Executive Director

Executive Director

Boston Book Festival

Overview:

The Executive Director is responsible for the overall success and sustainability of the Boston Book Festival. This leadership role oversees all aspects of the organization’s operations, including program development, financial management, fundraising, marketing, and strategic partnerships. The Executive Director serves as the public face of the festival, fostering relationships with donors, sponsors, community partners, and the broader literary community.

Program Development

Work with the board to implement the strategic vision of the organization

Coordinate with board to design and implement new strategic initiatives: develop programs, budgets, and KPIs

Work with the Literary Director to plan the Festival line-up

Partnerships

Work with BBF’s key strategic partners

Develop new partnerships with relevant organizations in concert with the board

Fundraising

Manage annual fundraising plans and events and create monitoring tools to drive decisions

Work with board members to cultivate donors and manage donor relations. Create and maintain donor databases

Help create a multi-year fundraising plan including outlining key milestones such as funds raised, donor diversification, etc.

Create a grant writing deadline calendar and oversee all grant-writing

Work with staff and board members to cultivate sponsors

Operations

Oversee the Operations Manager and other staff in executing all events.

Marketing and Communications

Create marketing calendar as well as social media and advertising strategy

Support and manage content producers

Oversee design and creation of all marketing collateral

Organizational Management

Run budgeting, financial management, and nonprofit compliance

Conduct database management and website oversight

Work with the chair of the board on scheduling and supporting board meetings

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will bring:

• 10 years of experience in Non-Profit Management
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills; ability to manage multiple priorities
• A passionate commitment to literature and reading
• Experience in managing and supervising a team
• Experience working with and reporting to a board
• Comfort with financial management and budgeting
• Deep understanding of fund-raising and development
• Experience in working with community partners and confidence in public speaking
• Familiarity with publishing is desirable

Compensation & Schedule

• Full-time exempt position with flexible hybrid schedule
• Requires significant in-office presence in Boston/Brighton and availability for some evenings/weekends, especially in the fall festival season
• Salary range: $120,000-$150,000, commensurate with experience
• Generous vacation package and health benefits

About the Organization

The Boston Book Festival, now in its 18th year, celebrates the power of words to stimulate, agitate, unite, delight, and inspire. We hold year-round events culminating in an annual, free Festival that celebrates the joys of reading and the magic of storytelling to spark curiosity and build community. From the youngest pre-readers to teens and young adults, to grown-ups with diverse interests, we bring together over twenty thousand readers and hundreds of authors with programming that is free and accessible to all. Our vision is to strengthen the vibrancy of our city as a beacon of independent thought by promoting civil discourse and inspiring future generations of readers.

Generous vacation package.

Health benefits.