Event Coordinator

The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) is a charitable, cultural organization located at Harbourfront Centre, internationally renowned for its programming in the arts, culture and recreation across a stunning 10-acre site at the heart of Toronto’s waterfront. As Canada’s largest and longest-running celebration of words and ideas, TIFA’ s vision is to inspire, empower and connect through the art of stories. We do this through literary festivals, programmes, and events that bring together people of all ages (virtually or in person) to celebrate books, stories, authors and artists with a breadth of bold, ambitious, accessible and engaging literary experiences from Toronto, Canada and around the world.

TIFA champions the best of Canadian and international publishing, generating conversations, partnerships and collaborations, and fosters new thinking about what it means to be living in today’s world. Under the dynamic leadership of Roland Gulliver, TIFA has embarked on a range of strategic and creative ambitions, working with diverse audiences and communities, alongside presenting some of the best authors and artists from around the world. Our year-round programmes include:

• The flagship Festival every September- 11 days featuring 200 events and activities with music, performance, spoken word, film, installations and exhibitions, alongside readings, interviews and book signings.
• MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival, launched in June 2022, a 3-day festival celebrating all aspects of the genre.
• TIFA Kids, a dynamic, entertaining international programme of performances, talks, workshops and drop in programmes for children aged 0 to 14 years.
• Toronto Lit UP, an annual programme spotlighting Toronto writers.
• TIFA Book Club, our sell-out series online each Spring and Fall.
• Other year-round events, projects, podcasts and partnerships.

 

It’s an exciting time to join our evolving organization and growing team! We are currently seeking a detail-attentive, organized and dynamic Event Coordinator to produce and manage the various logistical aspects to deliver successful TIFA events and programmes.

 

Position Title: Event Coordinator

Reporting To: Head of Programmes

Type of Employment: Full-time, 35 hours per week

Location: Toronto

 

Role Summary

The Event Coordinator, working alongside the Programme Coordinator, will deliver the events and activities of TIFA’ s annual programmes, with a particular focus on our MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival in June, and our annual 11-day Festival in September. Specifically the incumbent will work to produce the various logistical aspects required to deliver successful festivals, from pre-festival planning and preparation (contracts, communications, hotel and travel requirements, event and production requirements) to the on-the-ground production. This role will suit someone with excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail  to manage a complex range of deliverables. Our ideal candidate will have the initiative and confidence to work independently, yet will also enjoy working constructively in team settings, thriving on the atmosphere and energy of live cultural events. Additionally, they will understand the value of executing events to an excellent standard and in a timely fashion.

 

Responsibilities

• Organize the delivery and logistics for TIFA’ s events and activities including advance preparation and on-the-day production.
• Organize author and guest hotel reservations, travel arrangements, contracts, payments, and other duties involved with artist participation.
• Communicate in a timely fashion with authors, publishers, artist, partner participants on event logistics, contracts and all relevant information.
• Update, monitor and track documents and information on Sharepoint, Artifax and the Author Portal database.
• Monitor budgets and spend for programmes, festivals and events.
• Draft agreements, contracts, and information packages for programme partners.
• Supervise and support part-time staff, festival interns, and volunteers.
• Liaise with Harbourfront Centre departments (Production, Technical, Front of House, Hospitality) to deliver festivals and events to the highest standard.
• Work in person and at digital events as required.
• Assemble and update training manuals and materials.

 

Requirements

• Experience in event and festival production and delivery.
• Experience of working with databases and information management systems (Artifax and Tessitura an asset).
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and writing skills.
• Relationship management skills, including the ability to work closely and collaboratively with a wide range of participants, partners and stakeholders, internally and externally.
• Strong organizational skills and highly detail-oriented.
• Ability to manage a detailed and complex workload.
• Flexibility and adaptability to cope with rapidly changing situations.
• Comfortable working in live environments as a representative of the organization and dealing with a range of VIPs and stakeholders.
• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. Non-Canadian applicants must have a valid employment Visa and proper documentation authorizing their ability to work in Canada.
• TIFA recognizes its heightened duty to protect employees from health and safety risks associated with COVID-19. As such, an offer of employment shall be conditional upon 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, as well as salary expectations.

Qualified applicants can submit their candidacy by contacting jobs@harbourfrontcentre.com by no later than February 2, 2023. Please quote TIFA-Event Coordinator 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.