Administrative Assistant, Programming

The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) at Harbourfront Centre inspires and empowers book lovers with a breadth of bold, ambitious and accessible literary experiences. As Canada’s largest literary festival, the charitable organization provides engaging opportunities to meet, hear and learn from the world’s best contemporary writers and thinkers, and to celebrate the power of stories. Since 1974, TIFA has presented over 9,500 authors, including 22 Nobel Laureates, who represent diverse perspectives and a range of literary genres for all ages. TIFA’s creative programmes continue to adapt to changing times, capturing the most innovative and enlightening forms of storytelling, on stage and online. TIFA delivers a year-round programme of events and activities that reflect Toronto to its residents, its literature to the nation, and its creative ambition to the world. TIFA will launch its inaugural crime and mystery festival June 3–5, 2022; and celebrate the 43rd edition of the Festival September 22 to October 22, 2022. To learn more about us, please visit www.festivalofauthors.ca.

We are currently seeking a collaborative, very organized and detail-oriented Administrative Assistant, Programming to provide general assistance during the preparation of MOTIVE: Toronto’s Crime & Mystery Festival and of the 43rd Festival edition, supporting programming and event planning initiatives. The overall objective is to support the development and implementation of TIFA’s creative programme of festivals, events, and activities and to strengthen TIFA’s relationship with members of the publishing community.  

 

Position Title: Administrative Assistant, Programming

Reporting To: Programming Coordinator

Type of Employment: Contract (5 months), May 23 to October 10,2022

Hours of Work: 35 hours per week (Monday to Friday)

Compensation: $16 per hour

Location: Toronto

Funding Support: This position is generously supported by  Canada Summer Jobs. As such, candidates must meet three specific criteria as found in the Requirements section of this posting.

 

Duties

• Compile extensive research of forthcoming books; local, national, and international literary trends; potential event participants (authors and event hosts, moderators, interviewers, and curators); publishers; and literary and artistic events. 
• Manage, track, and sort participant submissions and information, and update data to reflect finalized details.   
• Prepare documentation and reports based on data.   
• Disseminate information to other departments, with the supervision of the Programming Coordinator. 
• Liaise with publishing houses, publicists, and event speakers.   
• Assemble information packages. 
• Attend events and facilitate live event logistics as required, both on-site and virtually, providing participants and volunteers with  information and guidance.
• Participate in various programming meetings with publishers, partners, and team members, and take minutes as needed.
• Respond to correspondence sent through TIFA’s support email. 

 

Requirements

• As this position is supported by Canada Summer Jobs, candidates must meet these 3 essential criteria: 1) Be no more than 30 years of age at the start of employment; 2) Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment; 3) Have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations. 
• Completed courses, certifications or internship experience in the areas of arts administration, event planning, media, communications, or publishing are considered an asset. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a strong command of English grammar and persuasive storytelling technique.
• Ability to balance multiple high priority projects simultaneously.
• Superior organization skills for detailed, timely and accurate project coordination.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite. 
• Capacity to work/thrive in a fast-moving, collaborative environment.
• Self-motivated, with the ability to work independently and take initiative. 
• Ability to synthesize and communicate complex ideas.  
• Experience working or volunteering in a not-for-profit environment is desirable. 
• Creative and resourceful thinking abilities are desirable. 
• Demonstrated interest in arts and literature is considered an asset. 
• Availability to work some evenings and weekends as needed to support events taking place during these times.
• TIFA recognizes its heightened duty to protect employees from health and safety risks during the current pandemic. As such, an offer of employment shall be conditional on proof of full COVID-19 vaccination with a vaccine series approved by Health Canada or the World Health Organization.

Apply

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Our Values

Open
We’re friendly, welcoming and inclusive, with an experimental attitude that thrives on collaboration.

Brave
To achieve our bold ambition we empower and support imaginative risk and we always try to learn from our mistakes.

Rigorous
We are committed to excellence in all we do, ensuring every visitor encounter is safe, memorable and enriching.

Kind
We value and respect each other and all our visitors, celebrating difference and striving to realise potential.

How To Apply

TIFA values and is committed to diversity and inclusiveness in our teams, creative communities, programmes and services. We invite qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply.

Acceptable applications must include a current resume and a cover letter outlining the qualifications and experience that you would bring to the position. Qualified applicants can submit their candidacy by contacting programming@festivalofauthors.ca by no later than May 17, 2022. Please quote Administrative Assistant, Programming in the subject line of the application.

We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted. Suitable accommodations will be available upon request during the hiring process.