Corporate Renewal

  • Coordinate DCS Directors and Officers Insurance on an annual basis

Membership Administration:

  • Manage contact list for DCS member associations

  • Assist the Treasurer and Member Association Representatives in developing and issuing annual membership fee invoices to each member association

  • Coordinate with DCS member association contacts and respond to inquiries as required

Financial Administration:

  • Assist the Treasurer in providing reports on finances at monthly board meetings

  • Keep record of revenue and expenses on operating ledger

  • Assist the Fund Development sub-committee in developing and implementing a funding strategy for the 2026-27 Council

  • Assist the Fund Development sub-committee in fundraising and grant writing

  • Assist the Treasurer in preparing annual budgets

  • Assist the Treasurer in coordinating year-end statement filing and other required submissions

  • Facilitate hiring an accountant as required

Communications and Marketing:

  • Assist the Communications sub-committee in developing and implementing a communications strategy for 2026-27 Council

  • Assist the Communications and Events sub-committees in the marketing and promotion of DCS events. and initiatives

  • Assist the Communications sub-committee in managing DCS social media accounts and ensure posted content reflects the mandate and values of our organization

  • Create and distribute monthly DCS newsletter

Outreach and Sponsorship:

  • Assist the Outreach sub-committee in community engagement initiatives and volunteer recruitment

  • Assist the Fund Development sub-committee in coordinating the sponsorship program ahead of SK Design Week 2027; update sponsorship letter templates; assist in updating sponsorship levels and perks biannually based on economic climate; create sponsorship packages; coordinate and assist in the distribution of first-round and follow-up sponsorship requests; manage the sponsor database during sponsorship outreach; invoice confirmed sponsors, facilitate payments, and respond to sponsor inquiries; manage sponsor recognition in all SK Design Week 2027 programming

Design Week:

  • - Assist the Events and Awards sub-committees in planning and executing SK Design Week 2027 and the Premier’s Awards Gala:

    o Assist in developing and coordinating the Design Week programming schedule

    o Assist the Communications sub-committee in the marketing and promotion of Design Week programming

    o Coordinate invitations to potential speakers, and arrange travel and accommodations for them once confirmed; coordinate with DCS members to ensure speakers are hosted during their time in Saskatoon, including arranging transportation to and from the airport and speaking events, as well as meals and activities with groups of DCS members as required;

    o Facilitate hiring event-related contractors (e.g. event planner, social media specialist, photographer, videographer, etc.) for Design Week as required; coordinate with contractors as DCS’ primary point of contact

    o Coordinate venue, catering, Master of Ceremonies, AV, musical entertainment / DJ, and other vendor bookings as required for the Awards Gala and other Design Week events

    o Coordinate and secure event insurance as required

    o Coordinate the volunteer schedule and ensure all events have sufficient support

    o Be available for general coordination throughout Design Week, oversee volunteers at each event, and provide assistance as required

    o Assist the Events sub-committee in preparing schedules and speaking notes for each Design Week event

  • Assist the Awards sub-committee in coordinating the Premier’s Awards of Excellence in Design program

    o Assist in developing and distributing the call for award entries; assist in coordinating jury member invitations as required; facilitate award entry payments; assist in responding to inquiries as required

    o Participate in awards jury sessions as required

    o Assist the Awards sub-committee in developing and executing the Awards Gala program, including coordinating the award entry display boards, awards presentation, and awards trophies and certificates

    o Coordinate final signed award certificates and distribute to award winners