Operations Manager
/Organization:
Vancouver Moving Theatre Society – DTES Heart of the City Festival
Deadline:
July 18, 2025
Organization Description:
Community Context
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside district is situated on the homeland of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and is home to many diverse and vibrant communities, including among others: Main and Hastings, Chinatown, Strathcona, and Powell Street/Paueru Gai.
Vancouver Moving Theatre Society (VMT) is an award-winning professional interdisciplinary theatre company that produces art that celebrates the power of the human spirit, generates shared experiences that bridge cultural traditions, social groups, and artistic disciplines, gives voice to residents of the Downtown Eastside and beyond, and generates legacies for the future. VMT produces and presents dance, music, theatre, and interdisciplinary arts events; promotes collaboration between artists, and stimulates new art via the exchange of ideas in workshops, performances, symposiums, and festivals.
Since 2004, VMT has produced the annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival in partnership with Carnegie Community Centre, the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians, and over 50 community partners. This annual arts and culture Festival takes place in late October and early November. The Festival features approximately 100 events at over 40 venues and involves hundreds of local artists in both in-person and online events.
The Festival’s mission is to serve as a bridge-building force that gives voice to the Downtown Eastside and its residents, cultural communities, and neighbourhoods. The mandate of the Festival is to promote, present, and facilitate the development of artists, art forms, cultural traditions, heritage, activism, people, and great stories of the Downtown Eastside.
THE 2025 FESTIVAL – Dignity in Community
This year’s festival invites artists, neighbours, and audiences to reflect on what it means to live with dignity—on this land, and with one another. Through creativity, stories, ceremony, and celebration, we uplift the strength, care, and resilience found in our connections—and imagine what becomes possible when dignity is a shared foundation.
Website:
http://www.heartofthecityfestival.com
Job Description:
If you are committed to social justice, possess strong interpersonal skills, love to organize, and are excited about community-engaged art and culture in the DTES neighbourhood, we warmly invite you to apply.
This is a contract position with an opportunity to make a meaningful impact and be part of an organization dedicated to amplifying marginalized voices and fostering inclusivity.
The Operations Manager is a key member of the Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival team and works collaboratively with the Artistic Director, Executive Director, Artistic Producer, Production Manager, operations staff, and the DTES community.
The Operations Manager assists in the smooth running of the Festival by ensuring that front-of-house services, hospitality, health and safety measures, and community outreach aspects of the Festival are managed as effectively as possible for the overall benefit of the Festival. This position reports administratively to the Artistic Director and Executive Director.
This year's Festival will run from October 31 to November 8, 2025.
Responsibilities:
Duties involve, as required:
Handle, maintain, and oversee ticketing, front-of-house, and venue set-up
Oversee distribution of signs and sandwich boards, community bulletin board displays, program guides, and poster distribution
Oversee recruiting, training, and coordination of operational assistants, venue coordinators, front-of-house staff, and community volunteers
Ensure operations staff and volunteers are trained and equipped
Act as a liaison between various groups, including internal Festival staff, partners, artists, and venues
Anticipate and troubleshoot operational issues at a variety of venues
Offer warm, exceptional customer service to all, following the mandate that “everyone is welcome”
Participate in planning meetings
Participate in budget planning regarding hospitality and front-of-house expenses
Track and manage the operations budget
Oversee volunteer and staff orientation events
Collaborate with the social media manager on Festival coverage and feature events
Coordinate the Festival photoshoot
Oversee giveaways and distribution of raffle prizes
Assemble audience survey feedback and assist with post-show statistics collection and reporting
Prepare ticket sales reports
Oversee, collect, and report Festival stats
Oversee WorkSafeBC health and safety measure requirements
Manage supplies and inventory
Maintain relevant operations database information
Qualifications:
We recognize the value of paid and unpaid work experience, and lived experience, and encourage applications from candidates who meet some or all of the following qualifications to apply:
Able to work independently and collaboratively
Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills
Flexibility to work evenings and weekends during the Festival
Creative, lateral problem-solving ability
Background in front-of-house operations and financial management
Ability to think on your feet, keep calm, and keep things moving smoothly
Cultural sensitivity and a willingness to learn about cultures, traditions, and protocol
Computer experience with spreadsheets, Google Workspace, social media platforms, Square, and Eventbrite
Interest in learning about, with, and from the Downtown Eastside community
Alignment with the Festival’s commitment to provide low-barrier, livable-wage, inclusive opportunities for marginalized DTES residents
Ability to lift 50 lbs
High comfort level working in a socially and culturally diverse environment with the ability to look at situations from several points of view
A driver’s license, Serve It Right certification, naloxone training, de-escalation training, first aid certification, Food Safe certification, and a sense of humour are assets, and support for training is available.
ACCESSIBILITY
Vancouver Moving Theatre is committed to equity, inclusion, and accessibility in all areas of our work. We encourage applications from individuals with disabilities and those who face systemic barriers to employment. We are committed to creating a working environment that centres care, flexibility, and support.
This role includes physical tasks such as lifting and moving boxes and chairs (up to 50 lbs), using stairs at some venues, and extensive on-the-ground presence during the Festival. Comfort with phone and email communication is also important. That said, we are open to finding creative and collaborative solutions, and we’re committed to providing reasonable accommodations to support candidates in the role.
How to Apply:
Please email your resume and cover letter with the subject line “Application for Operations Manager” to info.hotcf@gmail.com.
Interviews will take place in person at the VMT Society office.
Remuneration:
$10,000 contract plus GST if applicable
Contact Name:
Alexandra McDougall
Contact Email:
info.hotcf@gmail.com
Contact Phone:
(403) 462-7522
Name:
Lalia N Fraser
Email Address:
lalia.hotcf@gmail.com
Phone:
(604) 764-1143
