Job opportunity: general manager

FILMCO has been growing steadily and is seeking to accelerate growth. The board is looking for a mission-focused, creative, strategic, and process-minded general manager with experience of leading a team. The general manager must be able to help others at FILMCO deliver measurable, cost-effective results that make our vision a reality. Importantly, the successful general manager will have the skills, sensitivity, and personal confidence to tap into the power that each member of the team brings to this mission. While it is essential that the GM bring efficient and effective systems to increase the productivity of the organisation, it is also critical that the team retain the creative spark and enthusiasm that drives FILMCO. Reporting to the board of directors on FILMCO operations (exclusive of trinidad+tobago film festival), the general manager will be responsible for a variety of significant activities including internal operations, oversight of core programmatic development and implementation, human resources, fundraising, communications and programme evaluation. She or he will be instrumental in ensuring consistent and effective internal processes and communications in order to strengthen FILMCO’s programmes and position the organisation for continued success. In addition, the GM will work across three areas of programmatic focus:

• Distribution of films and television programmes;
• Industry-specific professional development and introductory training;
• Development of products/ services and relationships towards community-building within the Trinidad and Tobago film/ television industry

The general manager will, as needed, work alongside the director of the film festival to ensure the successful delivery of ttff. This includes agreeing workflows for the full FILMCO team in regards to implementing the annual trinidad+tobago film festival and supporting events.

Application process

Please submit a cover letter detailing why you are applying for the position, and relevant experience that makes you well-suited. Please also include your CV which must clearly indicate any relevant experience and include the names of three references (at least two of which must be former employers) – these should be e mailed to info@filmco.org with the subject line: Application for General Manager’s position. The application deadline 27 January, 2023. The successful applicant will be expected to start the position 06 February, 2023.

Details of the position

Position: General Manager of FILMCO
Type: Full time position, minimum of 40 hrs/ 5 days a week (in office with the possibility for occasional remote work)
Trial period: 3 months
Full contract duration (once trial has been successfully completed): 1 YEAR in the first instance
Salary scale: $12,500 per Month

Responsibilities

Leadership & Management

• Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence, rigorous programme evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; recommend timelines and resources needed to achieve the strategic goals.
• Actively engage and energise FILMCO volunteers, board members, committees, members, partner organisations, and funders/ sponsors.
• Support a strong Board of Directors; serve as ex-officio of each sub-committee; 
• Lead, coach and develop FILMCO’s team
• Ensure effective systems to track scaling progress, and regularly evaluate programme components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other stakeholders.

Finance + Fundraising

• Spearhead the budgeting process for the organisation (both operations and programmatic) and ensure that the finance coordinator delivers timely and accurate financial statements for the board of directors or other stakeholders
• Expand revenue generating and fundraising activities to support existing and new programme operations while simultaneously retiring debt
• Manage the organisation’s cash flow alongside the finance coordinator (the general manager must be aware of how shortfalls in one area (like fundraising) may impact the ability to execute in others (like executing programmes or meeting payroll).

 Communications

• Oversight and, when necessary, creation of all aspects of communications—from web and social media presence to external relations with the goal of creating a stronger brand and presence
• Work alongside the social media coordinator on the generation of online content that engages audience segments and leads to measurable action, including deciding who, where, and when to disseminate as well as ideating new promotional campaigns from time to time
• Utilise existing communications vehicles to create momentum and awareness as well as to test the effectiveness of communications activities
• Manage the development, distribution, and maintenance of all print and electronic collateral including, but not limited to, newsletters, catalogues, leaflets and FILMCO’s website
• Plan and have oversight of FILMCO’s webmaster who, in addition to technical updates and fixes, will track and measure the level of engagement with FILMCO’s website and have oversight of FILMCO’s social media coordinator, to ensure consistent and appropriate messaging
• Coordinate webpage maintenance—ensure that new and consistent information (article links, stories, and events) is posted regularly
• Manage development, distribution, and maintenance of all print and electronic collateral including, but not limited to, newsletters, brochures, catalogues, annual reports, electronic mailers, and website
• Ensure quality control in all communications created and or disseminated by FILMCO team members (including the social media coordinator, graphic designer etc)
• Manage all media contacts
• Use external presence and relationships to garner new opportunities (for example, beneficial media partnerships)

Distribution

• Manage FILMCO’s existing distribution relationships and platforms 
• Develop and maintain new distribution business opportunities for FILMCO
• Communicate new acquisitions to existing and potential distribution partners
• Oversight and reporting of earnings, royalties and payouts
• Oversight of materials collection and filing (films, promotional materials, metadata etc) 
• Oversight of catalogue spreadsheet, filmmaker contracts and rights management

Planning & New Business

• Plan and implement programmes and workplans that will lead to FILMCO achieving its strategic development goals as laid out by the board of directors
• Grow FILMCO’s internal and external organisational relationships to build partnerships that can add value to FILMCO, its members and other stakeholders
• Be an external local and national presence that publishes and communicates programme results with an emphasis on the successes of the programmes etc
  

Qualifications

The general manager will be thoroughly committed to FILMCO’s mission. All candidates should have proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience.

Specific requirements include:

• Track record of effectively leading and scaling a performance- and outcomes-based organisation and staff; 
• Ability to point to specific examples of having developed and operationalized strategies that have taken an organisation to the next stage of growth
• Unwavering commitment to quality programmes and data-driven programme evaluation
• Excellence in organisational management with the ability to coach staff, manage, and develop high-performance teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget
• Past success working with a Board of Directors with the ability to cultivate existing board member relationships
• Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills
• Action-oriented, entrepreneurial, adaptable, and innovative approach to business planning
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
• Passion, idealism, integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed
• Knowledge of the Caribbean film industry would be an asset

About FILMCO

Founded in January 2017 by four filmmakers from Trinidad and Tobago, FILMCO is a non-profit organisation formed out of the shared belief that creative, audio visual work has value in terms of its ability to be a conduit to creative and artistic expression; to represent our contemporary reality, our history, and our uniquely diverse cultural milieu. FILMCO advocates for the recognition of film and television production as a legitimate means of earning a livelihood and generating employment—as it is elsewhere on the global stage. We are resolved to create a community of empowered film and television producers, directors and writers with agency over their own careers, supported by systems and structures that can sustain their work.