Festival Associate Manager, Belonging

Sundance Institute; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 33,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid sick leave

Institute holidays

Employee assistance program

Wellness initiatives

Festival passes

Job summary

Sundance Institute is hiring a Festival Associate Manager, Belonging to promote inclusive practices across employees, volunteers, artists, and patrons. This full-time temporary role supports the Community & Belonging team and may work remotely from multiple states, with in-person duties in Boulder, CO starting January.

The position requires extensive evenings/weekends, with training and resources for belonging policies, incident reporting, and wellbeing initiatives during the Sundance Film

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a role related to DEI or people operations focusing on inclusive environments.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and external agencies to implement inclusive programs.
• Familiarity with mental health resources and strategies for addressing triggering content.
• Strong project management abilities to handle multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal communication to engage diverse community members and external partners.
• Experience handling sensitive issues discreetly and professionally.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain partnerships with external agencies to cultivate support resources during the Festival.
• Revise equitable review procedures to promote welcoming, respectful environments.
• Oversee internal incident reporting, escalate appropriately, and train stakeholders.
• Support stakeholders to identify content and events requiring onsite support resources.
• Provide pre-Festival training and guidance on belonging policies with Theater and Operations teams.
• Design and facilitate training materials for employees, volunteers, and partners.
• Create guides on local and remote mental health resources and reporting violations.
• Manage Wellness Hub programming and resources during the Festival.
• Coordinate incident report collection, processing, and record-keeping.
• Collaborate with Accessibility team on patron accommodation requests.
• Investigate work-related injuries and ensure follow-up care and communications.
• Draft wrap report summarizing key takeaways and recommendations.

Skills

DEI focus

Cross-functional

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Interpersonal skills

Discretion

Job description

The Festival Associate Manager, Belonging will manage a range of Festival-specific initiatives to promote inclusivity and belonging among the entire Sundance community, including employees, volunteers, artists, and patrons. This key role supports the cross-departmental Community & Belonging team implementing the Festival Community Agreement, and managing programmatic safety and inclusivity elements.

This temporary position works full time (40 hours per week) from Wednesday, October 14, 2026 to Friday, February 12, 2027 and requires extended hours, including evenings and weekends to meet key deadlines and respond to on-call needs as assigned. The majority of this position’s work can be conducted remotely out of any of our operating states, until the department comes together in Boulder, CO in January to support the in-person elements of the Festival.

Top priorities include but are not limited to…

• Building and maintaining partnerships with outside agencies, including the third-party Ombuds, mental health organizations, and government agencies, to cultivate support resources during the Festival.
• Revising equitable review procedures to promote a welcoming, respectful environment, enhancing inclusivity across internal and external community members.
• Overseeing the internal incident reporting process, including collaborating with partners and internal teams to ensure the system functions properly, appropriate escalation occurs, and all stakeholders are trained in their roles.
• Supporting internal stakeholders to identify content, panels, and events which may require onsite support resources in place, tracking sheets, and coordinating with external partners.
• Partnering with Festival Theater and Operation teams to provide pre-Festival training and guidance on belonging policies, practices, and procedures to follow.
• Designing and facilitating training content and other materials for employees, volunteers, and external partners on Institute standards and available resources.
• Creating guides detailing local and remote mental health resources (internally and externally), how to report Community Agreement violations, and where to request support.
• Managing a Wellness Hub during the Festival in partnership with several internal teams, by programming resources, activities, and furnishing a designated area for support and reprieve.
• Managing the collection, processing, and record-keeping of all submitted incident reports, including workplace injuries and onsite patron and artist injuries, ensuring relevant stakeholders are informed and appropriate actions are taken.
• Collaborating with the Accessibility team to review, process, and support the implementation of patron accommodation requests during the Festival, which may include onsite theater support as needed.
• Conducting investigations of work-related injuries involving employees and volunteers, ensuring detailed reports are captured, appropriate mitigation efforts are implemented, and injured individuals receive follow-up care and communications.
• Work with relevant departments to draft and complete a comprehensive wrap report summarizing key takeaways, outcomes, and recommendations related to community and belonging during the Festival.
• Assist with Community and Belonging-related projects as directed and provide general support to the HR and cross-departmental teams.

You have the following direct or transferable skill sets:

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a role related to DEIAB or people operations with a specific focus on fostering inclusive and respectful environments.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and external agencies to implement inclusive programs.
• Familiarity with mental health support resources and strategies for addressing triggering content or experiences.
• Strong project management abilities, with the capacity to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to engage with diverse community members and external partners.
• Effective problem-solving and conflict resolution skills, with experience handling sensitive issues discreetly and professionally.
• Preferred knowledge of incident reporting systems, legal requirements for managing workplace injuries, and safety compliance protocols.
• Preferred experience in training development and facilitation, particularly on topics related to inclusivity, belonging, and a code of conduct.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

You will be successful in this role if you...

• Successfully manage and implement Festival-specific belonging initiatives that foster an inclusive environment for the full Sundance Institute community.
• Oversee the internal incident reporting system and process, ensuring timely and thorough handling of all reports, proper escalation, and resolution of issues. Key indicators of success include accurate, detailed record-keeping and stakeholder satisfaction with how incidents are handled.
• Deliver relevant training and resource materials to internal and external partners, ensuring all team members are equipped with the knowledge and resources to promote belonging and address community agreement violations.

In addition to an hourly pay of $24.50, this position* is eligible for benefits & perks, highlights include:

• Paid sick leave and Institute holidays
• Employee assistance program
• Employee Wellness Initiatives
• Sundance Film Festival passes and benefits (varies each year)

*Applications open 09/11/2026 and will be accepted for at least one week