Programme 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 an imaginative, passionate and organized Programme Coordinator with great communication and interpersonal skills to coordinate the various creative elements required to deliver impactful TIFA festivals, events and activities.

 

Position Title: Programme Coordinator

Reporting To: Head of Programmes

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

Location: Toronto

 

Role Summary

The Programme Coordinator will work alongside the Event Coordinator to deliver 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 closely with the TIFA Director and with the Head of Programmes to deliver the various creative elements required to create impactful festivals appealing to both authors and audience, with duties ranging from  pre-festival planning and preparation (event and idea research, author and publisher liaison, communication and invitation management, event content and requirements) to the on-the-ground delivery of festival events and activities. This role will suit someone with a passion for creating live cultural events, excited to see ideas come to fruition and enthusiastic about the opportunity to connect authors, ideas and audiences. Our ideal candidate will have the initiative and confidence to work independently, yet will also enjoy making constructive contributions in team settings, thriving on the atmosphere and energy of live cultural events. Additionally, they will have a keen understanding of the importance of how detailed delivery, management and production lead to the realization of creative potential.

 

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and execute the tasks required to implement TIFA’ s creative vision, inclusive of content research, drafting and sending invitations, author and publicist correspondence, developing plans with partners, and designing event formats and author schedules.
• Coordinate relationships with publishers, cultural organizations and international agencies.
• Coordinate and participate in programming meetings with publishers and partners, assisting with minute taking and distribution of materials.
• Conduct detailed research on authors, books and creative ideas including cataloguing all physical and electronic submissions.
• Create and maintain information systems and processes including critical paths, author and event information tracking, etc.
• Track participant and event data for use by the TIFA and Harbourfront for event delivery, reporting and analysis.
• Communicate programming information to internal and external stakeholders to facilitate logistical, marketing and funding support for the programme.
• Work closely with the Events Coordinator to ensure efficient communication and delivery of content and logistics for artist participation and event production.
• Prepare correspondence, reports, and presentations related to programming matters.

 

Requirements

• Experience in arts administration, events creation and delivery or publishing.
• Knowledge of the Canadian publishing industry and cultural sector an asset.
• Demonstrated interest in literature and understanding of the role of culture in society.
• 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 to process and communicate extensively detailed information.
• 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-Programme 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.