Communications and Administration Specialist

**POWELL STREET FESTIVAL SOCIETY**

The Powell Street Festival Society (PSFS) cultivates Japanese Canadian art and culture to connect communities. Its main activity is producing the Powell Street Festival (PSF)—an annual celebration of Japanese Canadian arts, music, and culture in Vancouver’s historic Japanese Canadian neighbourhood, Paueru Gai, in the Downtown Eastside (DTES). Supported by over 350 volunteers, this two-day, free event is the largest of its kind in Canada and the longest-running festival in Metro Vancouver. In addition to the festival, PSFS offers year-round programming and community engagement initiatives. The Society is a progressive, inclusive, and community-driven non-profit arts presenter and is proud to be celebrating its 50th anniversary year in 2026.

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PSFS is seeking a Communications and Administration Specialist for a 1-year maternity leave contract. This position is an exciting opportunity to lead the organization’s communications and administrative functions during a milestone year for the Festival.

**Communications & Media Outreach**
- Implement marketing and communication strategies to promote the festival and strengthen brand visibility.
- Create and manage engaging content for social media, website, newsletters, and promotional materials.
- Ensure brand consistency across all platforms, including messaging and visual identity.
- Coordinate media outreach, including press releases and media engagement.
- Analyze and optimize marketing strategies using analytics tools, creating regular reports on areas of interest.
- Working knowledge of Japanese is an asset.
- Coordinate external translators for larger translation projects (i.e. during the festival) to ensure accuracy and cultural relevance.
- Develop media kits and maintain an updated press list to strengthen media relationships.

**Merchandising & Event Logistics**
- Oversee festival merchandising, including design, production, inventory control, online shop management, and POS (Square) setup for online/offline sales.
- Manage festival signage to align with branding and wayfinding needs.
- Coordinate vendor communications, print orders, and photography/videography.
- Lead live media coverage during the festival, capturing real-time content (photos, videos, stories).
- Work with the Development Associate to administer the Festival Lottery, including licensing, ticket production, sales, and reporting.
- Assist with coordinating volunteers involved in marketing and administrative tasks.

**Finance and Development Administration**
- Ensure compliance with privacy regulations and gaming licenses.
- Assist with donation data entry, tracking, and administration.
- Coordinate the issuance of donation tax receipts.
- Support financial reporting and grant administration by tracking engagement metrics.
- Work closely with the Development Associate to align fundraising efforts with marketing strategies, ensuring sponsor recognition across all platforms.
- Assist the Finance Associate with administrative tasks, including following up on invoices and collecting necessary information from individuals and vendors.

**General Administration**
- Serve as the primary liaison for IT, managing website updates and troubleshooting marketing tools.
- Monitor shared mailboxes (e.g., “info”) and respond to inquiries or forward them to the correct recipient promptly.
- Update the Society’s contact management system (MS Power Apps) database.
- Assist with maintaining festival manuals, Society documents, multimedia, and assets (e.g., surveys, inventory).
- Maintain organized records of marketing activities, sponsorship agreements, and media contacts.
- Provide general cross-departmental support to ensure smooth festival operations.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Director, including tasks that arise due to seasonal needs, event-related requirements, or strategic initiatives.

**EMPLOYMENT TERMS**
- Position type: Temporary, full-time maternity leave contract (approx. 13 months)
- Hourly rate: $25.00-$28.00/hour (commensurate with experience)
- Hours: 37.5 hours per week
- Work arrangement: Hybrid—combination of remote and in-office work at PSFS’s Vancouver office
- Benefits: Extended health and dental coverage after 3 months; vacation pay in accordance with BC Employment Standards
- Schedule flexibility: Evening and weekend work may be required during the Festival and related events

**QUALIFICATIONS & TECHNICAL SKILLS**
- Intermediate proficiency with WordPress (content updates, media uploads, basic troubleshooting).
- Basic understanding of HTML/CSS to coordinate with web developers when needed.
- Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign); basic familiarity with After Effects, Premiere Pro or other software for short video edits.
- Knowledge of printing production (exporting print-ready PDFs, liaising with printers).
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoi