The Festival Coordinator will provide professional event planning and management services for the Zimbabwean Music Festival (Zimfest), coordinating festival tasks, handling deadlines and working in harmony with the Zimfest Association (ZA) Board to carry out the mission and vision of the festival. The Coordinator will lead the Zimfest Organizing Committee (OC) and report directly to the ZA Board of Directors, and be responsible for carrying out policies set by the Board.
Festival Coordinator Responsibilities
- Recruit and manage a committee of diverse personnel, and delegate tasks according to need and capability.
- Build and work with a Teachers/Workshops Team and a Concerts/Performers Team.
- Designate and work with an OC member as Zim Guest Coordinator, and take a leading role in advising Zimbabwean applicants living abroad regarding applications and visa requirements.
- Recruit and work with artists and graphics specialists to provide images and graphics files to be used for each year’s festival, publicity and website.
- Recruit and work with a T-shirt purchaser to adapt chosen graphic for T-shirts, as well as additional merchandise specific to the year.
- Recruit and coordinate with a Site Coordinator, who is a member of the organizing committee (OC). The Site Coordinator acts as the primary Zimfest contact person with appropriate authorities at the Zimfest hosting institution and site(s). Site Coordinator duties may include:
- Site evaluation and selection
- Negotiating the contract with institutional Conference Services or appropriate site personnel
- Determining and confirming pricing for what the host institution can provide for meals, accommodation, indoor and outdoor facilities for concerts and other activities, workshop rooms, internet connection needs, labor costs, etc.
- Determine and document facilities needed (and charges for) for Zimfest activities on campus along with Conference Services personnel.
- Consult w/ OC and Festival Coordinator on meal plans and mealtimes, given what Dining Services offers.
- Recruit sponsorship for the festival from appropriate personnel at the host institution.
- Recruit volunteers as needed for Local Arrangements, including off-site housing, local publicity and outreach, and possible pre-fest local event(s).
- Maintain and update the Job Descriptions document, detailing the tasks to be assigned to each OC member.
- Set a timeline based on the festival and application dates and oversee festival operations in order to ensure that activities are proceeding smoothly and required tasks are carried out in a timely manner.
- Consult with ZA Board in January of each festival year to review and confirm ZA policies, including policies for participant behavior, festival fees, Zimbabwean teacher payments and housing, travel reimbursement and fellowships.
- Work with the website manager to manage content on the Zimfest.org website.
- Collaborate with fundraisers, as designated by the ZA board, to research funding sources, write grant proposals, and develop donor relations.
The ideal candidate is a proactive team player with strong communication skills.
Detailed historical documents with well-documented processes are available and will be made accessible to the Zimfest Festival Coordinator.
Skills and Experience
Required
- Highly organized, hard working, and detail-oriented; ability to work with little supervision
- Sensitive to and knowledgeable about cultural differences; proven ability to work and communicate with Zimbabwean musicians
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with Board and OC, as well as membership and potential members
- Basic office suite skills (word processing, spreadsheets, database)
- Access to a computer with high speed internet; proficient experience or knowledge of the internet, including email, texting, Zoom and social media platforms
- Excellent communication skills both verbally and in writing
- Minimum education a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- Must be legally able to work for any U.S. Employer
Preferred
- A minimum of two years of experience as a festival organizer or performing arts event coordinator
- Experience with Zimfest organization
- Grant writing skills and/or experience
- Experience playing a prominent role in successful income producing activities such as fundraisers, annual campaigns, membership drives, etc.
- Website development expertise
Compensation
The selected candidate is to be hired as a parttime employee of the Zimfest Association at a salary approved by the Board, paid monthly. This individual will be expected to work 25 weeks per year with hours allocated as needed during the 12-month festival cycle. For example, with Board approval, they may work half time for 2 months, a combination of half and full time for the four months leading up to the festival (depending on demands of the festival), and quarter-time for the remaining six months of the year. For the 2027 Zimfest, the contract will run from Nov 1, 2026 to October 31, 2027 for the amount of $8000.
Please submit a letter by September 15, 2026 describing your interest and qualifications for the position and attach a resume outlining your qualifications and job history, including the names and contact info for one or two referees. Submit letters of application to board@zimfest.org
For further information about the festival and the Zimfest Association, see About Zimfest.
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