Marketing + Administrative Assistant

The Vancouver Writers Fest connects people to exceptional books, ideas, and dialogue through year-round programming that ignites a passion for words and the world around us. Our activities include our flagship, annual literary Festival: one of the largest and most prestigious in North America. Tens of thousands of readers visit the cultural hub of Granville Island and venues around Vancouver to connect with local and international authors during this week-long event.

Throughout the year, we offer free and paid events with established and emerging authors, including Books & Ideas on Granville Island; Incite, presented in partnership with the Vancouver Public Library; My Roots, a writing workshop for immigrants to Canada; and Special Events across Vancouver.

We encourage readers of all ages to explore the power of storytelling, and books. Our youth education programming includes Festival events; Writers in the Classroom, which brings authors into schools for interactive events; and an annual Youth Writing Contest.

The Marketing + Administrative Assistant will be instrumental in helping with preparations in the lead up to the 2025 flagship Festival of the Vancouver Writers Fest. This includes providing support with design and administration on communications across digital and print initiatives. Reporting to the Marketing Manager and Development Manager, some of the tasks the Marketing + Administrative Assistant will work on include creating social media content, adding and updating website content, assisting with sponsor and partner outreach and the maintenance of our sponsors and authors databases, assisting with the production of our printed Festival Program Guide, and more.

The spring and summer months are an exciting time at the Vancouver Writers Fest as we prepare to launch the Festival, and this is an excellent opportunity to develop marketing and admin skills while learning more about all that goes into producing a literary festival.

The contract for this position runs for 16 weeks from May 7 to August 27, full-time at 30 hours per week from Monday–Friday. The candidate will work from our office on Granville Island.

The length of this position may be adjusted depending on funding results, which are pending.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities may include:

1. Social media design, copywriting, scheduling, and engagement, in collaboration with the Marketing Manager.
2. Creating event graphics that are consistent with the brand style guide, with oversight from the Marketing Manager.
3. Adding and updating content on the VWF website using Wordpress.
4. Coordinating email marketing campaigns using Mailchimp.
5. Assisting the Development Manager with sponsor and partner outreach, creating sponsor and partner contracts, collecting sponsor and partner assets for promotion around Festival events, and maintaining the sponsors database.
6. Assisting the Development and Marketing Managers with tracking and implementing sponsor deliverables.
7. Assisting the Artistic Director and Programming Coordinator with organizing author and book assets.
8. Assisting with accessibility initiatives, including the creation of Simple Text Guides (screen reader friendly versions of our Festival Program Guide).
9. Assisting with the preparation and distribution of our Festival Program Guide. This includes updating the existing distribution spreadsheets with up to date information; reaching out to community centres, libraries, and other establishments for program guide stocking; addressing queries from distribution volunteers; and assisting with guide mailouts.
10. Assisting the Volunteer Managers with developing print and digital assets for volunteer recruitment and appreciation.
11. Promotion of special events, including submitting events to event listings, and arranging cross-promotions.
12. Assisting with other tasks that arise as needed by the Festival managers and directors.

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with Adobe Creative Cloud software, with a focus on InDesign. Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro are all assets as well.
• Experience with website builders/web content management systems. Experience with using Wordpress is a particular asset.
• Experience with using email marketing platforms, especially Mailchimp, is an asset.
• A strong command of the English language. Grammar enthusiasts and eagle-eyed proofreaders are encouraged to apply!
• Experience with Google Drive including Docs and Sheets, and Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.
• Excellent attention to detail, interpersonal skills, and ability to meet deadlines in a fast-paced working environment.
• An eye for design and what looks good. Previous experience with graphic design is an asset.
• Professional experience with social media is an asset.
• Photography skills are an asset.
• Experience with planning events is an asset.
• A love of reading, especially contemporary books, will serve you well in this role!

This position is funded by Canada Summer Jobs. To be eligible, applicants must:

1. be between 15 and 30 years of age at the beginning of the employment period;
2. be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or person to whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act for the duration of the employment;
3. have a valid Social Insurance Number at the start of employment and be legally entitled to work in Canada in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.

How to Apply:

Please submit your cover letter and resume to info@writersfest.bc.ca as a single PDF document with the email subject line “Marketing + Admin Assistant Application – [Your Name]”.

Label your PDF file “Marketing Admin Assistant Application_[Your Name]”.