Program Manager

Are you our next Program Manager?

We are looking for a dynamic, agile thinker with an eye for details. This role will suit someone who can
be both programmer and producer, able to fluidly move between these two inter-dependent skill sets
at different stages in the festival cycle; someone who thrives in a small team and builds great
relationships, loves the peaks and troughs of festival life, and is equally at home at a gig as in a planning
document. Most importantly, the right candidate will respect the legacy of jazz but wants to be part of
embracing new directions in this dynamic artform.

How to apply
This is a rare opportunity to play a key role within the Australian jazz sector and we are looking for the
right fit for our small team. We want to assess applicants on their aptitude and potential for growth as
much as their existing skills and experience, so please send us an application that showcases your own
unique style, your career aspirations, and really gives us a sense of what you can bring to the role and
the Festival.
The key criteria that we are looking for are:
 experience in planning and/or producing artistic programs in an arts, events or festival context
 an eye for detail but a head for the big picture
 proven ability to be a creative, agile thinker, with a confident and mature approach to problem
solving and negotiations
 excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to establish and maintain rewarding
relationships with artists and stakeholders
 effective time and information-management skills in a multi-deadline environment
 an adaptive and open approach to learning new skills
 ability to work collaboratively but also autonomously when required.

Ideally, the successful candidate will also have:

 experience working with (or being) an Artistic Director or creative lead
 experience with festival/event management or database software (ie Marcato, Salesforce)
 knowledge of the Australian and international jazz/contemporary music scene
 a personal passion for jazz, contemporary music or live performance.

While we’re deliberately leaving things a little open-ended in order to find the right person, there are
also some practical aspects that we need to measure, so applications must include:
1. A cover letter outlining your motivations for applying, your knowledge and understanding of
the role and of MIJF, and what you would bring to the role. Please also include your
confidential contact details and availability to commence in the role should you be the
successful candidate
2. A response to the key criteria
3. A copy of your CV that includes details of 3 referees. Referees will only be contacted after
interviews have taken place

Applications close at 10am on Monday 13 August 2018. Please email your application to
jennifer@melbournejazz.com. If possible please combine your application into one document.
Applications that do not include all 3 elements will not be considered. Interviews will take place during
the week commencing 20 August at the Festival’s office in North Melbourne.
About the Melbourne International Jazz Festival

Vision For the Melbourne International Jazz Festival to be one of the world’s leading centres of
creative jazz presentation by providing a platform for performance, collaboration,
education and engagement

Mission To promote and encourage the knowledge, understanding, appreciation and enjoyment
of jazz through the presentation of a world class annual jazz festival

The Melbourne International Jazz Festival is Australia’s pre-eminent jazz event. Curated by Artistic
Director Michael Tortoni, MIJF is internationally renowned as a programmer of excellence and
innovation, shining a light on the Melbourne’s thriving jazz culture and making a unique contribution to
Melbourne’s artistic reputation. The Festival celebrated its 21st anniversary in 2018.

Each annual program runs for 10 days in early June, ranging from modern masters to rising legends,
showcasing traditional as well as innovative forms of jazz and improvised music. Access, participation
and diversity are embedded into every program, as is a long-standing commitment to sector
development through education partnerships and outreach programming. In 2017 the MIJF established
3-year cultural exchange relationships with Tokyo and Singapore Jazz Festivals.

In 2018 MIJF attracted 30,000 people to 104 events over 10 days, with 70 international artists from 9
different countries performing alongside 400 Australian artists in 26 venues. The acclaimed program
encompassed mainstage performances, club gigs, late-night jam sessions, artist talks, student
masterclasses, career development workshops and community engagement events.

With a strong and trusted brand, its audience is demographically, culturally and behaviourally diverse.
MIJF has an established mix of long-term loyal audiences and first time attendees (between 10-15%).

The organisation receives multi-year funding from Creative Victoria, Catalyst and City of Melbourne;
funding comprises around 35% of income. Box office is the largest income source (around 50% of total
income), with the balance earned from sponsorships, donations and other earned revenue.

The Festival’s current strategic plan outlines 5 key goals:

Curate: To sustain the Festival’s leadership position as a programmer of excellence and innovation,
renowned for presenting leading international and Australian artists, both emerging and established,
at an international standard
Engage: To attract new audiences and participants to the Festival while deepening engagement with
existing audiences
Differentiate: To optimise the Festival’s position within an increasingly competitive local, national
and international environment
Prosper: To ensure the Festival’s future development, viability and long-term sustainability
Govern: To maintain a committed, skilled and diverse Board and Management team that embodies
best-practice governance
What is the fundamental purpose of the role?
The primary focus of the role is to support the Artistic Director in the formulation and delivery of the
annual Artistic Program, providing creative input, ideas and inspiration into the program while ensuring
its timely and effective planning and execution within budget.
The successful candidate will be both programmer and producer, able to fluidly move between the two
inter-dependent skill sets depending on what’s required at different stages within the 12-month festival
cycle (which may vary from year to year).
Working closely with the Artistic Director and CEO, the Program Manager is responsible for managing
all aspects of the annual program from concept to delivery. This includes artistic planning, research,
artist negotiation and contracting, liaising with interstate presenters, managing relationships with a
national and international network of agents, artist, venues and promoters, and ensuring that
exceptional experiences are provided for artists on-ground in order to facilitate the best possible
performances for our audiences.

Responsibilities and accountabilities

The Program Manager is responsible for managing the successful delivery of each annual program, by
taking the Artistic Director’s annual artistic concept and making it a reality, while ensuring that
stakeholder requirements are met and MIJF’s strategic goals of Sustain, Curate and Optimise are
realised (and, indirectly, Prosper and Govern).
More broadly, the Program Manager is a key contributor to continually improving the organisation’s
artistic planning and program delivery practice.
While we have some flexibility to shape the role to the right candidate, according to their aptitude and
experience, the key responsibilities and accountabilities of the role include:
 Under the direction of the Artistic Director, researching, planning and confirming the annual artistic
program, ensuring that the program meets or exceeds MIJF’s KPIs and stakeholder expectations
(such as education partners and specific event supporters)
 Artist management – managing the full cycle of artist involvement from negotiating offers to
contract management to scheduling to onground liaison to post-event evaluation. Also selecting
and booking personnel such as DJs, panellists and facilitators, and artists for events outside Festival
period as required (ie for sponsor events)
 Supporting the CEO to develop the annual program budget, and managing allocated expenditure
within approved budget
 Establishing and managing co-presentation partnerships with interstate and international
presenters (such as festivals, venues and promoters) in order to negotiate collective deals
 Timely and thorough event planning and delivery, including visas, withholding tax, licences (APRA),
scheduling and artist communication, logistics and stakeholder servicing activities (such as
education workshops)
 Sharing accurate information with all areas of the MIJF’s operations, including production,
marketing, publicity, development, government relations, stakeholder relationships, marketing,
finance and legal areas, via the Festival database
 Responsibility for post-event reporting, including managing feedback and evaluation processes and
attending debriefs as required
 Maintaining exceptional relationships with MIJF’s stakeholders, and acting as advocate for the
Festival amongst local, state and national jazz and broader artistic communities
 Fostering opportunities to advance strategically, including linking with other jazz presenters to
develop long-term projects and creative performance pathways for Australian artists.
Reporting structure, key interactions and environment
Internally, the position is part of the Festival’s core management team, reporting directly to the CEO
and working closely with the Artistic Director. Depending on the skills and experience of the successful
candidate, the Program Manager may be supported by seasonal contract-based roles as required.

The role works closely with:

 the CEO to ensure that the annual program and program budget is financially viable while meeting
stakeholder and funding body requirements, and in ensuring adherence to the Festival’s timeline,
reporting and documentation needs
 the Marketing & Development Manager to ensure each artistic program will optimise the Festival’s
brand and positioning, drive the achievement of box office and attendance targets and to identify
appropriate opportunities to increase support for the Festival
 the Production team to ensure that all artist needs are being met and relevant information shared
 the Volunteer Program Coordinator to select Artist Liason volunteers, and during the festival, the
Driving Coordinator

The role also interacts with the Festival’s Board of Directors who are committed to representing and
advocating for the Festival amongst their networks and the wider business and cultural sectors. The
Program Manager also manages Artist Liaison volunteers during the festival period.

Board of Directors Artistic Director

CEO

Marketing & Production

Program Volunteer
Bookkeeper Development Coordinator Manager
Manager
Manager

Development Seasonal Driving Production

Marketing
Coordinator support Coordinator Coordinator
Coordinator

Stage
Ticketing Managers
Publicist
Coordinator
Production
Volunteers Contractors

Permanent Seasonal Contractor Volunteers

The MIJF team is committed to delivering a world-class annual festival. There is a commitment to
multitasking from the whole team, assisting with other areas of operations from time to time.
Externally, the position is the primary point of contact for artists, agents/managers, promoters, venues,
co-presenters, other festivals and broader live music and performance industry contacts.
During the Festival the role is based in the Festival office in North Melbourne during the day, and
attends scheduled functions and performances in the evening. Some interstate or international travel
may be required from time to time but is not a regular requirement of the role.
Decision making & financial delegation
Each annual artistic program is developed collaboratively by the Artistic Director, Program Manager and
CEO. Within this context the Program Manager is required to make decisions on a day-to-day basis
under the broad direction of the CEO and/or Artistic Director, with guidance and advice provided as
required.
The annual program budget is developed and managed by the CEO with input from the Artistic Director
and Program Manager. The Program Manager is responsible for managing budgets allocated from the
approved budget and tracking expenditure, but has no direct financial delegation authority.

Terms of employment
Commencing in September/October 2018, the role is offered as a full-time, 2-year contract (with an
option to renew for a further 2 years in line with funding cycles), with a 12-month trial period.
Performance is reviewed annually against KPIs which are agreed at the beginning of each year.
The starting salary is $75,000 pa plus superannuation and generous leave entitlements. The Festival is
an Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider flexible working arrangements for the right candidate.
Evening and weekend work will be required during the Festival period as well as occasional functions
and events throughout the year. All MIJF employees must abide by the organisation’s policies and
procedures.