Marketing and Audience Manager

Design Assembly; Auckland; On-site; NZD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Auckland Writers Festival is seeking a Marketing & Design Co-ordinator to support the bustling lead‑up to the 2027 Festival. This role blends design production, digital marketing, social media, and programme advertising within a fast‑paced, office‑based environment in Auckland with occasional work‑from‑home days.

You will manage website content, create assets for multiple channels, coordinate sponsor materials, and assist with the festival's CRM and email campaigns.

Qualifications

• We are seeking a highly organized, detail‑oriented designer with strong project management skills.
• Proficiency in design tools (InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop) and Canva for social/digital content.
• Experience with content management systems, CRM (Zoho preferred), and basic digital marketing concepts.

Responsibilities

• Own website and digital content workflows, upload ahead of festival programme launch.
• Produce assets for social media, posters, digital ads and programme materials.
• Source sponsor logos, manage digital and print programme assets and signage.
• Contribute ideas for social media, create content in Canva/Adobe Suite, manage content calendar.
• Build EDMs/newsletters, apply UTM tracking, and maintain image libraries.
• Coordinate festival competitions and CRM data updates.
• Assist AWF programme advertising bookings and artwork management.
• Support festival delivery: programme distribution, signage, front‑of‑house help.

Skills

Highly organized

Attention to detail

Deadline management

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Canva

Social media

CMS content uploading

Zoho CRM

UTM SEO basics

Spreadsheets

Communication

Team collaboration

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Illustrator

Photoshop

Canva

Job description

Auckland Writers Festival Fixed-term contract: 1 December 2026 – 30 May 2027
p to 40 hours per week, Monday–Friday. We’re open to some flexibility in hours for the right person, with the ability to work full-time during key campaign periods and in the lead-up to and during Festival week.

Auckland-based, primarily office-based with occasional work-from-home days

Auckland Writers Festival is looking for an organised, practical and design-savvy Marketing & Design Co-ordinator to support the Festival team through the busy lead-up to the 2027 Festival.

This is a varied, hands-on role spanning design production, digital marketing, social media, website content, programme advertising and Festival delivery. We are looking for someone who can work confidently across multiple projects, keep track of detail and deadlines, and take responsibility for getting work completed accurately and on time.

The pace increases considerably as the Festival approaches, so you will need to be comfortable working in a fast-moving environment where priorities can change quickly.

Key responsibilities

Website and digital content
AWF is in the process of developing a new website.
Prepare and upload content to the AWF website ahead of the Festival programme launch.
Update and check programme and event content before launch.
Help coordinate the website programme launch, including scheduling content to go live at the required time.
Maintain website content throughout the campaign as required.
Update Linktree and other digital links.
Create links to relevant Ticketmaster event pages.
Create UTM tracking links for newsletters, social media and other campaigns.
Assist with basic tracking and reporting of sales generated through digital channels.

Design and content production

Create and adapt assets for social media, posters, digital advertising and other Festival material using established AWF design templates.
Resize and prepare images for digital and print use.
Create event PowerPoint slides for Festival sessions.
Plan and prepare reserved seating signs across multiple venues.
Create promotional assets for New Zealand and international authors to share when promoting their Festival sessions.
Develop social media toolkits/media kits for authors, sponsors, partners, patrons and other stakeholders.

Sponsors and programme production

Source high-resolution sponsor and partner logos for print and digital useage.
Work with the Partnerships Manager to manage sponsor logos for use in the programme and Festival signage.
Compile sponsor website links for the digital Festival programme.
Maintain organised image and asset libraries so material can be supplied quickly to staff, media, sponsors and partners.

Social media

Contribute ideas for social media content and campaigns.
Create content using AWF templates in Canva and Adobe Creative Suite.
Contribute to the social media content calendar.
Attend weekly content meetings during the campaign period.
Build and maintain a database of author, publisher, partner and sponsor social media handles and tags.
Schedule or publish content across AWF social channels as required.
Update LinkedIn with appropriate Festival events and content.
Liaise with AWF’s publicist and authors to source social media content relating to their Festival appearances.
Assist with basic video editing for social content where required.

EDMs and email marketing

Work with the Festival team to build and maintain the weekly EDM planner.
Help identify which events require additional marketing support and which are already selling strongly.
Work from final approved copy supplied by the team.
Maintain an organised image library for EDM use.
Build newsletters using the established AWF email template.
Link featured content directly to relevant event and ticketing pages.
Create and apply UTM tracking links.

Competitions and database administration

Coordinate Festival competitions, including contacting winners and arranging delivery or collection of prizes.
Help keep the AWF CRM database up to date as required.

AWF Programme advertising

Assist the Marketing Manager with following up prospective advertisers from the AWF advertising database.
Liaise with sponsors and stakeholders to coordinate pro-bono advertising in the digital and print programme.
Coordinate advertising bookings for the Festival programme.
Collect and organise supplied advertising artwork into quarter-page, half-page and full-page folders.
Liaise with AWF’s design agency, on supplying advertising material.
Liaise with the Administration team regarding advertiser invoicing and billing.

Festival delivery

As part of a small Festival team, everyone pitches in during the lead-up to and delivery of the Festival. This may include:
Helping distribute Festival programmes and posters.
Assisting with event load-in and pack-out.
Putting up banners and signage in Festival venues.
Greeting patrons and assisting front-of-house teams.
Supporting the wider team wherever required during Festival week.

Skills and experience

We are looking for someone who is:

Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
Comfortable managing multiple deadlines and changing priorities.
Confident using Adobe InDesign and Illustrator, with Photoshop skills an advantage.
Able to provide examples of relevant design work.
Comfortable using Canva for social media and digital content creation.
Experienced with basic image preparation and resizing.
Familiar with social media platforms and content creation.
Comfortable working with content management systems and uploading website content.
Comfortable working with CRM systems and updating regularly. AWF uses Zoho CRM.
Familiar with basic digital marketing concepts such as UTM parameters and SEO.
Confident working with spreadsheets and maintaining organised digital files.
A clear communicator who is comfortable dealing with sponsors, partners, suppliers and colleagues.
Practical, collaborative and willing to pitch in when required.

Useful additional skills

Basic video editing using Canva, CapCut, Adobe or another editing platform.
Experience in arts, events, publishing, media or cultural organisations.
An interest in books, writers and the arts.

This role would suit someone who combines good design skills with strong organisational ability. You do not need to be an expert in every area — some of the digital marketing processes can be taught — but you do need to be confident learning new systems and comfortable taking ownership of your work.