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Festival Programming Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Pennsylvania State University

Festival Management: * Lead all operational aspects of the Centre Film Festival, including ... Work with the programming team to support film screenings, educational panels, workshops, and ...

Jacob's Pillow Dance

Operations Assistant

MA · On-site

$17 - $20/hr

Working 6-day work weeks including early mornings, late evenings, and weekends during Festival weeks and non-Festival programming. * Moving equipment up to 50 lbs alone or with assistance. * Moving ...

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$25K

$88.9K

$149K

How much do festival programming jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for festival programming in the United States is $88,946.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $62,500.00 and $116,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Festival Programming position, and why are they important?

To thrive in Festival Programming, you need strong organizational abilities, experience in event planning, and a thorough understanding of the arts, entertainment, or cultural sectors, generally supported by a relevant degree or prior programming experience. Familiarity with event management software, scheduling tools, and ticketing platforms is highly advantageous. Exceptional communication, negotiation skills, and creative problem-solving are crucial soft skills for success in this role. These competencies enable effective coordination of diverse programming elements, smooth collaboration with stakeholders, and delivery of engaging festival experiences.

What are the typical responsibilities of someone working in Festival Programming?

Professionals in Festival Programming are responsible for curating and scheduling events, liaising with artists and performers, coordinating logistics, and ensuring a cohesive festival lineup. They often work closely with marketing, production, and technical teams to bring a diverse and engaging program to life. This role may also involve managing contracts, overseeing budgets, and resolving on-the-ground challenges during the festival. Festival programmers typically split their time between planning in an office environment and being onsite during the event. This dynamic position offers exposure to a wide variety of creative talents and significant opportunities for professional growth within the events and entertainment industry.

What is a Festival Programming job?

A Festival Programming job involves selecting, scheduling, and organizing events, performances, or screenings for a festival. Programmers curate content based on the festival’s theme, audience, and goals, ensuring a diverse and engaging lineup. Responsibilities include coordinating with artists, filmmakers, or speakers, handling logistics, and collaborating with other departments. Strong knowledge of the industry, attention to detail, and adaptability are key skills for success in this role.

More about Festival Programming jobs
What cities are hiring for Festival Programming jobs? Cities with the most Festival Programming job openings:
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What job categories do people searching Festival Programming jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Festival Programming jobs are:
Festival Programming jobs near you
Infographic showing various Festival Programming job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 46% Full Time, 47% Part Time, and 7% Temporary. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $88,946 per year, or $42.8 per hour.
Director of Live Programming

Director of Live Programming

Project Healthy Minds

New York, NY

Full-time

Posted 15 days ago

Job description

ABOUT PROJECT HEALTHY MINDS
 
Project Healthy Minds is a mental health tech non-profit startup. We are pioneering a first-of-its-kind model: applying technology to address one of the biggest social issues of our time: the growing mental health crisis. We believe in a simple but profound idea: that it should be as easy to find mental health services as it is to book a flight or a restaurant reservation. That's why we're building the world’s first digital marketplace for finding mental health services that are right for you. 
 
To do that, we work with some of the most inspiring and influential leaders in America - business titans, tech entrepreneurs, clinicians and scientists, musicians, artists, athletes, media stars, policymakers, and more - because we believe that the world's most complex challenges require interdisciplinary teams and solutions.
 
We are backed by a powerhouse of industry-leading Board of Directors and Advisory Council Members who are passionate, hands-on, and dive into the important work with us.
 
Learn more at projecthealthyminds.com and @projecthealthyminds on social.
 
ABOUT THE ROLE
 
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR:
We’re hiring a Director of Live Programming who will oversee the production, programming, and overall attendee experience of the Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day festival and other brand-forward experiences.
 
This leader should have four superpowers: 
• An extraordinary level of creativity and experience conceptualizing and producing outside-the-box, elevated events.
• The production chops to make a Coachella production manager blush – someone who intuitively understands production specs and labor needs, has a deep network of vendor relationships and knows how to negotiate and manage vendors, knows all of the different shapes of venue deals and just as importantly, knows how to work with venues, and has the leadership qualities to lead a multi-stakeholder process for signature events and ensure the production of our events is world-class.
• You live for producing one-of-a-kind, consumer-oriented, brand-forward experiences – from pop-ups to festivals and everything in between. You’d say you could have produced Spotify House at Ole Red in your sleep. 
• Exquisite taste and editorial brilliance to curate the right topics, speakers, and participants to ensure Project Healthy Minds events are some of the most intellectually interesting events around.
 
This role will work very closely with the Founder & CEO and serve as a leader working cross-functionally with other members of the team to conceive and execute groundbreaking events.
 
HOW YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE:
• Set the strategic vision and roadmap for the Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Festival – the world’s first and largest – and other brand-forward experiences. 
• Lead the strategy for the Project Healthy Minds World Mental Health Day Festival – setting the programming, editorial, and talent vision, shaping the creative direction (with the Head of Creative), creating the production and staffing plans, etc. 
• Drive the execution of all festival production elements end-to-end in a hands-on manner – providing strong day-to-day leadership to all internal stakeholders, external vendors, and venue partners. 
• Lead all vendor and venue relations – from sourcing to negotiation to management to reporting.
• Quarterback the process for securing talent for the festival and other brand-forward experiences  – working in close partnership with the CEO, Special Events and Brand Partnerships teams, Board of Directors, internal staff, and other key VIP partners/friends to Project Healthy Minds.
• Create detailed end-to-end planning timelines for events and run the process to ensure best-in-class execution across the team.
• Own the P&L for all events.
• Oversee the creation of all event materials (e.g. digital experiences, printed materials at the event, etc.) – working in close partnership with the Creative and Brand Partnership teams.
• Ensure a world-class guest experience, thoughtfully considering the end-to-end user journey across every Project Healthy Minds touchpoint (pre-event, day-of, post-event).
• Manage partners and stakeholders.
• Provide robust reporting to various stakeholders throughout the event planning and recap cycle.
 
ABOUT YOU
 
OUR IDEAL CANDIDATE IS:
• A true event production pro – you have a proven track record with all aspects of events – from conceptualizing the programming structure and flow to setting timelines and driving planning processes to coordinating all production aspects (audio, video, labor, staging, catering, etc.) to leading the negotiation and management of labor/production needs to sourcing and managing vendors to creating detailed run-of-shows and so much more.
• Detail-oriented and the most organized person in the room – you love developing effective systems. You are a meticulous planner and can ensure that all the moving parts of an event are clear and categorized. You keep the trains on the track and ensure all stakeholders meet deadlines.
• Creative and seeking to establish a new standard for experiential – you have your pulse on what’s happening across the events landscape: fashion events, editorially-driven events produced by major media companies, music festivals, elevated VIP corporate client events, etc. You want to create cutting-edge experiences that everyone else can’t stop talking about. You have extensive experience working on events at media companies and/or on large-scale cultural events (think SXSW, Atlantic Festival, New York Festival, WSJ Future of Everything Festival, NYTimes Live, Coachella, Burning Man, or Cannes Film Festival).
• A leader who enjoys building something new – you thrive in a fast-paced environment and identify as a multitasker that can perform under pressure. You enjoy leading cross-functional teams and being the leader that everyone looks to for vision, decisions, and timely feedback. You respond skillfully to rapidly changing priorities and are excited by the prospect of every day being different with new problems to solve. You are willing to travel for this role if needed.
• A strong communicator – you have exceptional oral and written communication skills with an ability to engage and inspire a wide range of audiences and a diverse team of stakeholders. 
• Experienced – Bachelor’s degree and 8-14+ years of experience running events with proven success.
 
WHAT WE OFFER
 
• Competitive compensation
• Competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid holidays and generous PTO 
• Life insurance
• Short-term and long-term disability
• Spring Health mental healthcare
• Commuter benefits
• Perks at Work
• Experience joining a dynamic start-up environment that is re-writing the playbook for social change in the mental health tech space
• Benefits of joining a close-knit, highly-motivated team with mentorship opportunities from founding leaders, Advisors, and Board members
• Learning & Development opportunities, including free MasterClass subscriptions
• Opportunity to attend inspiring experiences and events with thought leaders, business executives, and iconic speakers across a range of industries
• And more (just ask!)
 
The annual salary for this role is between $150,000 and $200,000.
 
EEO Guidelines: Project Healthy Minds is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. Project Healthy Minds will provide reasonable accommodations as required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws, and will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable "Fair Chance" laws.
 
COVID Guidelines: The health and safety of our Project Healthy Minds community is the highest priority. As such, Project Healthy Minds is requiring all newly hired staff members to be fully vaccinated and boosted with an FDA authorized and/or approved COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment. Requests for reasonable accommodations for medical, religious, or other reasons will be considered in accordance with applicable law.
 
Due to the high volume of applications received, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.