General Manager (Maternity Cover)

Based at: GB head office, GB Fringe Venues with flexibility for remote/home working.

Role type: Full-time fixed term 10 month contract with an additional 2 months part-time as required. Usual hours will require 35 hours per week. During the Festival Fringe build, event and derig six week period it is expected that contract hours required will increase.

Gilded Balloon is one of Scotland’s leading producers of live comedy and entertainment. The company started in 1986 and has been producing shows and operating venues at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and year-round in Edinburgh ever since. In 2026, we will be operating our three hubs this Fringe including the newly renovated Teviot Row House as well as Patter House and the Museum and we are looking for key roles to lead our Fringe project as well as our year-round projects and opportunities.

The General Manager is responsible for overseeing and managing the entire Fringe Project. This will include oversight of all Fringe processes including overall responsibility for the show registrations process, on sales, on site artists communications and show management during the Fringe as well as settlement after the Fringe. The role will also oversee each department working closely with the Artistic Directors to ensure managers deliver their departmental responsibilities on time and to budget. This role would suit someone experienced in managing projects and events, ideally in a Festival setting, who has knowledge across a range of areas.

Duties include:

• Manage the show application process annually through our website identifying improvements as required.
• Overall responsibility for the show registration process to guide performers and artists throughout the festival planning stages with a high level of customer care.
• General programme coordination ensuring time slots, venues and programming grid are up to date and accurate.
• Implement processes to ensure up to date records are maintained on our festival portal, Eventotron, and manage any programme changes in line with the systems in place.
• Ensure deadlines are met and departments have the information they need from performers, collating useful information and resources for performers.
• Manage all communications with Fringe artists across all departments ensuring artists receive quality and clear service throughout their time with us.
• Closely manage the Artist Services team through the festival period, to ensure issues are resolved and escalated quickly, information is shared across departments, and overall performers have a positive experience working with us at Gilded Balloon.
• Ensure performers, audiences and staff alike are safe and well looked after and act as a point of escalation for major issues.
• Manage the Fringe settlement project after the festival, ensuring all costs and recharges are tracked by department heads in the run up to and during the Fringe accurately and effectively.

Staff Management

• Manage the administrative and HR aspects of the year-round and temporary management team including contracting, annual leave, grievances and ensuring HR policies and documentation is regularly reviewed and updated.
• Line manage the department heads of the Fringe team alongside Artistic Directors.
• Create and oversee a schedule for the senior management team during the Fringe and other major events to ensure there is a responsible senior manager at all times.
• Support Directors with setting annual budgets for the senior management team and rates of pay for temporary staff.

General Operations

• Work with the relevant teams to ensure all enquiries receive a high level of customer service and processes are in place to manage increased volume as needed.
• Manage all company policies and processes working closely with Artistic Directors to reduce costs and year-round overheads whilst improving team efficiency.
• Manage Fringe project meetings creating agendas and ensuring minutes are captured as necessary.
• Support the Finance Manager and Artistic Director with chasing payments and processing invoices.
• Work with department heads to implement procedures across all Gilded Balloon venues to maintain safe, efficient venues and high quality customer service to audiences and visiting companies.

Misc.

• Work with all GB departments to ensure that all aspects of the Festival Project are executed in alignment with GB wider objectives and initiatives including ensuring previous years data/reports are used to improve and develop policies.
• Support Artistic Directors to implement department budget tracking and reporting, providing regular feedback to directors on budgets and issues.
• Work closely with Artistic Directors to identify new opportunities for income generation and new projects to support the businesses aims and ambitions.
• Actively support all Gilded Balloon company policies and re-evaluate them annually.

What we are looking for…

• Three years experience managing events and/or projects in an arts or cultural setting.
• Experience managing and recruiting teams of people.
• Experience working on cultural projects or festivals with limited resources and large complex budgets.
• Enthusiastic attitude with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organisational, time management and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of facilities/building/temporary venues management.
• Knowledge of Health & Safety and licensing regulations.
• Able to make quick decisions under pressure whilst maintaining high standards of accuracy.
• Strong IT proficiency and an ability to learn new software & systems.
• Ability to interact, liaise, negotiate and communicate with a broad range of people, both internal and external to the organisation in a professional and effective manner.
• Available to work a variety of hours including evening and weekends (particularly in the run up and during the Festival).

In addition to the above, it would be nice to have…

• Knowledge of good practice in work environments and employment law.
• Previous experience of working as part of a team at a festival.
• A passion for the arts industry.
• And, of course, a sense of humour!

How to Apply…

To apply for this role, please send your CV and a short covering letter to katy@gildedballoon.co.uk. Please use the subject line ‘General Manager (Mat Cover)’. In addition to your application, please also complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.

General Recruitment Information

• All post holders will be issued a contract/agreement to sign prior to beginning work with us.
• Applicants must be 18+ and have legal right to work in the UK.
• All post holders will be given training and inductions relevant to their role.
• All posts will be expected to work out of office hours for key events and overtime as required to carry out the role responsibilities during busy event periods.
• The weekly requirement will not exceed 48 hours on average over the contract length and due to varying hours throughout the contract a schedule of required hours will be agreed by both parties in advance of your start date.
• We expect a high volume of applications for this role and advise applicants to apply sooner rather than later.
• Gilded Balloon is an equal opportunities provider and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds. Please get in touch if you would like a copy of our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.