Folk Festival Employment Opportunity

Full-Time Position: Director of Planning and Operations, Ottawa Folk Festival
Period: One-year, renewable term
Start Date: January 1, 2009
Application Deadline: Sunday, November 30, 2008 at 6 p.m.

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The Ottawa Folk Festival is a non-profit, charitable, volunteer-based community organization. Now in its 16th year, the Festival celebrates the creativity of musicians, dancers, artisans and spoken word artists by holding an annual summer festival, as well as concerts and other events throughout the year.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Director of Planning and Operations (DPO) works in close collaboration with the Artistic Director (AD) and Volunteer and Outreach Manager (VM) in a team-based environment.

The DPO is responsible for effectively managing and overseeing the finances and day-to-day operations of the organization. Areas include financial management and revenue generation; Board and committee support; festival operational planning and implementation, staff supervision and general office administration; and marketing and promotion.

The DPO recognizes the importance to a team-based, largely voluntary organization of maintaining a positive outlook, focusing on the strengths and potential of others, and fostering an energetic and creative environment.

The ideal candidate will:

• Be motivated by the importance of acoustic roots (folk) music in the broader arts community
• Be a highly skilled financial manager with a vision of how to keep the Festival on a solid financial footing
• Have excellent leadership, communications and people management skills
• Be a team facilitator – skilled at empowering colleagues and volunteers to achieve team objectives in a positive environment
• Act as an official spokesperson for the Festival and promote the Festival to the community at large and other stakeholders
• Be an excellent writer of grant applications and sponsorship proposals
• Have experience developing collaborative relationships with colleagues, community groups and organizations
• Have a high level of energy and drive and the ability to juggle the day-to-day demands with longer-range projects and strategic planning

Responsibilities

Financial Management:

1. Develop, in collaboration with the Treasurer, annual budgets for the organization and for special projects
2. Oversee all financial transactions of the festival including banking, payroll, accounts receivable and payable, petty cash, rentals, donations and grants
3. In collaboration with the Finance Committee, develop, implement and maintain financial management systems to ensure annual budget targets are met and accurate and timely financial reports are available

Revenue Generation:

1. Identify and pursue revenue streams - including grants, sponsorships and fundraising - to ensure adequate growth and diversity
2. Coordinate the preparation of all necessary grant applications/funding proposals and ensure accountability and reporting requirements are met to maintain existing grants
3. Maintain effective communication with sponsors, granters and donors
4. Oversee the development and implementation of fundraising strategies to meet revenue targets

Board and Committee Support:

1. Provide background information, analysis and recommendations to support Board planning and decision-making processes
2. Support Board’s monitoring role by providing regular reports, including budget updates, office staff, revenue generation (status of grants, sponsorships, donors and fundraising), marketing strategy and ad plans (concerts and Festival), concert and Festival expenses, and box office
3. Make recommendations to the Board about improvements to financial processes, organizational structure, etc.
4. Participate in and provide support for Board committees (Finance, Human Resources and Governance) and implementation committees (Resource Development, Marketing & Public Relations, Green)
5. Coordinate the implementation of Board and Board Committee decisions and the effective implementation of action plans
6. Provide administrative support for special Festival projects and programs

Planning and Strategic Analysis:

1. Provide analysis and recommendations on best practices in the area of Festival planning
2. Gather up-to-date information about industry and local market trends
3. Solicit and track stakeholder feedback

Internal Management:

1. Coordinate the hiring, training and management of staff
2. Oversee office infrastructure and ensure administrative and management systems meet organizational requirements
3. In conjunction with senior staff, oversee Festival operations, ensuring that proper resources and systems are put in place
4. Ensure all legislated requirements are met to maintain Festival’s non-profit, charitable status (e.g. Canada Revenue Agency, Compensation, Health and Safety, etc.)
5. Identify any gaps in policy, service, administration and/or management and take appropriate action

Marketing and Promotion:

1. Coordinate the development, implementation and maintenance of an effective marketing and promotion strategy for the Festival, concerts and all special events
2. Act as one of the principal spokespeople for the organization

Collaboration with Colleagues and Volunteers:

1. Support and promote a collaborative office work environment that embodies the "How We Work Together" principles (the Festival’s professional code of conduct)
2. Work closely and collaboratively with the AD, VM and key volunteers
3. Support the activities of the VM to strengthen the volunteer base and community partnerships
4. Participate in external committees and networks as appropriate

Qualifications

1. A minimum of two years of management experience in an arts/cultural organization or an annual festival with an annual budget of $400,000 or more
2. A proven record of leadership ability and working in a team-based environment
3. Excellent financial management and office management skills
4. Experience writing grant applications and sponsorship proposals
5. Excellent communication skills (oral and written)
6. A proven ability to work effectively and harmoniously in a team and with people of all ages and backgrounds
7. Experience working with non-profit boards of management
8. A post-secondary degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience
9. Advanced computer and database skills preferred

Conditions of Employment

• Police check required
• Must work full-time at folk office
• In a festival organization, evening and weekend work is frequently required; time-in-lieu (i.e. 1 hour off for 1 hour overtime worked) must accommodate ongoing operational requirements
• Three-month probationary period

Compensation

Annual salary: $38,000

Benefits: Two weeks vacation (to be taken between Sept. 1 and May 31), half a week between Christmas and New Year’s, statutory holidays, and one day per month of sick leave

References

Please provide contact information for three references.

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