Stories exist everywhere and give us the imagination to live well together. In our increasingly pressured environmental and social world, stories matter deeply. The NT Writers Festival brings writers and storytellers together to share stories, language and culture and celebrate the distinct literary culture of the NT. Be part of our story!

We are looking for a skilled and organised Festival Manager who can fulfill our aims and manage our unique, place based, inspiring 2026 NT Writers Festival.

Your new organisation

NT Writers’ Centre (NTWC) supports, develops and showcases writing and storytelling in the Northern Territory, celebrating the unique contribution of NT stories and storytellers to Australia’s cultural identity.

The NT Writers Festival (NTWF) – is the Northern Territory’s premier literary showcase. It is an extraordinary festival that brings readers and writers together to celebrate ideas, words, stories and languages. Held alternately in Darwin and Mparntwe/Alice Springs since 2002, the festival takes place in iconic outdoor locations that celebrate the NT’s unique environments and that reflects the NT’s distinctive culture, including its rich First Nations heritage.

The 2026 NT Writers Festival will be held at MAGNT, Darwin, NT from 28- 31 May 2026.

A little about the role

You will be part of a small, skilled, experienced and motivated team who are caring, bold, respectful and inclusive in the arts and literature sector. You will be responsible for the project management of the NT Writers Festival in 2026 in Darwin.

You will be focused on:

Developing production schedules and managing timelines in consultation with the Festival Artistic Director.

Liaising with artists to arrange travel and accommodation

Volunteer recruiting, inducting, managing and rostering

Liaising with ticketing provider (Ticketebo) to refine ticketing system

Supporting the implementation of media and publicity strategies.

The role works closely with the Festival Artistic Director around event and program development and the Technical Manager to fulfill technical requirements of the event.

The job is mainly office based, with some flexibility of work hours, days & WfH. Availability for evening and weekend work during the Festival week is a must. During the few weeks leading up to the Festival the hours of work and demands on time may increase.

How to apply

Send your resume, including two referees, and responses to these 4 questions to [email protected]. Relate your responses to the essential selection criteria (max 2-3 pages).

Detail the context of where and when you have organised and managed literary or arts festivals and community events, including with First Nations Artists.

Describe how you manage multiple communication demands, whilst maintaining relationships with various stakeholders. Give 2 examples of how you have achieved this.

Outline the systems, processes, and skills you use to organise and manage projects, to ensure delivery within budget, on time, and maintain strong relationships. You can use a specific context, your actions, what the results were and the impact you had to bring this to life.

Reflecting on your leadership skills with teams, what are 2 significant insights about yourself that you have learned?

Enquiries are welcome, and to request the full position description please contact the NTWC Executive Director, on 0405 980 944 or [email protected] Application deadline: Midday 26 Nov 2025.

Please let us know any access requirements you may have so we can help with your application or interview process, as well as your pronouns. We are a diverse team and we welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse people, and people from the LGBTQI+ community.

The job is based in Darwin and starts late January 2026 and finishes after the Festival in mid June 2025. This is a casual position at $42/hr, 22.5hrs a week, increasing to 30 hrs, then full time before the festival.

Selection criteria

Essential skills

Festival style experience

Previous experience in coordinating and managing multi-day events.

Communication skills

Communication skills to negotiate with a broad spectrum of people such as emerging, established, and remote authors, publishers, media, sponsors etc. whilst managing expectations.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to write copy, press releases, social media content, and negotiate with artists.

Fortitude to professionally balance multiple stakeholders and communication requirements amidst time pressures.

A strong commitment to, and understanding of, the principles and practises of working with diverse communities.

Organisation skills

Project management skills with exceptional time management and forward planning skills with the ability to work calmly under pressure to manage workload and meet deadlines.

Capacity to plan, deliver and evaluate multi day events within budget and timeframes, including accurate budgeting skills to manage multiple funders and festival events and ability to keep accurate records and acquit Festival grants.

Fast and accurate skills with Google Suite, including word, excel, powerpoint etc..

Basic skills to utilise canva, mailerlite, ticketing software, social media and website updates with Festival news.

Knowledge of basic technical production requirements to ensure delivery meets required safety standards.

Relevant tertiary qualification (eg: literature, writing, event management, community development, arts management) and/or equivalent experience, and/or at least 4 years of relevant job-related experience.

Desirable:

Experience developing and delivering regional arts programs.

Understanding of NT arts sector and local networks.

Capacity to work some flexible hours.

Current Working with Children check.