OPPORTUNITY TYPE: Fixed-Term Manager
REPORTS TO: Director of Production
CONTRACT DATES: February 3 – May 17, 2025
APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 17, 2025
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Festival Events Manager plays a key role to lead, develop, and execute events and logistics for Industry stakeholders during the annual Hot Docs Festival. The role requires a versatile skill set that includes budgeting, procurement, time management, team leadership, and effective communication. As part of the Production Department, the Festival Events Manager collaborates with various internal departments and external stakeholders to ensure the successful delivery of a festival networking event schedule that aligns with the world-class quality standards and vision of the organization while adhering to budget and timeline constraints.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Administration:
- Develop, oversee, & maintain the festival events budget with strong financial accountability;
- Responsible for ensuring all event related insurance is up to date for venues alongside collecting certificates of insurance from partners and suppliers;
- Responsible for documentation of team workbacks, budgets, project files, and supporting paperwork;
- Represent department at applicable meetings (Programming, Operations, etc.);
- Complete a post-mortem detailing successes, challenges, and suggestions for the Production Department.
Scheduling & Staffing:
- Develop, manage, & maintain the festival events critical path, event, and staffing schedules with considerations for cross-departmental and external deadlines, rental & vendor agreements, and other identified parameters;
- Create, manage, and maintain event briefs, hour x hour, and run-of-shows including timelines, schedules, workflows, communication and reporting pathways, documentation, relevant tracking, and other specifics;
- Lead, hire, train, and manage the festival events team (2-3 contract staff + volunteers) to achieve high standards in production, accessibility, equity, and inclusion.
Event Planning & Logistics:
- Ingest the vision of various internal stakeholders to help conceptualize, plan, and execute the logistical and operational details of the Opening Night Party, Filmmaker Awards, Filmmaker Drinks, Hospitality Dinners, and other networking and social events in both in-person and digital spheres;
- Manage venue logistics and special events, including the sourcing of venues, suppliers, and event permits;
- Oversee the design and procurement of signage and other marketing collateral;
- Conduct venue site visits, walk-throughs, and meetings to assess operation needs and accessibility;
- Responsible for reviewing and negotiating venue and hospitality service provider contracts including identifying and minimizing risks and logistical impacts alongside prudent, budget management;
- Responsible for in-kind event and hospitality partnerships up to $15,000;
- Oversee any on-site event partner and sponsor activations ensuring that activations comply with venue operations and legal guidelines;
- Plan and oversee the space design, traffic flow, and equipment needs of festival venues considering schedule, risk assessment, health and safety, inclusion, accessibility, emergency procedures, and other front-of-house responsibilities (scanning, voting, lineups, etc.);
- Lead onsite support for venue setup, event execution, and strike to ensure everything runs smoothly and on time, including liaising with partners, vendors, deliveries, and volunteers;
- Other related duties as required and assigned.
QUALIFICATION
- 3-5 years’ experience planning multi-day festivals or equivalent large-scale events hosting 30-800 people;
- Proven experience conceptualizing and driving successful live events, parties, and networking gatherings that support organizational goals and deliver superior customer service for clients/partners/prospects;
- Proven experience securing in-kind partnerships, budgeting with financial accountability, and acuity with contracts & negotiations;
- Proficient in Microsoft Office 365, Google Suite, Dropbox, Zoom;
- Smart Serve certified;
- This role may require some heavy lifting, up to 30 lbs.;
- Excellent administrative and organizational skills, attention to detail, budgets, timelines, and goals;
- Ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously while working independently and as part of a team;
- Creative thinker with exceptional problem-solving and conflict resolution skills, a willingness to learn and respond to change with flexibility, adaptability, and a superior commitment to client services;
- Excellent relationship-building and communication skills (written and oral) including the ability to craft detailed and precise communication with professionalism;
- Ability to coordinate large groups of people effectively and maintain collaborative relationships while remaining calm under pressure in a fast-paced festival environment with tight deadlines;
- Mature personal judgment, exhibiting a high level of professionalism and diplomacy, and ability to handle confidential information in a festival environment with fluctuating high-pressure needs;
- Strong leadership, prioritization, and decision-making, including effective delegation skills when juggling multiple competing tasks;
- Ability to work full-time, maintaining flexible working hours, including some evenings and weekends;
- Experience with Salesforce, Asana, Slack, Mac OS, basic graphic design is an asset;
- Experience working and training unionized crews and volunteers is an asset;
- Experience with EDI and Accessibility driven projects and initiatives is an asset;
- Valid Driver's license is an asset.
APPLICATION
Please forward a cover letter and resume to: Crystal MacDonell, Director of Production
Email: [email protected]
Subject Line: Hiring Committee – Festival Events Manager
Deadline: January 17, 2025
No phone calls, please.
EQUITY STATEMENT
Hot Docs is a forum to share stories and perspectives on the people, issues and events that shape our world, and we encourage respectful discussion and debate to foster greater understanding and empathy.
An integral component of this is Hot Docs’ commitment to fostering an organizational culture that brings together people with different races, identities, abilities, experiences and skills. Hot Docs is committed to reflecting the diverse communities we serve in the stories we present and also in our workforce. We encourage applications from diverse communities and welcomes applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion.
ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT
Hot Docs encourages applications from qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process. Please advise the Hiring Manager to ensure your accessibility needs are accommodated throughout this process. Information received relating to the accommodation will be addressed confidentially.