We are recruiting!
Festival Coordinator post

We are looking for a new Festival Coordinator for Essex Book Festival. Here are the details:

EBF Festival Coordinator: Job Description

Job title: Festival Coordinator
Responsible to: Festival Director
Location: Centre for Creative Writing, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex
Salary: £24,000 (pro rata) 

Contract: Freelance 1-Year Contract. Based on 3 days per week with seasonal adjustment related to the festival period, i.e. 4 days per week October- March, 2 days per week April-September

Application deadline: Monday 29 July (midnight) 
Interviews: Monday 5 August 
Start Date: Monday 19 August 

About Us 

Essex Book Festival takes place every March. It is the only festival of its kind to take place over a one-month period hosted by forty venues across one of the UK’s largest and most diverse counties. The festival is an independent charity based within the Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Essex. It collaborates with a wide range of local, regional, national and international organisations to fulfil its objectives.

Essex Book Festival has grown exponentially over the last five years in terms of its audience reach and the breadth of its programming. Its key aims are to explore innovative ways of igniting people’s passion for the ‘book’ in all its forms; to nurture and showcase writers and artists at all levels of their careers; to push the boundaries; and finally, to create a meaningful legacy for Essex.

The Role

As part of the small team that runs the festival year-round, the Festival Coordinator will work closely with the Festival Director to ensure that all elements of the festival are in place on time and within budget. The role is varied with a focus on logistics and delivery. 

Key responsibilities include:

– Event management, i.e. liaising with writers/artists, publishers, venues, ticket sellers and partners 
– Managing all marketing activity, i.e. print media, website, and social media
– Budget management and funding reports
– Recruiting and managing volunteers 
– Festival evaluation 

Person Specification

We are looking for the following knowledge, experience and qualities: 

– Passion for books and the wider arts 
– Experience of working in arts/festival environment
– Confident and wide-ranging IT skills: knowledge of MS Office including Word, Excel and Powerpoint 
– Experience of updating websites and digital marketing using WordPress and Mailchimp
– Ability to work to deadlines, and balance multiple and competing priorities
– Experience of working in a small team
– Experience of budget management
– Self-motivated, positive, and reliable
– Accuracy, efficiency and excellent attention to detail
– Have own car/access to a car 
– Flexibility regarding working hours during festival period

To Apply

To apply please send a CV, details of two referees and a cover letter (no more than two pages) to [email protected] with FESTIVAL COORDINATOR in the subject line. 

Please outline why you are applying for the role, what you hope to gain from it and ensure you cover all the essential qualities as listed above.

We are committed to making Essex Book Festival as accessible as possible to all. Should you have any specific access requirements or concerns, please let us know.

Deadline for applications: 29 July (midnight)
Interviews will be held on 5 August at The Centre for Creative Writing, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex, CO4 3SQ
Start date: Monday 19 August 

For more information about the role, please contact Ros Green, Festival Director: [email protected] / 07913 061948