The Mosquers is growing! Explore our current opportunities below:

Executive director

POSITION DETAILS

Position: Executive Director

Reporting to: The Mosquers Film Festival Board

Term: Permanent full-time (flexible hours, with evening + weekend work required to support board and volunteer meetings, events, the festival), continuity of the role depends on securing ongoing funding.

Location: Edmonton, Alberta (a combination of remote work, onsite event production, and travel within Edmonton, with potential opportunities for travel outside of Edmonton to represent the Mosquers at other film festivals).

Start Date: May 1, 2024, or as soon as possible

Compensation: Salary (total compensation): $60,000-$85,000 (based on experience). [Inclusive of: $2,500 travel and professional development allowance, a Halal RRSP, 15 days paid vacation (plus Eid holidays), $2,500 health and wellness spending allotment: available after a 3-month probationary period following the start date].

Closing Date: When the right candidate is found. Apply now!

THE OPPORTUNITY

This leadership role will play a crucial role in the next chapter of the Mosquers Film Festival’s growth, building upon our history of building community for Muslim creatives, and bringing Muslim-led films and related programming to Edmonton and beyond. The Executive Director will be responsible for providing the strategic direction, management expertise, and financial oversight that are vital to the Mosquers continued growth and impact. The work will be dynamic, hands-on, varied and meaningful. The Executive Director is integral to achieving our goals, including continuing to build a space where Muslim creatives feel at home and transforming how people see Muslims, by working in a way that maintains our volunteer and community-driven culture, and the organizational identity that we have established in the last 17 years. With an experienced, visionary leader at the helm, we will be better equipped to navigate the challenges and seize the opportunities that lie ahead.

ABOUT US

Mosquers: (noun) a combination of the words Mosque and The Oscars; a third space meant for the talented and wonderful creative community that identifies as Muslim but tells universal stories. A celebration of the often underrepresented and always undercelebrated. The Mosquers is the world’s largest film and arts festival that convenes Muslim creatives. Our goal is to transform the way people see Muslims.

See what our creatives have to say; See what our organizers have to say; Experience the 2023 Mosquers Film Festival for yourself.

Mosquers’ Key Goals (and Executive Director’s Roles & Responsibilities)

Working in collaboration with an active and passionate Board of Directors, and in alignment with the Mosquers’ mission, vision, strategic direction and objectives, the Executive Director will be responsible for overseeing a multitude of essential tasks, including the following core responsibilities related to realizing the Mosquers’ key goals:

BUILD COMMUNITY:
- Lead the development and implementation of a community and stakeholder engagement strategy to grow the Mosquers audience-base, which includes:
  - the Muslim arts community (worldwide/around Canada and the United States),
  - the local arts community,
  - the broader Edmonton community (including non-Muslims).
- Serve as the public face of the organization, strengthen existing partnerships and forge new connections that will propel the Mosquers forward.
CORE OPERATIONS:
- Work with the board to guide the Mosquers’ long-term strategy, beginning with developing and implementing the next 3-5 year strategic plan.
- Maintain and streamline core festival and event production operations: lead a team of volunteers, board members, and contractors to produce the Mosquers film festival efficiently and effectively.
- Oversee the Mosquers volunteer program, including planning committees and event volunteer coordination and appreciation, in a way that supports a culture of reciprocity and camaraderie for volunteer team members, and recognizes the nuances of the Mosquers being a volunteer-powered organization.
- Develop and administer processes for volunteer recruitment, training, and growth.
- Oversee internal and external communications (including website, e-newsletters, social media, media relations and media releases, etc).
- Work with the Board to develop, and manage a team of volunteers, contractors, and eventually paid staff to meet various organizational needs (event planning, financial governance and grant writing, graphic design, video production and editing, etc.).
- Oversee the production of other projects, including: the “Halal Gap” podcast.
- Create and streamline efficient financial, administrative and communications processes to maximize our team's effectiveness and productivity.
GROW FUNDING (PREDICTABLE, RESILIENT, DIVERSE)
- Manage the Mosquers financials, including full responsibility over our income statements, to ensure we remain fiscally responsible and well-funded.
- Develop and execute financial strategy, including identifying current and future needs, developing an approach to fundraising, donor engagement and sponsorship to secure further funding for the Mosquers to cover core operations plus future growth. Developing/refining supportive materials, including sponsorship packages.
- Oversee the seeking and writing of grant applications, delegating to third-party grant-writers or volunteers as required, and reporting on existing grants and funding relationships to funders on behalf of the Mosquers.
- Work with the Mosquers bookkeeper to oversee the managing of budgets and issuing of payments.

In addition to these core responsibilities, the Executive Director will also:

Embody the Mosquers’ mission, vision and goals.
Demonstrate leadership, vision, and a responsible, humble, and balanced work ethic, with all Mosquers stakeholders, board members, volunteers, artists, and community members.
Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion within our organization, ensuring we continue to foster an environment that celebrates our community's rich tapestry.
Oversee the expansion of our educational and mentorship programs, helping to nurture the next generation of Muslim artists in Canada.
Be an excellent communicator, and relationship builder, able to represent the Mosquers to sponsors, funders, and partners.

qUALIFICATIONS

This role is for you if you’re someone who is passionate about evolving Muslim community narratives. You are entrepreneurial, growth-oriented, and believe in the power of film. You embody personal humility and a deep commitment to serving the community. You are dedicated to operational excellence, while having a collaborative and adaptive leadership-style. You are a strategic-thinker, a relationship-builder, and a communicator. You thrive working with diverse teams and are motivated to work with the board and volunteer team, community partners, and creatives to serve and build a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community.

Financial Experience

Strong financial management skills, including experience with managing project and/or organizational budgets, and experience with income-generation (including fundraising, securing grant-funding, and sponsor and donor relations).

Management, Leadership and Team-Building

Ability to lead. develop, and collaborate with productive teams, comprised of volunteers, and contractors, in both in-person and remote settings (as our team members are located in multiple locations and time zones).
Event production/management experience
Must be technically self-sufficient, our team uses G-Suite (Gmail, Google Docs and Drive), Slack, Excel, Quickbooks, and you need to be able to work with us!

Communications

Strong interpersonal skills, open communicator and confident networker.
Experience with leading effective communications/social media, marketing, and public relations strategies that engage a wide range of stakeholders.

Other qualities that are assets but not essential include:

Knowledge of (or ability to speak the language of) the film industry, particularly film festivals.
Experience in organizing film/arts/cultural festivals.
Experience working/volunteering with non-profit organizations and a board of directors.
Knowledge of Muslim faith, culture and community – you do not have to be Muslim.
Experience with and existing relationships within the Muslim arts ecosystem and Edmonton’s arts and culture sector/scene/communities is an asset
A collaborative, humble leadership style
Effective creative problem solver, ability to resolve conflict with diplomacy
Experience in managing production, artists, contractors, and volunteers.

HOW TO APPLY

In-lieu of a traditional cover letter, in whatever medium you prefer (≲ 5 minute video, audio, letter, painting, etc.), tell us a) why changing Muslim narratives is important to you and b) how you would build the Mosquers into the preeminent space for nurturing Muslim creatives (what would this look like in year 1, and what would it look like five years from now?). Include your résumé. Email your completed application and/or any questions to careers@themosquers.com. Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis. As soon as we find the right fit, we will be closing applications. We thank all applicants for their interest, but due to limited volunteer capacity, only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Confidence (or the lack thereof) can sometimes hold us back from applying for a job. We’ll let you in on a secret — there is no such thing as a perfect candidate. The Mosquers is open for innovation. As long as you are continuing to push your growth and development, then consider applying even if you don’t check all the boxes on our posting. Questions & engagement are encouraged. Join us on Instagram live with your questions for an “Ask Us Anything” on March 20, 2024 at 5pm MST.