Position Festival Operations- Festival Wide
Reporting to Executive Director
Position type Seasonal Fixed Term 85-Day Contract
Full time 7 July 2025- 31 October
Salary $70,000- 75,000 pro rata per annum + superannuation
Direct Reports 3 Site Managers, Festival Casuals, Volunteer Coordinator
Financial Delegation $1,000
Location Carlton (with some remote work/work from home as negotiated)
Date of Preparation 16 May 2025
Position Purpose
The Festival Operations Manager is key in planning and delivering the Melbourne Fringe Festival. This role is a vital part of the Business and Operations team. It is ideal for an experienced operations manager with a background in artist engagement, venue management, operational delivery, and team management in a festival environment.
Role Summary
The Festival Operations Manager ensures a fantastic festival for audiences, staff, and artists.
The Festival Operations Manager oversees the smooth operation of the Fringe Festival. The Festival Operations Manager will contribute to the functional and creative design of public spaces, assist producers in managing artist requirements from an operational perspective, and ensure that venue operations are effectively carried out. They will work closely with technical, production, and marketing teams to support their activities at the festival.
The role will involve rostering and managing casual festival staff, ensuring effective allocation of resources. The Festival Operations Manager will also manage Site Managers across different venues, ensuring smooth operations and team coordination. They will lead the delivery of Emergency Operations and Risk Management, providing a coordinated and safe response to any issues that arise during the Festival in collaboration with the Executive.
About Melbourne Fringe
Melbourne Fringe democratises the arts. Our vision is cultural democracy – empowering anyone to realise their right to creative expression. We support the development and presentation of artworks by, with and for Melbourne’s people, running the annual Melbourne Fringe Festival, the year-round venue Fringe Common Rooms at Trades Hall, and a range of arts sector leadership programs. We believe that access to the arts and creative expression are fundamental rights of our citizenship and vital to a creative, healthy, cohesive society.
Our Work Culture
Melbourne Fringe is a forward-thinking, creative and inclusive organisation. Our dreaming is out of the box, our work ethic is strong, and we don’t let our limited resources stop us from making seemingly impossible things happen. We believe that great work is made by people who enjoy what they do. We are proud to have a diverse workplace that celebrates difference and encourages people to bring their whole selves to work with pride.
Fringe is a values-driven workplace characterised by big-picture thinking, optimism and playfulness. We have a reputation as a hard-working, caring, energetic, fast-paced workplace that values our people and their health and which brings them together socially for lunch, events and fun times.
You’re the right fit for Melbourne Fringe if you are:
- Passionate about creativity and cultural equity
- Willing to support anyone to participate in the arts, regardless of their experience, age, gender, ability, sexuality, cultural background or artistic practice
- Excited by the challenge of making ambitious things happen on limited budgets
- Ready for personal and professional learning and continual improvement
- Into a collaborative and social work culture
Benefits of Working at Melbourne Fringe
Melbourne Fringe employees enjoy:
- A flexible work environment including regular work-from-home options (every Thursday, every second Tuesday, and at other times by negotiation)
- A glorious “no meetings” day every week
- Four Weeks’ Accrued Annual Leave, with any unused leave paid out at the conclusion of your contract
- Best practice special leave entitlements including parental leave of up to 12 weeks’ paid leave, and generous personal leave policies that cover physical and mental health, gender affirmation leave, cultural leave, menstrual and menopause leave and disability leave.
- An Employee Assistance Program counselling service
Festival Operations- Festival Wide
Here’s a list of things you’ll be responsible for:
Festival Wide Operations and Team Management
- Deliver in partnership with collaboration with the Executive Director operations requirements for the venue, including banking processes / EFTPOS, IT setup, insurance, logistics, risk management, permits and operational planning
- Deliver operational components for the venue, including security, waste, logistics, accessibility, and event management plans where required
- Source and hire items required for operational delivery, including room equipment, public lighting, tables, chairs, tablecloths, bins, toilets and other temporary infrastructure
- In partnership with the venue and Production Manger to the risk assessment and management process for all events and activities in across the festival.
- Coordinate on-the-ground operational aspects of the venue, including the daily opening and secure closing of the venue, customer complaints management, casual front of house staff management, incident reporting processes and nightly venue report processes
Team Management
- Lead the recruitment of Casual FOH staff and assist with the recruitment of BO and Production Staff.
- Coordinate in partnership with Producers, Venue Managers, Ticketing Managers, the distribution of Casual and Volunteer staff.
- Induct, train, and empower all casual operational team members.
- In partnership with the Senior Production Manager, lead a team of Site Managers to deliver specific site requirement.
- Review time sheets and ensure casuals are paid promptly.
- Be a champion for access and inclusions
- Schedule staff wellness and social events during the festival
- Assist in the delivery of the staff thank you party.
Fringe Programmed Venues- Hub and Meat Market
- Work with the producers, programmers, technical and production team to get relevant information from artists relating to their production and risk requirements, including any requests to book additional equipment
- Coordinate venue visits for artists and support them in their needs for the venue
- Provide ongoing support and advice for artists presenting in the Hub, which may include adding additional shows for well-selling seasons, dealing with cancelled performances, coordinating additional marketing support where possible and managing any complaints from or about participating artists
- Coordinate requirements for permits and approvals, including obtaining copies of photography releases and public liability insurance, and managing a process for video and photography requests and merchandise sales
- Be present during the season to provide on-the-ground support for artists, including during tech runs
- Inform the FOH team and Volunteer coordinator of any changes that have occurred ensure we maintain a good audience experience
- Manage communications and consult on scheduling for staffing, including front of house, cleaners and security
- Recruit casual roles as well as lead the training, briefing and induction processes
Venue Design and Setup
- Coordinate the planning and logistics of public spaces, including audience flow, the planning/layout of furniture and amenities, security locations and the visual design of public areas
- Coordinate the planning and logistics of performance spaces, including room design and layout, seating configurations and equipment requirements
- Manage the implementation of venue plans as part of the bump-in process
- Ensure that the appearance of the venue is welcoming, functional and orderly throughout the Festival, and that any logistical or audience-flow issues are dealt with quickly and in line with the plans for public spaces
General
- Actively uphold best practice cultural safety for all Melbourne Fringe staff, artists, volunteers, audiences and other stakeholders.
- Engage fully in the Melbourne Fringe Festival, which, by the nature of the Festival, may mean extended hours and expanded duties during the Festival period (followed by some well-earned days off in lieu).
- Attend where required festivals, events, shows, exhibitions, industry gatherings and philanthropic activities and events throughout the year.
- Undertake a personalised professional development program
- Other duties as agreed with the, acknowledging that jobs evolve to meet the changing needs of the arts environment. This document is an overview and not intended to represent the role performed in perpetuity.
- The successful applicant must undergo a Working with Children Check as a condition of employment with Melbourne Fringe. We will cover the cost of this check.
Here are the skills and attributes you need to bring*:
- Passion for the work of Melbourne Fringe
- Resilience and ability to work effectively under pressure
- Passion for the work of Melbourne Fringe and a commitment to cultural equity
- Experience in Customer Service
- A driving licence is preferred, but not required for the role.
- Quick, creative thinking and problem solving; independent decision making
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent attention to detail
- Empathy with the goals and philosophy of Melbourne Fringe
- Resilience and ability to work effectively under pressure
- A sense of humour
* If you don’t yet have all of the experience, know that Melbourne Fringe is a workplace that values ongoing skills development, mentoring and training.
Our commitment to cultural equity
Melbourne Fringe has a deep commitment to cultural equity, and we strongly encourage applications from people who identify as First Nations, Deaf, disabled, people of colour, queer, transgender and gender-diverse people, as well as people with caring responsibilities. We celebrate people’s differences.
We know sometimes people – especially those from more marginalised groups – might feel under-qualified for a job or like you might not belong. If that’s you, we especially welcome you – Fringe is a place that supports and up-skills people as they’re learning on the job.
If this application format isn’t accessible for you, please get in touch and let us know what alternative format would suit you best. Upon engagement, we can work with disabled staff to consider reasonable workplace adjustments to ensure access needs are met. If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Carly Findlay, Access Advisor, on (03) 9660 9600 or carly@melbournefringe.com.au.
Please advise us of any pre-existing injuries or conditions that may arise that might inhibit you in the phyical requirements of the position, or any other access needs that you might have.
