Overview

The Executive Director of Indie Meme reports to the Board of Directors through the Board President and serves as the organization's primary operational leader and external representative. This is a hands-on role centered on event planning, project management, and organizational operations-with a strong emphasis on fundraising and festival production. The ED will play a central role in establishing operational systems and workflows that reduce the organization's reliance on volunteer board labor and position Indie Meme for long-term financial and organizational sustainability

The ED works collaboratively with the Board of Directors, a part-time grant writer, and seasonal contractors and volunteers to deliver Indie Meme's mission of showcasing South Asian and Iranian independent cinema in Austin, Texas.

This role is ideal for someone with strong event production and project management skills who is passionate about independent cinema, community building, and the cultural mission of Indie Meme.

Reports To

Board, through the Board President

Status

Full-time, Exempt

Location

Austin, TX (hybrid; on-site for events)

Direct Reports

Seasonal contractors, interns, and volunteers

Core Responsibilities

Operations & Project Management - 35%

This is the core of the role.

• Manages organizational operations including calendars, cloud-based records, contractor SOWs, and internal project tracking
• Developing and maintaining a master playbook for the festival as well as for single screenings
• Supports the Board by preparing meeting agendas and materials, coordinating follow-up action items, and maintaining organizational documentation
• Manages all contractors and seasonal staff (social media coordinator, webmaster, event staff, interns); develops scopes of work and recruits to fill gaps with board input
• Works with the Board President and Executive Committee to maintain and update governance documents (bylaws, policies, procedures)
• Assists in recruiting and onboarding new Board members
• Serves as a responsive and organized project manager across all organizational workstreams, ensuring deadlines, deliverables, and handoffs are tracked and met
• Proactively advises the Board when systems or tools need to be in place to drive towards organizational goals.

Festival & Event Production - 25%

• Indie Meme Film Festival happens in April of each year - through May - November, festival production will be ~25% of the responsibility, and will be ~60% of the role from Jan - April. March and April are extremely important months for IMFF, and in-person activities will ramp up in this time frame.
• Owns end-to-end planning, production, and execution of the annual Indie Meme Film Festival (IMFF), including venue logistics, scheduling, vendor management, volunteer coordination, and day-of operations. Plans and produces year-round screening events and community programming in coordination with the Programming Chair and relevant board committees
• Manages the relationship with primary screening venue partner and other venue partners, including technical requirements, contracts, and scheduling
• The ED builds and decides the best org structure and team needed to handle festival responsibilities within budget. This includes recruiting and managing seasonal event staff, box office personnel, and volunteers, and overseeing the Festival Director.
• Develops or oversees development of production timelines, run-of-show documents, and post-event debriefs
• Creates or oversees creation of event collateral (programs, signage, badges) and coordinates with designers and print vendors
• Note that programming strategy does not fall under ED responsibilities, and decisions remain with the Programming Chair and Programming Committee.

Fundraising & Donor Cultivation - 20%

• Cultivates and stewards relationships with individual donors, corporate sponsors, and community partners
• Supports the part-time grant writer by providing programmatic content, data, and organizational context for grant applications and reports
• Identifies and pursues new sponsorship prospects, working with Board members to develop outreach strategy
• Coordinates fundraising events and campaigns, ensuring every Indie Meme touchpoint includes a donor cultivation or revenue component
• Works with the Fundraising committee and Fundraising chair to ensure there is a clear donor & sponsor database. Manages sponsor fulfillment - ensuring deliverables (logo placement, tickets, recognition) are met for all sponsorship agreements. Makes sure timely acknowledgements, renewals, and stewardship communications are sent.
• Directly supervises the part-time Grant Writer, including setting priorities, reviewing deliverables, and ensuring timely submission of all grant applications and reports.

Financial Management - 10%

• Works with the Board Treasurer and Executive Committee to develop and manage the annual budget, tracking revenue and expenses against projections
• Coordinates with the organization's accountant to produce financial reports and dashboards for board review
• Supports the annual financial review and 990 filing in partnership with the Treasurer and auditors/tax CPA
• Monitors cash flow and flags financial risks or opportunities to the Executive Committee in a timely manner

Marketing, Communications & Membership - 10%

• Oversees the social media and communications program in collaboration with the SM/Communications contractor and Marketing Committee
• Reviews newsletters, e-blasts, and social content for quality and timeliness
• Monitors and responds to incoming communications across Indie Meme email inboxes
• Membership Growth Support: Maintains the membership database, ensuring renewals, payments, and acknowledgements are properly processed. Ensures every small or large event Indie Meme is represented at is set up to drive and secure Membership for Indie Meme.
• Works with the Community Partnerships Chair to develop and manage partnerships that align with Indie Meme's mission and generate revenue or audience growth

QualificationsRequired

• 3+ years of experience in event planning, festival production, or arts administration
• Strong organizational and communication skills, both written and verbal
• Demonstrated project management skills with a track record of managing complex timelines, multiple stakeholders, and competing priorities
• Experience managing contractors, vendors, and volunteers. Ability to energize and mobilize volunteers, contractors, and board committees toward shared goals
• Comfort with members, donor and sponsor cultivation-ability to represent the organization externally with warmth and professionalism
• Familiarity with nonprofit budgeting and basic financial reporting
• Proficiency with standard productivity tools (Google Workspace, project management software, CRM/donor databases). Willingness to onboard with AI and other tools.
• Passion for independent cinema, arts and culture, or the South Asian and Iranian diaspora community

Preferred

• Experience working in or with film festivals, cultural organizations, or the performing arts
• Familiarity with grant-funded organizations and institutional funder expectations
• Experience with sponsorship sales or corporate partnership development
• Knowledge of the Austin arts and culture ecosystem
• Multilingual ability, particularly in South Asian or Iranian languages, is a plus

What Success Looks Like

• IMFF runs smoothly from planning through post-event wrap-up, with clear timelines and great communication. The team is aware of what needs to get done by when.
• Streamlining of operations to achieve maturity: documented and repeatable processes.
• Year-round programming is well-coordinated and executed on time and within budget
• Sponsor and donor relationships are actively managed, with clear fulfillment tracking and timely stewardship. There is fundraising growth.
• The organization maintains financial transparency, with the board receiving regular, clear financial updates
• The ED serves as a credible, enthusiastic organizational representative to funders, partners, and the public

Pay: From $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Austin, TX 78705