IA5 – Development Assistant – International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO)

Position: IA5 – Development Assistant – International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO)

Desired Contract Length: 26 Weeks    Start Date: January 19, 2026 End Date: Initial term approved to the Province of Ontario’s current fiscal year end, March 31, 2026.  Additional weeks pending the approval of Ottawa Festivals’ fiscal year (2026-2027) JCP program agreement with the Province of Ontario.

Work Schedule:  4 business days / 32 hours per week  Work Location:  Arts Court, 2 Daly Ave

Job Summary:  This position is funded through Ontario’s Job Creation Partnerships (see more details below). IFFO brings the best of the film festival circuit to Ottawa.  The Festival includes 30+ film screenings, filmmaker talks, and industry events Screen Summit and Save As. The IFFO Development Assistant will work with the Development Manager and Industry Relations team to plan and execute all aspects of the festival related to community and business partnerships. This position involves aspects of outreach and communications, sales and advertising, events management, web content development and other tasks as required.

Responsibilities:

• Liaise with existing stakeholders and assist with the coordination and/or delivery of partnership benefits , including social media or marketing exchanges, festival passes, and other promotional items;

• Assist with a variety of event logistics tasks relating to sponsored events or other sponsorable assets;

• Ensure that the IFFO website and other relevant Festival communications have necessary and updated stakeholder information;

• Assist with coordinating the needs of stakeholders and VIPs before and during the festival to help maintain good relationships;

• Assist in the preparation of correspondence, data management, and other clerical support tasks as needed;

• Assist in stakeholder appreciation outreach and reports after the Festival;

• Collaborate with other staff in different capacities as they arise.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Strong listening and relationship management skills

• Great problem-solving and prioritization abilities with excellent analytical skills and attention to detail

• Effective organizational skills and capacity to take initiative

• Strong computer literacy: ability to quickly learn new programs/platforms and take the initiative to troubleshoot

• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal and written); French and/or other languages are an asset

• Previous partnership/stakeholder, marketing and sales experience an asset

Learning Opportunities and Additional Benefits

• Work behind the scenes of a dynamic, local film festival

• Learn and/or level up your proficiency in platforms like Airtable, Eventive, Canva, Eventival, and more

• Dedicated in-house seminars to learn about all aspects of event management

• Meet people within the local, Canadian, and international film industry

Additional Qualifications Required:

Candidate eligibility for JCP is determined according to the following criteria:

1. An unemployed job seeker or those employed less than 20 hours per week.

2. A permanent resident living in Ontario who is legally authorized to work in Canada.

3. Meet at least 1 of the following criteria:

4. Has an established Employment Insurance (EI) benefit period.

5. Previously established an EI benefit period that has ended within the previous 60 months.

6. Paid employee EI premiums (e.g. Box 18 on the T4) in at least 3 of the last 10 years while earnings have been at least $2000 in each of those years.

NOTE: Persons currently enrolled in full-time academic studies are not eligible for consideration. Those who qualify to establish an Employment Insurance (EI) claim must do so prior to being considered for JCP participation.

Remuneration:

$704 (gross) per week provided by the Province of Ontario ($22.00 based on 32 hours per week).

What’s Next?

Forward your resume and cover letter to jobs@ottawafestivals.ca. Please note, only selected candidates who meet the JCP eligibility criteria will be contacted for an interview; applicants must indicate how they meet the eligibility in their email and/or cover letter. To learn more about the JCP program, please visit:  http://www.ottawafestivals.ca/jobs/jcp-overview/. Ottawa Festivals welcomes and encourages applications from all eligible individuals.