CLOSING DATE: March 8, 2013
MEDIA MANAGER (temp)
Closing date: 12:00 Friday 08 March 2013
Interview Dates: w/c 18 March 2013
Start Date: 16 April 2013
End Date: 27 September 2013
Background
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is an open-access festival and is the largest arts festival in the world. In 2012, over 22,000 participants staged over 42,000 performances of more than 2,600 shows to an estimated audience of 1.8 million. Almost one million people are in attendance during the three-week festival which brings an estimated £142 million into Edinburgh’s economy.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is the company that organises the structure that underpins the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Society exists to advise, support and encourage all participants at the Festival Fringe, to provide comprehensive information services, including ticketing, to its participants and the public, and to promote the entire Fringe as a festival in the context of Edinburgh and its other festivals. The aim for the Fringe Society is to assist audiences, performers and venues navigate the challenges of their involvement and maximise the benefits of their visit to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Our aim is to be a flexible, focused and creative organisation, and to that end we are seeking to appoint an experienced individual to the position of media manager (reporting to the head of external affairs). Leading up to and during the Fringe, the Festival Fringe Society provides a media centre for journalists and performers. The media manager is responsible for the day to day running of the Fringe Society Media Office (participant support and media services including ticket issuing) as well as supporting the head of external affairs with any Fringe Society-related PR. This is a temporary role for approximately six months.
The Media Office consists of the head of external affairs, the media manager, the media officer, the media accreditation officer and five media assistants. The media manager, with the support of the head of External affairs, will line manage all of these roles.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is committed to reducing its environmental impacts in its everyday operations. We expect employees to support this commitment and to assist in its realisation. We are also firmly committed to maintaining the open-access policy of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. We strive to be an equal-opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sectors of the community. We also participate in the Double Tick – Positive about Disabled People scheme.
Roles and responsibilities
The successful candidate with support of the head of external affairs, will perform a wide range of duties, including but not limited to:
* Managing the Media Office including the recruitment and line management of team members.
* Providing comprehensive support and advice for Fringe performers on how to maximise media coverage and marketing for their shows.
This will include:
- Arranging one to one sessions with performers before and during the Fringe
- Arranging and managing two How to Sell Your Show events during the Fringe
- Working with the head of external affairs to arrange and manage the Meet the Media event at the start of the Fringe.
* Providing a range of services to the visiting media up to and during the Fringe.
This will include:
- Implementing and maintaining a robust accreditation system for media
- Overseeing the media ticket request process
- Assisting the media with their programme related enquiries.
* Working with the head of external affairs to create an efficient media interview request process and assist the chief executive and other team members with preparation and execution of media interviews.
* Drafting news releases and speeches for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society as requested.
* Working with the head of external affairs in organising the media launch event and media photo opportunity for the June programme launch.
* Overseeing the production of the Festival Fringe Society daily media digest, including an end of festival log.
* Working with the relevant team members on the seasonal social media strategy.
* Any other tasks as required by the head of external affairs.
Personal specification
Essential
Experience of recruiting and line managing a busy team.
Knowledge and understanding of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the role the Festival Fringe Society plays within it.
Experience or understanding of how to sell a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, utilising innovative methods to stand out from the crowd.
A high level of writing skill with experience in drafting news releases as well as other forms of written communication.
An understanding of the arts media landscape.
An established network of relevant media contacts.
The ability to network and gain the trust of individual journalists.
Knowledge and understanding of all media platforms including print media, broadcasting and social media networks.
Salary and hours of work
Wage: £400-500 per week (dependent on experience in a management post in media).
Normal hours of work are eight hour shifts from 10:00 to 18:00 worked over five days between Monday and Friday.
In the run up and during the festival you will be required to work additional days and hours. From the beginning of the festival normal shifts of work are from 10:00 to 20:00 worked over six days between Monday and Sunday. Your working hours will be organised according to a rota system which the Society will notify you of in advance of the Fringe. During this period, your rate of pay will increase to reflect the extra hours worked.
Application
Please apply via the Edinburgh Festival Fringe website. If you have any further questions, please email recruitment@edfringe.com.
Email: recruitment@edfringe.com
