Literary Manager & Lead Dramaturge

Bush Theatre is looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and highly organised Literary Manager & Lead Dramaturge to lead the Bush’s literary team and play a key role in supporting the Artistic Director & Co-CEO in new writer and new play development through commissioning and nurturing new plays and ideas.

Hours: Full time – 35 hours per week across at least 5 days excluding a 1 hour unpaid meal break. Evening and weekend work will be required.

Salary: £34,000 per annum

Holidays: 30 days including Bank Holidays per annum

Contract Type: Permanent

Key dates

• Deadline for applications: 23.59 on Wednesday 2 July 2025
• First Interview date: Monday 14 July 2025
• Second Interview date: Thursday 17 July 2025

Purpose of the role

The Literary Manager & Lead Dramaturge leads the Bush’s literary team and plays a key role supporting the Artistic Director & Co-CEO in writer and new play development, the commissioning and nurturing of new plays and talent, and supporting and having meaningful input to the programming of the building and strategic thinking. The role encompasses three interdependent strands of work:

• Identifying and developing new scripts for production at the Bush Theatre – developing and maintaining relationships with writers and agents and ensuring the Bush’s slate of plays is diverse and of a high quality
• Identifying and developing emerging writing talent – including programmes for emerging writers, partnerships and unsolicited script-reading
• Supporting the artistic planning and programming of the venue

How to Apply

We want you to have the opportunity to tell us about yourself and explain why you are right for this position, therefore we ask you to send a CV and a supporting statement in whatever format feels right to you – written (max 500 words), video or sound file (max 5 minutes) or presentation (e.g. keynote or powerpoint), just remember to cover the following points:

• Tell us about your experience, skills and knowledge that mean you meet the person specification outlined in the Job Description; include demonstrative examples and achievements
• Tell us why this position interests you
• Tell us what dramaturgy means to you
• Tell us what you would bring to this role and the Bush Theatre

All applications will be judged on content not on format. Upload your information and supporting documents to our recruitment portal Breathe HR. You can upload video or sound files using the We Transfer service. When using this service, please include the We Transfer link in your Breathe HR attachments by including the link in your CV or submitting it on a separate document.

If you need this information in a different format, contact our People and Culture Administrator Dorothy Ekema-Walla by emailing jobs@bushtheatre.co.uk or phone 020 8743 3584.

The value of equal opportunities runs through the heart of the organisation. Our diverse team and their range of experiences are vital to the Bush’s success, but we still have work to do to make sure that Bush staff represent the communities we serve. We actively encourage people with different backgrounds to join us. We are particularly keen to receive applications from people of colour and disabled people who are currently underrepresented in our team. All disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria will be invited to interview. If you would like to apply through our Minimum Criteria Guaranteed Interview Scheme, please let us know. You can state anywhere in your application: ‘I would like to apply through the Minimum Criteria Guaranteed Interview scheme’.

If you have any questions or need any of this information in a different format, please contact our People And Culture Administrator, Dorothy Ekema-Walla, by emailing: jobs@bushtheatre.co.uk or phone 0208743 3584.