EVENT MANAGER AND ARTS PRODUCER

Are you an experienced Events Manager with a passion for the arts?

Ready to help bring one of Northern Ireland's most exciting cultural events to life?

Apply now to join our dynamic team at the Belfast Photo Festival!

Location: Belfast, Hybrid Working and Across Northern Ireland when Required

Term: 6 Month Fixed Term, 4 Days a Week

Salary: £32,000 - £35,500 Pro-Rata, Depending on Experience

Hours: Regular Office Hours. Weekend, Evening and Festival Period Work when Required

Reporting to: CEO, Director of Development

Working with: Design and Digital Manager, Suppliers, Venues and Artists

Responsible for: Temporary ‘front of house’ staff and festival volunteers

APPLICATION PROCESS AND KEY DATES

  • Application Deadline: 8th December

  • Application Feedback: 11th December

  • Online/Hybrid Interviews: 16th - 18th December or nearest

  • Start Date: January, with peak festival period from mid-May to July.

To Apply:

Please send an email with the subject:  ‘Belfast Photo Festival - Events Manager’

Attach a CV (maximum 2 pages) and covering letter (max 1 page) outlining your experience and enthusiasm for the role.

Send to: Toby Smith - Director of Development - toby@belfastphotofestival.com

No agency, recruiters or 3rd party contacts please.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Coordination and Communication: Effectively and confidently liaise with festival stakeholders - including photographers, suppliers, temporary staff and venues  through various channels, including digital, phone, and in person.

  • Project Management: Manage timelines, budgets, and priorities across both physical and digital productions, ensuring deadlines are met and events run smoothly.

  • Event Delivery: Ensure the safe and professional delivery of festival events, ensuring all participants and partners have the necessary support and resources, uphold our reputation, accessibility and impact. 

  • Innovation: Bring fresh ideas and approaches to the festival’s delivery, finding creative solutions for any challenges that arise.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:

  • Communication: Clear and confident in communicating both digitally and face-to-face with diverse stakeholders, maintaining professionalism at all times.

  • Organisation & Time Management: Highly reliable, organised, and adept at managing multiple tasks simultaneously while maintaining meticulous attention to detail.

  • Self-Starter: Capable of initiating projects, prioritising tasks, and problem-solving independently or as a team, while maintaining focus on the festival’s overarching goals and timeline.

  • Professionalism: Demonstrates governance, clarity, and a commitment to ensuring a smooth, successful event with an understanding of the diverse requirements of funders, sponsors, and the general public.

WHAT WE OFFER:

  • Diverse Experience: We are looking for someone with a diverse range of experience in project management, festival organisation, the arts sector, or related fields. Whether you come from a corporate, creative, or freelance background, your skills and experience will be valued and built within the role. 

  • Inclusive Environment: At Belfast Photo Festival, we value diversity and are committed to accessibility and inclusion. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds and experiences to apply.

  • Flexible Work: The role offers a 32-hour work week with flexible working hours to suit both personal needs and festival requirements. We also support hybrid working arrangements.

  • Competitive Salary & Benefits: Salary will be offered within the indicated band, reflecting your experience and any training or support you may need. The role also includes pension and leave benefits in line with Employment Rights in Northern Ireland.

  • Job Stability: This is a 6-month fixed-term contract, with the possibility of extension based on funding and performance. We also offer a probationary period of 2 months.

WHY APPLY?

If you are passionate about the arts, organised, and thrive in a fast-paced, enjoyable, collaborative environment where you make a difference - this is the opportunity for you! Join a dynamic hard-working  team working to deliver an inspiring festival that celebrates Belfast, photography and engages a wide and diverse audience.

ABOUT BELFAST PHOTO FESTIVAL

Belfast Photo Festival is a charitable organisation that curates world-class photography and visual art events in diverse locations across Northern Ireland. For over 14 years, we have fostered creative dialogue, local development, and financial opportunities through commissions, entrepreneurial initiatives, and global arts leadership. We take pride in our adaptability, innovation, and resilience, which has allowed us to continuously engage with national and international audiences, positively impacting communities both locally and abroad.  

Belfast Photo Festival returns in June 2025 with a focus on Environment, Ecology and Climate, both in Northern Ireland and internationally.  Over 10 previous editions, the international Belfast Photo Festival has developed expertise, relationships, momentum and vision on what, how and where it curates and presents work within Belfast. In June 2024, we presented our largest and most ambitious festival yet. Thanks to core and project-specific funding, we expanded participation and deepened our environmental and social impact. A major highlight was the Island of Ireland premiere of Richard Mosse’s Broken Spectre, a profound exploration of the Brazilian Amazon. Accompanied by a dynamic press campaign that reached over 115 million people worldwide, engaging physical audiences of over 100,000. The festival has been hailed by Capture Magazine as one of the "best photography festivals in the world," cementing its position as the largest annual festival of photography in the UK and Ireland.

Also produced by Belfast Photo Festival, RENDR  is a one of a kind conference and festival, focusing on the inspirational space between creativity and technology. A nexus for the creative industries, RENDR provides the seamless link and connection across film, gaming, animation, immersive, and more.  Providing access to a hotbed of talent, we celebrate creative craft; artistry and mastery of the skills needed to survive and thrive in a converging sector, deep diving into the exciting world of the screen industries nationally and internationally.  We offer association and networking with the biggest names, influencers and industry leaders, from the likes of Lucasfilm, Pixar, Warner Bros, Netflix, Meta, and more.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management and Operations

  • Supporting both our festivals, ensuring quality of service and smooth delivery:

  • Initiating and maintaining contact with artists, institutions, venues and partners.

  • Conducting research, communications, pre-contract discussion and negotiations with suppliers. 

  • Working with senior staff to support draft contracting, negotiations and flexibility where required.  

  • Monitoring delivery and drafting contracts with suppliers, festival artists and partners.

  • Researching, scheduling, booking and contracting logistics, including travel and accommodation. 

  • Remaining accessible and responsive as a point of contact throughout the year.

  • Plan and oversee the logistics of festival production and installation, including:

  • Planning ahead, production timelines, coordination, contingencies and deadlines.   

  • Managing external contractors and installation teams effectively. 

  • Overseeing exhibition production, installation, and de-installation with quality control.

Financial Controls 

  • Contribute and feedback on annual or project budgets, their development and deployment. 

  • Manage set project budgets in partnership with the CEO and Director of Development.

  • Procure, commit funds and monitor expenses with excellent cost control and governance.

  • Manage work plans, programs, and exhibition delivery with festival staff and front-of-house teams.

  • Maintain diligence over use of our funds, maintaining clear project codes and accurate reporting

  • Prepare and contribute to financial evaluations and reports in a timely manner.

  • Assist with administration around book-keeping, expense coding and reporting.   

  • Receive training and use the financial platform Xero to enter data and monitor expenditure. 

Audience Development and Accessibility

  • Contribute to marketing and interpretive materials that are accessible and welcoming to all audiences.

  • Help ensure our events are beyond best practice with regards to accessibility and inclusivity. 

  • Support the implementation of audience evaluations including demographic data and attendance figures.

Event Management and Stakeholder Engagement

  • Invitation Coordination:

  • Develop and manage comprehensive invitation lists for stakeholders, artists, partners, and VIPs.

  • Oversee the creation and timely distribution of event invitations.

  • Implement a system to track RSVPs and attendance of our events.

  • Monitor responses and follow ups to maximise event participation and evaluation.

  • Event Engagement:

  • Coordinate event logistics to provide a seamless attendee experience.

  • Manage on-site registration.

  • Conduct follow-up communications and gather feedback.

  • Update and maintain stakeholder records based on event interactions.

  • Front of House:

  • Support the recruitment, interview and manage 6-10 temporary ‘front-of-’house festival staff.

  • Manage the team and rotas to ensure events and responsibilities are covered. 

  • Help ensure the team’s safety through procedure, training and support.      

Risk Management

  • Assist with the preparation of risk assessments and method statements for contracts and venues. 

  • Identify potential event risks and develop contingency plans both in advance and dynamically. 

  • Ensure all staff and contractors are working to best welfare, health and safety standards.

  • Ensure all permits, insurance, licences and other permissions are secured for all activities.

  • Act as an ally on behalf of our audiences, considering intersectionality and vulnerable groups. 

General Admin

  • Keep up with organisational email correspondence, making or handling inquiries by phone and email.

  • Issue, store and maintain all contracts and exhibition agreements.

  • Securely file and manage digital files on our organisation’s G-Drive

  • Create and maintain databases with regards to contacts and invitations. 

  • Show confidence and diligence around managing expenses and budgets.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

Encouraged but not Essential Attributes

  • Proven experience in event / project coordination, including ability to coordinate people and stay on budget.

  • Proven admin skills, on G-Drive or word or sheets,  apps, databases and online working environments.

  • Strong and flexible  computer literacy, including a variety of hardware and software environments. 

  • Proven experience in juggling tasks, deadlines and working towards bottom up budgets or fixed costs.  

  • Strong interpersonal skills, ability to work independently and collaboratively. 

  • Strong ability to create, maintain and keep accurate records and evidence. 

  • Find value in both establishing and using a system approach  but also innovating for positive change. 

  • Find balance between finding efficiency and enjoyment in the workplace. 

  • Enjoy and understand the value of culture, photography or public engagement in society. 

  • Positive ‘can do’ approach, identifying problems  and finding effective solutions.

  • Willingness to support colleagues or escalate problems quickly. 

  • Understanding of the broader creative  industries.

To Apply:

Please send an email with the subject:  ‘Belfast Photo Festival - Events Manager’

Attach a CV (maximum 2 pages) and covering letter (max 1 page) outlining your experience and enthusiasm for the role.

Send to: Toby Smith - Director of Development - toby@belfastphotofestival.com

No agency, recruiters or 3rd party contacts please.