Vacancies

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

‍Fastnet Film Festival Schull, County Cork, Ireland
‍Reports to: Board of Directors
‍Status: Permanent, subject to six-month probationary period
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ABOUT FASTNET FILM FESTIVAL
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The Fastnet Film Festival is an internationally recognised independent film festival and registered charity based in Schull, West Cork.
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For 19 years, Fastnet has built its reputation by being deliberately different from the increasingly commercial model of many international film festivals. It is first and foremost a celebration of film, filmmaking and filmmakers. It is rooted in the community of Schull, sustained by an exceptional network of volunteers, and committed to creating direct and informal engagement among filmmakers, audiences, craftspeople and the wider film community.
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Fastnet has no conventional cinema. During the Festival, Schull itself becomes the venue: pubs, shops, restaurants, halls and other spaces throughout the village become screening and event locations. 'Our Village Is Our Screen" is not simply a slogan; it expresses the character of the Festival.
Fastnet's independence, informality, accessibility and absence of unnecessary commercial or red-carpet trappings are important parts of its identity. As the Festival develops, these qualities must be protected.
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The appointment of a Chief Executive Officer is intended to strengthen the Festival as an organisation without turning it into something it was never intended to be.
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THE ROLE
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The Chief Executive Officer will have executive responsibility for the year-round management, development and delivery of the Fastnet Film Festival.
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The CEO will report to the Board and will be responsible for translating the Board's strategic direction into a practical annual plan, securing the financial resources required to deliver it, managing the Festival's operations and people, and ensuring that each year's Festival is delivered to a consistently high standard.
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This is a hands-on leadership position. Fastnet is not seeking an administrator whose principal function is to manage an established process, nor a commercially driven festival executive seeking to transform Fastnet into a larger conventional festival.
We are seeking an individual capable of leading and strengthening a distinctive cultural institution while understanding what should not be changed.
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A central measure of the CEO's success will be the ability to increase the Festival's financial resilience, organisational capability and international standing without compromising its independence, accessibility, community character or focus on filmmakers and the craft of filmmaking.


SALARY
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We expect the starting salary to be in the region of €70,000 to €80,000, with incremental increases and flexibility for an outstanding candidate.
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FUNDRAISING AND FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY
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Fundraising is a central responsibility of the CEO and a core requirement of the position. The CEO will be expected to take personal responsibility for developing and executing a year-round fundraising strategy capable of providing the Festival with a secure and diversified financial base.

• Developing a clear multi-year fundraising strategy and annual fundraising targets for approval by the Board.
• Identifying, cultivating and securing significant individual donors and philanthropic supporters in Ireland and internationally.
• Developing relationships with charitable trusts, foundations and other philanthropic organisations.
• Identifying and pursuing appropriate Irish, European and international public funding and grant opportunities.
• Building and maintaining productive relationships with existing and prospective sponsors.
• Developing sponsorship arrangements that provide genuine value to sponsors without allowing commercial interests to compromise the Festival's identity, programme or Independence.
• Preparing, or overseeing the preparation of, compelling funding proposals, grant applications and sponsorship presentations.
• Developing relationships with individuals and organisations capable of making substantial multi-year commitments.
• Maintaining regular personal contact with important donors, funders and sponsors and ensuring appropriate stewardship and reporting.
• Working with the Chair, Board members and other supporters to open doors and develop fundraising relationships.
• Establishing measurable fundraising objectives and reporting progress against those objectives to the Board.

The successful candidate should regard fundraising not as a peripheral administrative function but as an essential part of the CEO's leadership responsibility.
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EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT AND FESTIVAL DELIVERY
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The CEO will have overall executive responsibility for the effective operation of the Festival throughout the year and for the successful delivery of the annual Festival in May.

• Preparing an annual operating plan, timetable and budget for Board approval.
• Establishing clear responsibilities, deadlines and reporting arrangements across the Festival organisation.
• Managing and coordinating the Festival's paid core team.
• Chairing and working closely with the Festival Committee.
• Ensuring effective coordination among staff, volunteers, contractors, venues, suppliers, filmmakers, speakers and community partners.
• Maintaining a detailed year-round Festival production schedule and ensuring that critical deadlines are met.
• Overseeing Festival logistics, venues, accommodation, hospitality, transportation, accreditation, technical requirements and other operational matters.
• Ensuring appropriate contracts and arrangements are in place with suppliers, contractors and external partners.
• Anticipating operational risks and ensuring appropriate contingency plans exist.
• Conducting a structured post-Festival review and implementing agreed improvements for the following year.

The CEO must be comfortable moving between strategic leadership and detailed execution. In a festival of Fastnet's nature and scale, no important task can be regarded as beneath the Chief Executive when circumstances require personal involvement.
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PROGRAMME AND THE FESTIVAL'S CREATIVE IDENTITY
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The CEO will work closely with the Festival's Artistic Advisor and others responsible for programming.

The CEO will not be expected to replace the Festival's specialist artistic and programming expertise. The CEO will, however, be responsible for ensuring that the programme can be delivered successfully within the Festival's financial and operational resources and remains consistent with its charitable purpose and distinctive identity.

• Support the development and delivery of an ambitious programme of screenings, workshops, masterclasses, discussions and events.
• Help attract outstanding filmmakers, actors, writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, editors and other practitioners to Schull.
• Strengthen Fastnet's reputation as a place where emerging filmmakers can interact meaningfully with established figures in the industry.
• Ensure that filmmakers - particularly emerging filmmakers - remain at the centre of the Festival.
• Resist pressure to pursue scale, celebrity, commercial sponsorship or publicity where doing so would detract from the Festival's purpose or character.
• Seek ways of improving the quality and reach of the Festival without simply making it larger.

‍VOLUNTEERS AND THE SCHULL COMMUNITY
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Fastnet could not exist in its present form without its volunteers and the support of the people and businesses of Schull. The CEO must understand that this relationship is fundamental rather than incidental.

• Recruit, organise, motivate and retain an effective volunteer organisation.
• Ensure volunteers receive clear responsibilities, appropriate support and recognition.
• Develop strong working relationships with Schull's businesses, residents, community organisations and venues.
• Chair the Festival Committee and ensure that local knowledge and participation remain an integral part of Festival planning.
• Be visible and accessible within the community.
• Address problems or disagreements promptly and constructively.
• Ensure that organisational professionalisation strengthens rather than displaces Fastnet's volunteer culture.

EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS AND REPRESENTATION
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The CEO will be the principal executive representative of Fastnet and will be expected to build relationships well beyond Schull.

• Irish and international filmmakers and film professionals;
• other film festivals and cultural institutions:
• Screen Ireland and relevant national and local arts and cultural bodies;
• Government departments, local authorities and public funding agencies:
• philanthropic foundations and individual donors;
• corporate partners and sponsors;
• educational institutions and film schools;
• broadcasters, distributors and other film-industry organisations; andrelevant media.

The CEO should progressively expand Fastnet's network and reputation while maintaining Schull as the Festival's unmistakable home.
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FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
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Working within budgets approved by the Board, the CEO will be responsible for the Festival's financial management.

• Preparing annual budgets and multi-year financial projections.
• Monitoring income, expenditure and cash flow throughout the year.
• Ensuring expenditure remains within approved authority and budget.
• Providing the Board with regular, accurate and understandable financial reporting.
• Ensuring appropriate financial controls and approval procedures are maintained.
• Managing grant and sponsorship expenditure and reporting in accordance with funding requirements.
• Identifying financial risks sufficiently early for corrective action to be taken.
• Building appropriate financial reserves over time to improve the Festival's resilience.te partners and sponsors;

GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY
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The CEO reports to the Board and is accountable to it for the Festival's performance and the proper execution of Board-approved strategy.

• Provide the Board with timely and accurate information required for effective oversight.
• Prepare appropriate papers for Board meetings and report against agreed objectives, budgets and key performance measures.
• Implement decisions of the Board.
• Ensure the Festival compiles with its obligations as a registered charity and with applicable Irish law and regulation.
• Maintain appropriate policies and procedures relating to governance, safeguarding, health and safety, data protection, employment, contracting and financial controls.
• Ensure material financial, operational, legal or reputational risks are brought promptly to the attention of the Chair and Board,
• Maintain clear boundaries between the Board's governance responsibilities and the CEO's executive responsibilities.

• attracting outstanding films and filmmakers;
• providing meaningful opportunities for emerging filmmakers;
• strengthening its international reputation;
• deepening its relationship with Schull and West Cork;
• attracting the financial support necessary for long-term sustainability;
• improving the experience of filmmakers, audiences and volunteers; and
• preserving the qualities that have made Fastnet distinctive over its first 19 years;

The CEO will be expected to identify opportunities for development while also having the judgement to recognise opportunities that Fastnet should decline.
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THE CANDIDATE
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This is a senior leadership appointment. The successful candidate must demonstrate that he or she has the experience, judgement and personal qualities necessary to take executive responsibility for an established and respected cultural organisation.
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Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Significant leadership and management experience in a relevant organisation, preferably within film, the arts, festivals, culture, media, philanthropy or the not-for-profit sector.
• A demonstrable record of successful fundraising, donor development, sponsorship, grant funding or institutional advancement.
• Evidence of personally developing and maintaining relationships with donors, sponsors, funders or other significant external stakeholders.
• Experience managing budgets and taking responsibility for financial performance.
• Experience managing staff, contractors and/or substantial volunteer teams.
• The organisational ability to manage a complex event involving numerous participants, venues, deadlines and stakeholders.
• Experience working effectively with a board or comparable governing body.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• The confidence and credibility to represent Fastnet with senior figures in the film industry, government, philanthropy, business and the arts.
• sound judgement and the ability to make decisions under pressure.
• A willingness and ability to be substantially present in Schull and fully immersed in the Festival during the critical preparation and delivery periods.
• Senior experience within film, film festivals or the wider screen industries.
• An established network within Irish or international film.
• Knowledge of Irish, EU and international arts and cultural funding.
• Experience securing significant philanthropic gifts or multi-year sponsorship arrangements.
• Experience in a successful charity or not-for-profit cultural organisation.
• Experience of organisations that depend heavily upon volunteers.
• Knowledge of charity governance and regulatory requirements in Ireland.
• Experience building an organisation without compromising its founding culture or mission.
• A willingness and ability to be substantially present in Schull throughout the year and fully immersed in the Festival during the critical preparation and delivery periods.

Formal academic qualifications may be relevant, but demonstrated achievement, judgement. leadership ability and an appropriate track record will carry greater weight.
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PERSONAL QUALITIES
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Entrepreneurial without being commercialising. The CEO must find new resources and opportunities without turning Fastnet into a conventional commercial festival.

‍Confident without being institutional. Fastnet needs a credible external representative who remains comfortable working informally with volunteers, local businesses and filmmakers.

‍Ambitious for the Festival rather than for its size. The objective is to make Fastnet better, stronger and more sustainable - not simply bigger.

‍A fundraiser and relationship builder. The CEO should enjoy meeting people, developing relationships and making a persuasive case for supporting the Festival.

‍Operationally capable. The successful candidate must be able to turn ideas into plans and plans into a Festival that works.

‍Collaborative but accountable. Fastnet depends upon many people contributing ideas and experience. The CEO must listen well and work collaboratively while accepting personal responsibility for executive decisions and delivery.

‍Protective of Fastnet's independence. The CEO must understand why Fastnet's non-commercial, community-rooted and filmmaker-focused character has been central to its success and must have the judgement and determination to preserve it.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS
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The Board will agree specific objectives with the CEO. Over time, success should be evident in:

• A stronger and more diversified fundraising base.
• Increased philanthropic and grant support and appropriate long-term sponsorship.
• Sound financial management and improved financial resilience.
• Consistently excellent delivery of the annual Festival.
• Strong relationships with filmmakers and the international film community.
• A motivated and well-organised volunteer base.
• A strong and mutually supportive relationship with the Schull community.
• Effective management of the Festival's staff and resources.
• Good governance and a productive relationship with the Board.
• Increased opportunities for emerging filmmakers.
• Growth in Fastnet's reputation and influence.
• Above all, preservation of the distinctive, independent and non-commercial character that has made Fastnet successful.

TERMS
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Contract: Permanent, subject to a six-month probationary period.
‍Location: Schull, County Cork, Ireland, with reasonable flexibility for remote working outside periods when presence in Schull is required.
‍Remuneration: We expect the starting salary to be in the region of €70,000 to €80,000, with incremental increases and flexibility for an outstanding candidate.
‍Start date: To be agreed.
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THE OPPORTUNITY
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Fastnet has spent 19 years building something unusual.It’s success has not come from attempting to emulate other large, increasingly commercial film festivals. It has come from creating an intimate meeting place for filmmakers, audiences and the people of Schull; from celebrating the art and craft of filmmaking; from giving emerging filmmakers access to established practitioners; and from the extraordinary commitment of its volunteers and community.
The next CEO will inherit that achievement.

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The task is not to reinvent Fastnet. It is to protect what makes it special, secure the resources necessary to sustain it, strengthen the organisation behind it, and help an exceptional Festival fulfil its potential for its next 19 years.
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Submit your application to: director@fastnetfilmfestival.com - Closing Date October 30th

STRATEGY AND DEVELOPMENT
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Working with the Board, the CEO will develop a clear strategy for the next stage of Fastnet's development.  Growth should not be measured simply by audience numbers, revenues or the physical size of the Festival.
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The relevant questions are whether Fastnet is: