The Director of Operations for Edinburgh International Book Festival [EIBF] sits at the intersection of programme delivery, organisational management and operational leadership. The role combines events delivery with charity-wide management. This ensures that EIBF runs smoothly, festivals and events happen effectively, and all activity aligns with our charitable objectives and purpose. The Director of Operations will lead all operational and logistical aspects of the annual Book Festival and year-round programmes. They will ensure effective governance, efficient systems, safe and compliant event delivery, and ensure resources are allocated appropriately to support the charity’s mission to promote engagement with, and enjoyment of, books, writing and ideas. They will manage relationships and contracts with site and production teams, and a range of other key stakeholders and partners. They will own and actively manage policy and systems management in the organisation, including oversight of digital infrastructure, as well as lead the HR function in a busy organisation.
Success in the role will balance the following elements:
- Leading the operational delivery of the Festival and programmes including effective stewarding of key relationships and contractors
- Optimising the culture of EIBF through effective management of HR and internal processes
- Effective management of EIBF planning, systems and processes, including digital transformation
This is a full-time, permanent role. Salary is £50,000 per year.
This is a newly created role, with responsibility for financial management owned previously by the Executive Director, supported by the Head of Finance & Operations. In the refreshed structure operational and finance functions are separated. The purpose of this role is to ensure the organisation is financially sustainable, well governed, and able to deliver its mission effectively. You will lead the financial management of the organisation, ensuring robust financial control, high-quality reporting, and effective financial planning to support strategic decision-making and long-term sustainability. This is a hands-on, collaborative role in a busy team, spanning both strategic and operational finance.
Being a success in this role will essentially balance three things at the same time:
1. Financial stability, control and risk management
2. Artistic and charitable ambition
3. Long-term organisational resilience and sustainable growth
Over the last two years the Festival has refreshed a number of our platforms and ways of working, including updating our CRM, ticketing and finance systems (Xero). We have worked with an external consultancy firm who have reviewed our systems and processes in finance and recommended new approaches; we are seeking a financial leader who can continue to progress this transformation, embedding new systems and ways of working across the team, while managing the busy annual BAU finance operations. We are in year two of a refreshed Strategic Plan, with a focus on building organisational resilience, maximising income and building new revenue streams; our new Finance Director will play a key role in realising these ambitions. The role will be the key liaison with the Audit & Risk Committee of the Board of Trustees.
Full time, permanent. Salary is £55,000 per year.
The Children's venues will be made up of a dedicated indoor interactive workshop space hosting events for children and families, and an outdoor tent with activity area. The Children's Venue Facilitator will be responsible for the set-up and smooth running of events in these areas, as well as some in other venues as necessary, and facilitation of activities for children and families.
Fixed-term contract from Monday 10 August — Monday 31 August 2026. This contract is part-time, 21 hours a week. £13.88 per hour, paid weekly in arrears by bank transfer (plus holiday pay). This is an on-site role at our Festival site at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival began in 1983 and is now a key event in the August Festival season, celebrated annually in Scotland's capital city. Biennial at first, the Book Festival became a yearly celebration in 1997. Throughout its history, the Book Festival has grown in size and scope becoming one of the largest public celebrations of words and ideas in the world. Today, the Festival programmes around 600 events for adults, children and schools each August and produces a wide-ranging Communities Programme across the year.