MANAGER CITY CULTURAL EVENTS PRODUCTION

• Job ID: 54193 
• Job Category: Economic Development, Arts & Culture
• Division & Section: Economic Development & Culture, EDC Arts & Culture Services
• Work Location: Hybrid, Toronto City Hall, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, M5H 2N1
• Job Type & Duration: Full-time, Temporary Vacancy (18 months)
• Salary: $112,280.00-$149,247.00
• Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week
• Affiliation: Non-Union
• Number of Positions Open: 1 
• Posting Period: 11-AUG-2025 to 03-SEP-2025 
  
  

Reporting to the Director, Arts and Culture Services, this position plays a pivotal role in ensuring the City’s reputation as a global cultural and creative city by managing, developing and implementing signature public programming that showcase Toronto locally, nationally and internationally, in keeping with the Culture Connects, the new 10-year action plan for culture in Toronto. The Manager, City Cultural Events, Production:

Major Responsibilities

• Leads and manages the City Cultural Events Production unit to ensure the production and efficient operational management of City-produced events, advancing technical expertise, enabling a strategic programming vision that enhances the City’s position as an global cultural capital and contributes to the City’s cultural and economic competitiveness.
• Working in collaboration with the Manager, City Cultural Events Programming, leads and coordinates production and provides technical guidance and advice to support decision-making and implementation of all programming.  Oversees activity of Production team members and contributes to the oversight of marketing, communications, sponsorship and programming.
• Exercises technical and production oversight and management of all City Cultural Events productions and leads the Production team to realize the approved curatorial vision.
• Liaises with and supports the existing and forthcoming artistic advisory committee.
• Develops technical and production plans for all approved City Cultural Events such as Doors Open; Cavalcade of Lights; Canada Day; City cultural events at locations including civic squares and other locations; and one-time cultural events. Also, provides event consultation support to external and internal event producers.
• Manages the day-to-day operation of all assigned staff including the scheduling, assigning and reviewing of work.  Authorizes and controls vacation and overtime requests.  Monitors and evaluates staff performance, approves salary increments and recommends and delivers disciplinary action when necessary.
• Represents Arts and Culture Services and acts as spokesperson at relevant sector events, conferences, roundtables, seminars, etc., and supports Director as required in role as media spokesperson for City Cultural Events.
• Manages, motivates and trains the unit's staff, ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality and organizational performance, continuous learning and encourages innovation in others.
• Develops and manages event operating budgets, financial reporting and the annual budget for the unit, in collaboration with the Manager, City Cultural Events Programming. Also, manages and oversees procurement, and ensures that the unit's expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
• Develops and implements the production strategies that align with industry best practices and support the vision of Culture Connects, the City’s ten-year action plan for culture.
• Ensures the development of safe public event environments including traffic flow analysis, crowd control measures, safety and security, first aid, insurance and event crisis management.
• Ensures the maintenance of a safe event infrastructure that focuses on risk management and adherence to health and safety guidelines to protect the public, City of Toronto employees and contracted workers.
• Manages event logistics including site inspections, assessments, site plans development, production schedules, contingency plans and all aspects of technical coordination.
• Negotiates, contracts and manages all event technical requirements including professional staging, lighting, audio, video production, special effects and pyrotechnics, and manages event infrastructure including power, equipment rentals, permits and large-scale contracts with outside vendors.
• Negotiates contracts and manages event staff including Supervisors, Local 79 and 416 staff, temporary staff, technical directors and multiple external production personnel, audio and lighting technicians, special effect and pyrotechnic teams, and labour crews.
• Ensure pre-event consultation with corporate sponsors (CEOs, CAOs, senior vice presidents and their staff) media sponsors (senior media officials) for feasibility of their on-site event proposals as well as logistical requirements to ensure benefit fulfillment.
• Ensures work is undertaken in a manner that complies with and supports City compliance with the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), other relevant codes and regulations and City policies. The above reflects the general details considered necessary to perform the principal functions and shall not be construed as a detailed description of all the work requirements inherent in the job.

Key Qualifications

Your application must describe your qualifications as they relate to:

1. Post-secondary education in a discipline pertinent to the job function or an approved combination of education and experience in event planning and co-ordination.
2. Extensive experience in multiple disciplines within the field of technical entertainment production especially with outdoor event production.
3. Extensive experience in cultural events production, including production, budget development and administration and event infrastructure including sound, lighting, staging, public safety considerations and related functions and presentation of large-scale events in outdoor public spaces.
4. Extensive experience in project management for creative projects and extensive experience working with the requirements and professional practices of curators involved in the commissioning of site-specific works of contemporary visual art.
5. Extensive management experience that includes effectively leading, coaching and managing production staff and team members and highly developed interpersonal and communication skills.
6. Extensive experience negotiating with conflict resolution and crisis management skills in the context of decision-making requirements that can impact on safety of mass audiences, tight deadlines and high stress.
7. Considerable experience using scale drawings & working in a 3D CAD software environment equivalent to AutoCAD, Vectorworks or Sketchup.
8. Ability to thrive in a high-stress creative environment with frequent and competing deadlines, multiple tasks and high performance expectations due to the public profile of special events and its relationships with the political wing.
9. Ability to take initiative and work independently, taking ownership of a project as well as being a strong team player in fulfilling the section's and the division's goals.
10. Knowledge of relevant legislation in the area of Occupational Health and Safety, Employment Standards Act, AODA, and various applicable collective agreements as related to event production.
11. Available to work occasional extended hours, evenings and weekend on event days as required.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.

Accommodation

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs. Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request. Learn more about the City’s Hiring Policies and Accommodation Process.