Producer

Company Overview

PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is a leading contemporary performing arts festival in Canada, presenting critically engaged and genre-defying live performance by local, national, and international artists. Taking place each January–February on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations (colonially known as Vancouver), PuSh delivers a multi-venue Festival and Industry Series—Western Canada’s largest international performing arts market—convening artists, presenters, and producers from across the country and internationally.

In addition to presentation, PuSh supports the development of new work and artistic practice through co-productions, residencies, workshops, and creation labs, contributing to the creation, circulation, and long-term life of contemporary performance. 

Learn more at pushfestival.ca.

Job Description

The Festival Producer is responsible for the end-to-end planning and execution of PuSh Festival programming, including contract negotiation and administration, budget oversight, and project delivery across multiple productions and partnerships.

Reporting to the Artistic Director, the Producer plays a central role in operationalizing the Festival’s artistic vision—ensuring that projects are delivered on schedule, on budget, and in alignment with organizational standards. The role requires managing complex relationships with artists, agents, co-presenters, tour partners and venues, while coordinating across internal departments in a fast-paced, deadline-driven Festival environment with multiple concurrent priorities.

The role includes supervisory responsibility for Production Manager, and oversight of production planning across projects, including prioritization of work and coordination of budget implications.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Contracting & Agreements

• Prepare, issue, and track contracts for artists, companies, co-presenters, venues, and other partners in a timely and accurate manner

• Ensure all agreements are consistent with organizational standards and reviewed with leadership as required

• Monitor contract timelines and ensure all agreements are executed in advance of project milestones

• Maintain clear documentation and version control across all agreements

Budgeting & Financial Coordination

• Develop, maintain, and update project budgets in collaboration with the Artistic Director and Production Manager, ensuring alignment with artistic priorities and production requirements

• Monitor budgets and identify variances, proposing solutions and escalating significant changes for approval as required

• Work with the Managing Director to ensure the timely execution of all payments related to artist contracts and expenses

• Manage financial reconciliation with co-presenting and touring partners

Planning & Timeline Management

• Develop and maintain detailed workplans and timelines for all assigned projects

• Ensure deliverables are completed on schedule and proactively escalate risks, delays, or gaps

• Coordinate across departments to align artistic, production, and operational requirements

Production Coordination

• Collaborate with the Production Manager to assess technical requirements and associated costs for proposed and confirmed programming

• Support alignment between artistic vision, technical feasibility, and budget parameters

Artist & Delegate Services

• Coordinate travel and logistics for visiting artists and Industry Series delegates, including itineraries, accommodations, and visa/tax documentation (e.g., R105 waivers)

• Oversee artist and delegate services to ensure a high standard of care and coordination throughout the Festival

Communications & Information Flow

• Ensure timely delivery of accurate show information, copy, and assets to the Marketing and Communications team

• Maintain clear and up-to-date internal tracking of project status, deliverables, and key information

Festival Operations & Organizational Support

• Contribute to overall Festival planning and implementation across departments

• Represent the organization in interactions with artists, partners, and stakeholders as required

• Provide oversight of production planning across projects, including prioritization of project timelines, budget coordination, and escalation of cross-project production issues

• Supervise and direct the work of the Production Manager, including assigning priorities and ensuring alignment of production work with overall timelines, budgets, and artistic priorities

• Undertake additional duties as required to support Festival delivery