Application Deadline: August 1, 2022
Harbourfront Centre is a leader in providing internationally renowned artistic, educational and recreational programming across a beautiful 10-acre campus at the heart of Toronto’s waterfront. For more than 45 years, Harbourfront Centre has celebrated the best in Canadian culture and the rich mosaic of cultures from around the world, presenting thousands of events annually from music festivals to contemporary dance, to craft and design, to visual arts and more. Welcoming visitors year-round, there is something for everyone at Harbourfront Centre!
We are currently looking for an experienced, collaborative, and resourceful Planning Assistant. Reporting to the Senior Coordinator of Planning and Filming, this position is responsible for providing administrative support to Planning and Special Projects department.
Position Title: Planning Assistant
Department: Planning and Special Projects
Reporting to: Senior Coordinator, Planning and Filming
Type of Employment: Full Time
Summary of Function:
In collaboration with the Senior Coordinator, the Planning Assistant facilitates venue rental inquiries and internal bookings, prepares and executes contracts, reconciles event costs and prepares invoices, and collects data for statistical analysis. This position maintains event and contact management databases producing a variety of calendars, schedules, and reports. The Planning Assistant supports various inter-departmental meetings. This position also maintains department files and archives.
DUTIES
- Facilitates venue rental inquiries, internal program bookings and scheduling of operations, maintenance and capital works for Harbourfront Centre’s five theatres, seven multi-purpose venues, two outdoor stages and other areas across the site.
- Logs and reviews rental requests and applications, performs initial assessment of application and brings forward to the Senior Coordinator and Director.
- Liaises with rental clients and conducts tours of venues and facilitates communication and exchange of information with programming and support departments in the areas of program, production and technical services, site operations and security.
- Facilitates film and photography location requests and permits in the absence of the Senior Coordinator.
- Inputs data and updates contact information for rental clients in Tessitura, Harbourfront Centre’s CRM application.
- Assists in sector research including rental fees and current practices of other venues and cultural institutions.
Contracts and Invoices - Works with Production Managers and Coordinators to ensure timely delivery of event schedules and cost estimates and prepares booking contracts for rental clients for review by the Senior Coordinator.
- Executes client contracts with clients and brings forward for final signature by the Director and others, such as Artistic Directors and Chief Programming Officer.
- Distributes contracts with accompanying schedules and information to various areas within Harbourfront Centre.
- Prepares, executes and distributes all Film Location, Photography and Archival permits in the absence of the Senior Coordinator.
- Assists in the management of all venue bookings, site operations and program information in Artifax, Harbourfront Centre’s resource and scheduling database.
- Inputs booking information for events and exhibitions and maintains daily, monthly and annual logs of site visitation and patron attendance from Meraki, Harbourfront Centre’s onsite tracking system.
- Assists the Director in assembling statistics for festival and event evaluations, annual reports, grant and sponsor applications and reports, and others as required.
- Assists the Senior Coordinator in the preparation of music license reports to SOCAN and RE:SOUND for the payment of earned royalties to Canadian songwriters, composers, publishers, labels and performers.
- Prepares Staff On-Site/On-Call lists for festivals and events, and distributes to various departments.
- Assists the Director in preparing and distributing festival and event materials for the Director on Duty, CEO and Executive team, and tenants.
- Assists in scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, distributing materials and taking minutes for a variety of inter-departmental meetings related to planning and the review of calendars, seasonal schedules, and others as required.
- Assists in the evaluation of festivals and events scheduling meetings, sending out meeting notices, preparing agendas, distributing materials, taking minutes, compiling action items and recommendations, and maintaining a central directory of evaluation files.
- Assists the Director in maintaining their calendar of meetings and appointments, drafting correspondence, editing documents, collecting program and activity information and distributing materials as requested.
- Ensures rental client information posted on Harbourfront Centre’s website and other appropriate marketing pieces and signage.
- Reviews and edits marketing materials to ensure accuracy of date, time, location, ticket prices and other relevant program information.
- Maintains department archive of event and rental materials including contracts and invoices, calendars and schedules, and printed programs for festivals, events and historical database of events
Skills & Requirements
- A college degree with a focus in the arts, event coordination or hospitality management and minimum 2 years work experience (or) equivalent experienced gained in arts administration.
- Excellent computer skills, with extensive experience using Word, Excel and database applications.
- Strong communications skills to liaise with prospective rental clients, program and government partners and a variety of organizations.
- Highly effective relationship-management skills to build and maintain relationships with individuals at all levels of the organization
- Strong problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
- Energetic, self-motivated, and results-oriented.
- Strong organizational skills with great attention to detail.
- Excellent time management skills to prioritize and meet deadlines.
- Strong work ethic.
- Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. All international applicants must have a valid employment Visa authorizing their ability to work in Canada on a full-time, ongoing basis. We are unable to sponsor employment visas.
- This role is based in Toronto. While we are currently accommodating employees on a work from home arrangement due to COVID-19, all employees will be expected to return to work at our lakeside gallery when directed to do so.
- Harbourfront Centre 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.
- Experience in the not-for-profit sector is an asset.
- Knowledge of Canada’s art community is an asset.
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
Harbourfront Centre is committed to diversity and inclusiveness. We encourage qualified applicants from all backgrounds to apply and we welcome applicants from individuals who identify as belonging to equity priority groups.
Acceptable applications must include a current resume and a cover letter indicating how you meet the essential criteria of the position, as well as your salary expectations.
Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply by contacting jobs@harbourfrontcentre.com by no later than August 1, 2022. Please quote Planning Assistant in the subject line of your application.
We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those being considered for an interview will be contacted. If required, suitable accommodations will be available upon request during the hiring process.