Vancouver Art Book Fair (VABF) seeks applications from eligible candidates for Operations Manager. Participating within a new flat leadership structure with current and incoming staff, the Operations Manager will lead VABF toward its mission by stewarding daily and long-term operations of the organization. In addition to day-to-day administration tasks, this position will carry on dedicated capacity-building work previously begun in 2022. This role is currently contracted until November 2023, but our hope is for the role to grow into a recurring role.

The Operation Manager will work collaboratively with the VABF team and reports to, and is supported by, the VABF Board of Directors.

The successful candidate will set their own hours, but anticipated workload is between 16 and 32 hours per week, with increasing hours in the lead-up to the annual Vancouver Art Book Fair and Art Book Month, which take place in October.

VABF is seeking a candidate with working knowledge of the Canadian small art press publishing community and a solid understanding of standard nonprofit practices. The ideal candidate will also be interested in questioning, visioning, and testing out new approaches and structures, with the aim of finding new ways of developing audiences and building
toward a more stabilized Vancouver Art Book Fair. The Operations Manager will participate in and help shape a new, flat leadership structure for VABF. The aim is to distribute organizational responsibility and decision-making power while mitigating burnout by leveraging an artist-collective-style approach to nonprofit management. If you’re entirely dissatisfied with the notion “because it has always been done that way,” we want to hear from you!

Importantly, the successful candidate will represent VABF in interactions with staff, volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors and other organizational stakeholders.

Enumeration and Hours

$35 / hour
16–32 hours per week*
Remote and occasional in-person
PST time zone preferred

*Contract pays up to 1,171 hours, pending grant approval. Duties and responsibilities will be
adjusted accordingly.

Duties and Responsibilities

Capacity-Building
January to June 2023

• Assess the organization’s history and the relationship between existing staff, board, and other community members
• Assess existing policies and admin processes, identifying gaps, limitations, and priorities to improve and/or develop new structures, policies, and processes
• Determine organizational strengths and weaknesses in access, EDI, community relations, stakeholder relations, and other areas relevant to operations
• Collaborate with VABF Staff and Board to assess the organization’s evolving leadership structure and implement changes in 2023 toward the broader vision and goals for the organization’s future
• Identify and manage strategic partnerships with relevant stakeholders, including new and ongoing partnership planning and relationship management

Administration
Ongoing

• In conversation with staff, administratively lead the organization: hire and onboard staff, manage contractors, operate programs
• Manage the budget, payroll, and other day-to-day financial aspects, including advising the board on fundraising targets
• Under the direction of the Program Manager, administratively support the 2023 Vancouver Art Book Fair and Art Book Month (payments, volunteer and contractor hiring and management, etc.) and participate in a hands-on capacity (annual in
  October)
• Maintain the organization’s archive and other records
• Develop and implement operational procedures to ensure that all deliverables and activities meet VABF’s mission, vision, and values as stated in the Organization’s Constitution

Funding
Starting Late Summer/Fall 2023

• Seek development and granting opportunities, writing proposals and grants as opportunities arise
• Serve as a liaison to funding agencies, sponsors, and organizations
• Write and submit reports to granting organizations following the completion of projects
• Stabilize existing funding structure and seek out new and novel funding models and strategies

Qualifications and Experience

• Completion of post-secondary program in a related field and/or 2 to 3 years of relevant work experience in nonprofit or artist-led management, ideally in an arts and culture or publishing environment
• Working knowledge of art publishing, contemporary art and writing, and/or cultural event management; prior experience in any of these will be considered an asset
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills, including demonstrated experience with budgeting and grant writing
• Experience working in a dynamic environment, within a collaborative and inclusive team approach
• Previous capacity-building or change-management experience will be considered a strong asset

Accessibility Requests

VABF is committed to supporting and providing positions to people who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized in art spaces (BIPOC, LGBTQIA2S+, people with disabilities, people with lived experiences of poverty) and encourages applications from people belonging to these groups. If you have any accessibility requests regarding this job posting, please email us at