JOB OPPORTUNITY: Engagement and Development Manager

The Ottawa Fringe Festival “Ottawa Fringe” is hiring for the position of Engagement and Development Manager.

This role reports to the Executive and Artistic Director and is responsible for the management of services for the annual Ottawa Fringe festival and undercurrents festival.

Date Posted: September 10, 2025
Application Deadline: October 5, 2025
Start Date: As soon as possible

Duration: This is a permanent, full-time position.

Hours: 37.5 hours/week, with the ability to work overtime during festivals and some events.

Salary: $52,000.00 per annum.

Who We Are:

The Ottawa Fringe is an organization committed to empowering audiences, encouraging artists to take risks, pursue their visions, and develop their skills. The organization manages the theatre and arts spaces in the Arts Court and produces two festivals, the Ottawa Fringe Festival and undercurrents. The Ottawa Fringe Festival is a non-curated, annual, Ottawa-based summer festival that provides emerging and established artists an opportunity to produce their work. The winter festival, undercurrents, is a curated festival that showcases the best original, contemporary theatre created by local and national artists.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Engagement and Development Manager leads outreach, communications, and development efforts to enhance community engagement and expand the festival’s reach. This role involves building relationships with artists, patrons, and partners, managing marketing and promotional materials, supporting fundraising initiatives, and overseeing special events. Through strategic engagement and stewardship, the Engagement and Development plays a vital role in strengthening connections between the festival and its audiences.

Outreach

• Oversee the planning and implementation of outreach strategies
• Create and maintain relationships with stakeholders including vendors, artists and community groups 
• Create and maintain a calendar of community events and keep team informed about upcoming outreach opportunities 
• Develop potential partnerships and methods for engagement in local community 
• Support implementation of volunteer program including recruitment, planning and operation 
• Assist in the organization of special events, including donor/volunteer appreciation events

Development

• Develop and carry out fundraising and sponsorship initiatives
• Nurture new and existing relationships with businesses, organizations and other partners
• Implement stewardship plans and manage donor relationships 
• Organize special events, including fundraising initiatives
• Represent the Ottawa Fringe Festival in the community as a spokesperson for our programming and events

Communications

• Promote programming with a focus on diversifying our artist and patron communities
• Manage communications materials for the Ottawa Fringe and undercurrents festivals including, but not limited to, social media and email communication
• Track social media metrics, engagement, and festival media mentions
• Prepare festival materials, such as programs, press releases, and media kits
• Maintain Ottawa Fringe website
• Liaise with media partners, identifying accredited media
• Support graphic designer in creation of design assets, digital ads and branding

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Share and actively uphold the values of the Ottawa Fringe, including support for and celebration of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Commit to upholding a safe and inclusive space for co-workers, artists, and patrons, including taking actions to ensure an environment free of harassment, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia.
• Experience in arts administration, communications, marketing, event management, or related field.
• Exceptional communication skills, including building and maintaining relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders, artists, and audiences.
• Experience in community outreach and partnership building.
• Demonstrated fundraising or donor relations experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English (French an asset).
• Experience managing social media platforms and digital communications.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to balance multiple projects and deadlines.
• Comfortable working evenings and weekends during festival/event periods.

ASSETS

• Bilingual (English/French) written and spoken.
• Experience with volunteer coordination.
• Familiarity with media relations, press writing, and promotional strategies.
• Skills in design software (e.g., Canva, Adobe Suite) or web management (e.g., WordPress).
• Previous experience working in a festival or live performance environment.

HOW TO APPLY:

Here at Ottawa Fringe, we’re actively encouraging and prioritizing applications from equity-deserving groups. Equity-deserving groups can include those who identify as Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Trans, Non-binary, Queer, Disabled, and intersections of these identities. We are committed to providing staff with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment and fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace.

Please send to the hiring committee (jobs@ottawafringe.com) your resume and cover letter describing your qualifications and detailing why you believe you are the ideal candidate for the Engagement and Development Manager position by October 5, 2025. Only candidates selected for an interview process will be contacted.

The Ottawa Fringe Festival is once again serving as a recommender for the Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators program!

To be eligible for the program you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Ontario. Specifically for Ottawa Fringe grants, you must be a professional artist (as defined by the OAC) living and creating in Ottawa.

Ottawa Fringe is looking to fund under-represented, emerging, and new generation artists, living and creating in Ottawa. We will only fund artists who live in Ottawa.

Submission Instructions:

You will be asked to submit the following items:

• C.V. (mandatory)
• Script Sample

Application deadline is December 11, 2025 at 1pm EST. For more information on the program and how to apply, please click here.

At the Fringe, volunteers are essential! Quite simply, the festival wouldn’t exist without them! Every year, we bring together a dynamic team to bring this great celebration of independent theater to life.

As a volunteer, you’ll dive right into the heart of the festival, discover what goes on behind the scenes and support passionate artists. And as an added bonus, you’ll get to see shows for free and meet inspiring people!

Looking for a unique experience? Join the team and be part of the Fringe adventure!

What the Fringe has to offer:

• 1 shift = 1 free ticket
• Exclusive shows for our volunteers
• Make a difference and join the movement

Sign up here

undercurrents is Ottawa’s festival of contemporary theatre taking place every February. We seek submissions from the following artists:

• French, English or bilingual Ottawa based stage-ready productions
• French, English or bilingual National stage-ready productions
• French, English or bilingual works in progress suitable to staged readings or workshop presentations

The festival will consider applications from established and emerging artists who are working on new plays and performance pieces, as well as from those touring previously produced original work.

We encourage submissions from under-represented artists who identify with the organization’s Priority Groups: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) Artists, Deaf Artists and Disabled+ Identified Artists, 2SLGBTQ+ Artists.

In addition to the online form, we ask all artists to submit:

1. A proposal describing the project, its history, and the confirmed participating artists
2. Biographies/CVs of lead artists or creators
3. A completed script or script sample
4. Additional support material (optional): tech specs*, reviews, photos, or letters of support

*If you have them, we ask for tech specs so we can make sure our theatre can accommodate your show. The more detail you can give us, the better, but ideally they would include: particulars of your set, information about lights and sound, video or projection components, etc… But don’t stress out about tech specs! We never rule out a show based on this information, and will reach out if we have questions. 

If the form is not accessible for you, we will also accept alternative formats. Alternative applications could be a video (English, French or ASL) or an audio file. Please limit videos or audio files to no more than 10 minutes long, and include all the information requested in the application form. You may then submit your application by email to director@ottawafringe.com.

Have questions before submitting? Want to learn more about undercurrents? Scroll down for more info!

Or schedule a call / book a meeting with Ottawa Fringe Executive and Artistic Director, Alain Richer (director@ottawafringe.com).

We’re opening submissions for both the 2026 and 2027 festivals. If your show is ready for the stage or currently touring, submit for 2026. If your show needs more development time but would benefit from early programming (perhaps helping you secure further funding), apply for 2027.

Deadline for 2026 consideration is April 18.

Apply Here

Are you a theatre collective, company or individual looking for a unique chance to connect and collaborate? The Ottawa Fringe Festival invites you to join us in our offices for an exciting co-working opportunity! Every Thursday from 10am – 4pm we’re opening up our offices to you!

What’s in it for you?

• Connect with Our Team: Spend time working alongside our dedicated festival team in the heart of Downtown. This is a fantastic chance to network and share ideas in our historically artistic building.
• Community Outreach: Our goal is to engage with our local community and enhance and support projects by providing space. Your presence will help foster our connection and give us a better look into your  needs.
• Creative Collaboration: Work in an inspiring environment at no charge where creativity thrives. Share your projects, get feedback, and explore potential collaborations with us. Not to mention free coffee.

How to Get Involved:

We’re eager to welcome theatre companies, collectives or individuals  who are passionate about the arts and interested in building strong community ties. If this sounds like a fit for you, reach out to us to learn more about this opportunity and how you can be a part of it.

Apply Here