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Executive Director, Hong Kong International Literary Festival

The Board of the HKILF (the Festival) seeks a dynamic and enterprising Executive Director to manage programming, sponsorship and administration of our two annual festivals – one for young readers in March and another for adults in November. The role has particular potential as we approach our 20th Anniversary in 2020.

For two decades the Festival has attracted a stellar array of international and local writers including, among others, Pico Iyer, Jung Chang, Yann Martel, Markus Zusak and Amy Tan. Indeed, Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to attract not just the best authors and thinkers in Asia, but globally. We believe the city that built itself on the exchange of goods remains the region’s focal point for the exchange of ideas. Literature inspires us and gives us new perspectives. The Hong Kong Lit Fest facilitates conversation and fires up the imagination in ways that build a better society.

For this reason, the Festival has grown markedly over the past four years and the Board seeks an Executive Director who will further accelerate plans for growth. The Executive Director will oversee two permanent staff as well as temporary staff and volunteers in the lead up to, and during, the Festivals.

The Executive Director reports to the Festival’s Co-Chairs.
HKILF is a registered charity in Hong Kong. (https://www.festival.org.hk/)

The Role

The Executive Director is responsible for two annual programs: the International Literary Festival and the Young Readers Festival (ILF and YRF). The Executive Director will:

1. Work with the Board to set strategy and goals such as increasing audience engagement and revenue.

2. Seek and apply for government and other grants as well as commercial sponsorship;

3. Deliver the festival program by
*Setting themes and a timely curatorial framework
*Researching authors and arranging invitations
*Inviting appropriate moderators and panelists
*Booking venues
*Programming festival events
*Developing relationships with local organisations that can enhance and assist the Festival
*Arranging media partnerships
*Planning temporary staffing and volunteers networks

4. Oversee liaison with partners including booksellers, travel agents, regional literary festivals, hotels, F&B and ticketing.

5. Plan and coordinate off-festival and fundraising events

6. Devise Marketing and Communications strategies
*Liaise with external advisors and agencies
*Write and edit copy for marketing materials
*Coordinate with the Festival designer to produce marketing materials including brochures, leaflets and posters
*Write press releases
*Write and send external communications
*Write and coordinate social media posts

*Liaise with media and marketing partners

7. Work with Donors
*Manage donation drives
*Maintain donor relationships

8. Oversee Finances
*Manage HKILF and ILF budgets
*Manage cash flow forecasting
*Coordinate and compile financial reporting for sponsors

9. Oversee general administration
* Administer Assistant Manager
* Oversee Website management
*Liaise with legal advisors
*Oversee day-to-day running of the office including internship programmes
*Attend social functions to represent HKILF

10. The Board
*Coordinate, prepare materials and attend monthly board meetings
*Oversee administration required by company secretary and auditors

Process

Interested candidates are invited to submit their CVs and a two-page statement of intent for the 2020 Festival, particularly addressing the areas of overall Strategy, Programming and Artistic Vision, Fundraising (Sponsors, Donors, Government and Grants), Audience Development and Event Delivery. Your application should also touch on the challenges and opportunities of running an ideas-based Festival in Hong Kong in the current political environment. Please confirm language proficiencies, right to work status and salary expectations; the Festival will sponsor the right candidate for relocation from overseas.

Candidates should submit their applications to candidates@festival.org.hk by 5pm Friday 31 January 2019, HK time.