DUBLIN DANCE FESTIVAL – GENERAL MANAGER (Maternity Cover)

Role Summary

With the Director, the General Manager is responsible for liaising with artists, venues and stakeholders involved in the festival. The General Manager is responsible for specific aspects of the day-to-day administration and financial management of the organisation. This senior role ensures that the majority of the decisions and arrangements affecting the organisation, and in particular the successful delivery of the Festival, are made and agreed in good time and within budget. The General Manager is responsible for identifying and managing development opportunities and activity within the festival working with the core festival team.

The General Manager reports to the Director of the Festival and is supported by the Finance and Administration Officer and a programme intern.

Person specification

A minimum of 3 years professional experience in arts / festivals/ events management

Proven interest in the arts/dance/theatre

Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal)

Proven track record in financial management

Experience of managing of budgets and maximising available resources

Experience in dealing with complex organisational and partnership structures

Experience of negotiating, drafting and issuing contracts

Capacity to successfully manage diverse portfolio of stakeholders

Ability to prioritise, organise own workload, and work effectively in a busy and demanding environment

Excellent collaborator

A commitment to providing excellent customer service

Active networks and contacts in Dublin and across Ireland in the cultural sector and beyond

Outstanding attention to detail plus an ability to think strategically

Advanced skills in MS Office , particularly MS Excel

Familiarity with Ticketsolve and Sage QuickBooks Pro is an advantage

Key responsibilities

Administration

  1. Provide an administrative and support service for the Director
  2. Oversee the statutory obligations of the Festival (e.g..Board business, charitable & legal compliance) with the Finance and Administration Officer
  3. Ensure the effective and safe operation of the Festival office
  4. Manage HR duties for the festival
  5. Provide plans, budgets, reports as necessary to the Director, the Board and other stakeholders

Festival Co-ordination

  1. Work with the core team to deliver the next Festival.
  2. Assist the Director, as required, with production scheduling, programming and contracts
  3. Research and negotiate hire and usage of Festival venues and spaces
  4. Oversee licensing and statutory requirements for special programme of outdoor events for the 10th festival, working with the Production Manager
  5. Co-ordinate and be responsible for artist/company travel, accommodation and all logistics within Dublin
  6. Recruit, induct and manage temporary festival staff

Finance

  1. Prepare projected budgets, working with the Director
  2. Prepare funding applications as required by the Director
  3. Ensure compliance with all contractual arrangements and legal requirements
  4. Maximise resources available to festival and negotiate best possible rates from service providers
  5. Oversee the financial operations including Revenue Commissioner payments, cash flow and bank accounts, payroll and payment of fees and company audit.
  6. Work with the Marketing Manager to monitor, record and reconcile box office income and financial settlements with host venues.

Development

  1. Optimise development opportunities for the festival – strategic partnerships, sponsorship, funding and in-kind supports to support and enhance the festival and to diversify revenue streams
  2. Manage festival funders, stakeholders and sponsors and ensure all contractual obligations are met, with Director and Marketing Manager
  3. Keep up to date about relevant legislation and environmental issues affecting the Festival

Terms and Conditions

Contract:Fixed term contract (Maternity Cover): September 2013 - June 2014. This role is part-time September - December 2013 and full-time January - June 2014.

Salary:Salary is commensurate with experience

Holidays:25 days per year pro rata plus statutory holidays

Application procedure and recruitment timetable

To apply for the post, please send a full CV and cover letter explaining why this role interests you to:

Closing date for application: 12 noon, 10th July 2013

Interviews: 17th July 2013

Start date: mid-September 2013

DDF Overview

Dublin Dance Festival is the leading dance event on the Irish arts calendar andwe will celebrate the 10th Festival in 2014. Enabling audiences to discover inspirational artists lies at the heart of DDF’s mission. The finest international choreographers and dance companies are programmed alongside artists from Ireland in a variety of venues and spaces around the city. Workshops, discussions, symposia, film screenings and other events are built around the programme to create new opportunities for audience members to encounter dance and to explore the art form more deeply.

Dublin Dance Festival provides a platform for Irish choreographers to develop their work in an international context, premiering major new Irish works during each Festival and providing key networking opportunities. Each year the Festival attracts many prominent dance promoters from overseas for whom Dublin has become an exciting place to discover new dance. See for further information.

Mission: To present an inspirational, international dance festival that promotes the best of contemporary choreography, supports artists and develops audiences.