General Director of the Juste pour Rire Festival in Montreal

The Just For Laughs Group has been the master of the world's largest comedy festival for 41 years. Its various products are well known to the public in Canada and internationally (Galas, the Gags series, the outdoor component of the Festival, Just For Laughs, etc.). The Group remains the world leader in the distribution of comedy television series with a presence in more than 135 countries and 95 airlines. The visibility of the Gags series reached a record high on YouTube with over one billion views.

The Juste pour rire Group's is currently looking for a General Director for the Juste pour rire Festival in Montreal. The Director will report to the Chief Creative Officer and will lead the team of the Montreal JPR Festival and the Festival la Rue.

Job type: Permanent position

What we offer

Stimulating work environment
Dynamic team
Full time permanent position
Group insurance
Sick leave
Access to continuing education
Extended leave for the holiday season
Hybrid work formula

Position Objectives

Reporting to the Chief Creative Officer, the General Director of the Juste pour Rire Festival de Montréal directs and ensures the implementation of human, material, logistical and financial resources for an operation in the field, in strict compliance with the specifications established by JPR:

Oversees the JPR Festival in Montreal as it pertains to the JPR (French language) indoor programming and La Rue Festival. This position does not oversee the JFL (english language) festival
Management of the artistic season: selecting artists, managing programming, coordinating projects and their follow-up.
Relationship management: maintaining good relationships with partners, managing several teams/departments, and maintaining team spirit.
Work closely and maintain a strategic relationship with JFL Festival Department including Vp of festivals and director of operations
Administration: managing administration, budget, and legal control
Communication implementation: defining communication and marketing strategies with the aim of expanding or identifying the audience.
Security: supervising and controlling the technical implementation of the festival

All these missions are carried out by dedicated teams, with the General Director of the Juste pour Rire Montreal Festival being the one who oversees all stakeholders in the management and organization of the JPR festival.

Mains Functions

Plan, organize, direct, and control all activities related to the success of the JPR festival.
Contribute to the planning of initiatives and activities in order to achieve the objectives of the strategic plan.

Propose an annual calendar of events and activities, in collaboration with team members and stakeholders including JFL
Prepare budgets and schedules, assess technical and logistical needs, negotiate bids, track expenses and complete project reviews.

Contribute to maintaining a working relationship with the JFL Festival and ensure good communication between the two departments.
Contribute to the development and establishment of partnerships in line with the organization's mission.

Negotiate agreements and fees with internal and external stakeholders and collaborators.
Represent JPR within the creative community and related communities.

Take part in fundraising efforts.

Develop and implement a clear vision of the festival for our grant applications.
Build a government support plan and plan a grant writing and submission schedule.

Participate in an active monitoring process to find and conclude agreements with various possible partners for the growth of the festival.

Prepare interesting and creative sponsorship proposals to attract sponsors.

Establish and maintain professional relationships between the festival and related and complementary industries.
Implement human resources procedures within the JPR Montreal festival team.

Establish safetý and occupational health protocols, in conjunctions with RH and JFL's Director of Operation, as required
Define staffing needs, recruit, build, train;
Supervise and mentor production and technical teams.
Resolve any work organization and personnel issues during production.
Be the reference point for all production teams and do the necessary follow-ups.

Ensure good communication between the different business units of the Just for Laughs Group.

Work with the creative cell and the production teams of shows.
Develop and implement the communication and marketing plans discussed with the Marketing team.
Develop a public relations plan increasing the visibilitý of the festival.

Contribute to strategic intelligence by keeping abreast of news, activities, and trends in the digital creativity sector.
Implement changes and encourage a rethinking of ways of doing things in a perspective of continuous improvement of processes, methods, and practices.

The list of tasks listed above is summary and indicative. It is not a complete and detailed list of tasks that could be performed by an employee in this position.

Minimum Qualifications

University degree in the field of event management and/or training in management and/or administration and/or solid experience in event executive production.
Solid experience in the cultural and event industry (minimum of 8 years experience in a similar management position);
Bilingual French/English spoken and written.
Excellent understanding of MS Office and Outlook
Knowledge of the comedy industry (asset)
Bilingualism - English/French

Required Skills

Strong leadership and interpersonal skills
Strong sense of organization and priorities.
Flexibility and availability in terms of work schedules near and during event dates.
Ability to work under pressure and act in a solution mode.
Organized, dedicated and responsive team player.
Autonomy, sense of innovation, culture of change.
Strategic and creative spirit, curiosity, and open-mindedness: a passion for art and culture is strongly recommended.
Communication skills in business strategy
Administrative, budgetary, and legal control skills

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