Hiring: General Manager / Creative Director

Mudgee Readers’ Festival
Contract role | Regional NSW

Mudgee Readers’ Festival (MRF) is seeking a General Manager / Creative Director to lead the planning and delivery of its annual literary festival, held each August in regional NSW.

This is a contract role working closely with a volunteer committee. MRF is a registered charity with a formal constitution and governance framework.

The role would suit an experienced arts professional with strong literary industry connections, proven programming and event delivery skills, and the ability to operate independently in a regional context.

About the Festival

Mudgee Readers’ Festival is a well-established regional literary festival, bringing together writers, readers and communities from across NSW and beyond. The festival is delivered annually on the third weekend of August, with programming that reflects literary quality, accessibility and regional engagement.

The Role

The General Manager / Creative Director is responsible for the end-to-end delivery of the festival, including artistic direction, operational management and financial sustainability.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Developing and delivering the annual Mudgee Readers’ Festival program

  • Sourcing government funding and private sector sponsorship

  • Managing festival budgets in line with secured funding

  • Working collaboratively with the volunteer committee and attending monthly meetings

  • Overseeing logistics, scheduling, and delivery of the festival weekend

  • Maintaining relationships with authors, publishers, agents and industry partners

  • Ensuring compliance with the organisation’s governance and charitable obligations

Contract & Remuneration

This is a contract position. Remuneration is not fixed and is contingent on the level of funding secured through grants, sponsorship and partnerships, as well as the scope of work undertaken.

In practice, this is a role where initiative, networks and effort directly influence income and scale. Candidates should be comfortable working within a variable funding environment typical of regional arts organisations.

About You

The successful applicant will have:

  • Demonstrated experience in arts programming and/or event delivery

  • Strong organisational and project management skills

  • Established connections within the literary or publishing industry

  • Experience working with boards or volunteer committees

  • Confidence in funding applications, sponsorship development and stakeholder engagement

  • A genuine interest in regional arts and community-based cultural events

    Experience in regional festivals or not-for-profit arts organisations will be highly regarded.

This Role Offers: 

  • Creative autonomy and leadership over a respected regional festival

  • The opportunity to shape a significant cultural event from the ground up

  • Flexibility in workload and scope

  • A meaningful role within regional Australian literary culture

How to Apply

Interested applicants are invited to submit:

  • A brief cover letter outlining relevant experience and interest in the role

  • A current CV

Applications and enquiries should be directed to:
Rhys Gard, General Manager, Mudgee Readers’ Festival:
info@mudgeereaders.com