Chief Executive

The idea at the heart of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is simple: anyone with a desire to perform and a venue willing to host them is welcome. No individual or committee determines who can or cannot perform at the Fringe. The Fringe is made up of thousands of moving parts, individuals, collectives, and micro-businesses. There is no one organisation that runs or controls it, but the whole community subscribe to a collective vision: to give anyone a stage, and everyone a seat and to the shared values – support artists to thrive; be open to all; look out for each other and the planet. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is the charity that was established in 1958 by artists to promote the Fringe founding principle of inclusion, and to be the glue that binds together the Festival’s thousands of moving parts. We exist to support, advise, and encourage everyone who wants to participate in the Fringe, provide information and assistance to audiences, and promote the Fringe and what it stands for all over the world. The Fringe Society is looking for a Chief Executive to lead us in our strategic development; embedding the Society as a vital cultural asset for Edinburgh, Scotland, and the home nations, as well as building further its strong international reputation and brand. The role of the Chief Executive is to provide inspirational and motivational leadership on all aspects of the Fringe Society business, to be the senior accountable officer for the Charity and the senior public representative of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Chief Executive will support the Board of Directors headed by Chair Benny Higgins, recruit and manage the senior leadership team and support Fringe Society staff to deliver the Society’s vision, aims and objectives through enabling leadership and clear strategic direction. Start date: Spring 2025. Please download the full job pack on our website for more information.