Fundraising Festival Manager

This is a Full Time Job

Festival Manager Fundraising Event Logistics - Careers At Sundance Institute

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Festival Manager, Fundraising Event Logistics is charged with the logistics and operations planning of Sundance Institute's premier fundraising gala during the Sundance Film Festival, as well as supporting the Events Department with other key responsibilities and events as assigned.

Working closely under the Associate Director, Event Operations, the Festival Manager, Fundraising Event Logistics supports a successful and positive event experience for all attendees.

This temporary position works full time (40 hours per week) from Wednesday, September 2, 2026 to Friday, February 26, 2027 and requires extended hours, including evenings and weekends to meet key deadlines and respond to on-call needs as assigned. This position may be based within a commutable distance to Boulder, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, Los Angeles, CA, or New York, NY, 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:
• Managing operational and logistical needs related to the gala in collaboration with Associate Director, Event Operations, internal colleagues and departments, and external vendors throughout event planning and execution to ensure that all internal deadlines, needs, and budget are met.
• Liaising closely with the Event Production Agency team (Executive Producer, Project Manager, Technical Producer, etc) and act as internal facilitator for decisions, contracts and payments, information sharing.
• Making all arrangements for Agency travel, lodging, vehicle(s) for any site visit(s) and the Festival.
• Coordinating site visits and meetings with internal and external stakeholders.
• Creating a staffing plan for the event in collaboration with Associate Director, Event Operations, Festival Associate Manager, Fundraising Event Guest Relations, and Event Production Agency to cover Sundance Institute staff and volunteer support needs and ensure all onsite roles have coverage.
• Coordinating staff and volunteer details, sending pre-event communications to staff and volunteers, creating training materials, leading onsite walkthroughs.
• Training, supervising, creating schedules, and ensuring evaluations are complete for volunteers as directed.
• Managing the expense budget tracker and updating projected and actual budgets.
• Collaborating closely with and maintaining consistent communication with the Associate Manager, Fundraising Event Guest Relations to ensure revenue and expenses are on track.
• Leading, coaching, and developing staff and volunteers, including providing regular one-on-one meetings, performance feedback, end-of-Festival evaluations, goal setting, and fostering a collaborative team environment.
• Working closely with the Marketing and Communications team in collaboration with the Associate Manager, Fundraising Event Guest Relations on event collateral, including developing messaging and design, gathering feedback and approvals, and ordering and compiling materials.
• Working with Institute departments on Sundance Institute-provided and/or supported elements of the event including security, evacuation and safety planning, transportation, lodging, production.
• Managing talent logistical details including, acting as primary point of contact for artists and teams to answer event questions, provide information, collect dietary information, assist with remarks/script/teleprompter facilitation as directed.
• Booking talent travel arrangements, flights, lodging, and cars.
• Creating one-sheets to provide all onsite details: arrivals, event details, carpet timing, and routing one-sheets internally to gather information and to talent teams.
• Overseeing talent door, acting as primary contact, managing and staying in contact with talent door staff and volunteers, ensuring talent travel where needed inside the venue, ensuring talent wranglers are in place for the program, and facilitating rider or green room requests as needed.
• Tracking status of all contracts and payments for the gala, obtaining and moving all contracts through Sundance Institute's legal process; make all payments in a timely manner for vendors.
• Maintaining positive partnerships with vendors, providing timely communications, and addressing feedback or issues.
• Working with select vendors as directed to obtain bids/contracts.
• Obtaining any permits if necessary in collaboration with Manager, Events.
• Documenting and saving all aspects of the event in detail including photos, banquet event order (BEO), evaluation sheets, layout, process, correspondences, issues, etc.
• Providing project and onsite event support to the Events team, Associate Director, Event Operations and Senior Manager, Event Operations at other events during the Festival.
• Coordinating and providing direction to volunteers, assigned employees, food and beverage, vendors, etc while onsite while supporting events.
• Completing a comprehensive written wrap report.

You have the following direct or transferable skill sets:
• 3 years experience planning and executing events.
• Strong leadership skills and prior experience managing employees and volunteers.
• Outstanding verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills to work with a variety of people.
• Excellent organizational skills and with the ability to prioritize.
• Ability to maintain confidential information.
• Working knowledge of Gmail, Google Drive (including Google Docs and Google Sheets and Google Calendar).
• Experience in large-scale event production and working with donors and board members preferred.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States.

You will be successful in this role if you...
• Jump in quickly to support your colleagues and the team.
• Adapt to changing and developing circumstances and processes.
• Collaborate with the Events, Development and Partnerships teams as well as with other departments.

*Applications open 8/11/2026 and will be accepted for at least one week.