Apply via the RISING website: https://rising.melbourne/about/jobs

Please provide a cover letter responding to the role and resumé. Applications close 5pm, Mon 5 October 2026.

ABOUT RISING

RISING a festival new art, music and performance in the heart of Naarm (Melbourne, Australia). A major cultural event for the Asia Pacific Region, the festival is created by a diverse team of local, national and international artists and curators. RISING’s purpose is to reflect Melbourne’s identity and amplify its art and artists.

THE ROLE

Working closely with leadership, the Delivery Director leads the team that translates the vision and objectives of the creative program, activations and events into practical delivery plans, providing expertise to guide programming decisions and ensure work is delivered to the highest standard.

You will bring extensive experience delivering events across diverse contexts, offering creative recommendations and practical solutions to the Artistic Director , Curators, Executive Producer and programming team as they scope programming opportunities, as well as with the Brand and Commercial Director and development team on events and activations.

You will directly manage the Festival Technical Manager, Festival Production Manager, Festival Operations, Workforce and Risk Manager, and Project Managers. You will provide leadership across delivery teams to scope, plan, budget, implement, deliver and report on all technical, production, design, operational, FOH, F&B; , safety and site aspects of the festival’s public facing programincluding both creative program and corporate/sponsor events and activations; across multiple venues and sites, ensuring events are safe, produced to a high standard and delivered within budget while meeting the creative expectations of the artistic vision.

You will play a key leadership role in the organisation and in festival delivery, building a team culture that champions and prioritisesthe festival’screative vision and ambitionand a lateral thinking approach to problem solving. You will lead with and support strong project management and innovative operational, production and technical practice.

You will build a safe, supportive, and collaborative working culture that will exact very high standards while allowing room for growth and learning within the team. The Delivery Director and their reports manage external relationships with suppliers and key stakeholders, ensuring the festival’s needs are met in innovative, cost-efficient and safe ways, and that RISING’s reputation for industry leadership is upheld.

The role is full-time, fixed term until September 2027. RISING is open to flexibility regarding contract end date and FTE.

DAY-TO-DAY, YOU WILL:

- Work closely with the Executive Producer on the delivery of the festival program within the festival’s creative vision and budget scope
- Scope project requirements; create and maintain a budget overview and critical timeline in collaboration with the Festival Program Manager
- Be part of a team that builds and maintains a delivery philosophy and stakeholder engagement strategy
- Actively pursue a decision-making department mindset, supporting timelines and budget decision making
- Work closely with the Executive Producer, Brand and Commercial Director and team managers to realise the Delivery requirements of all RISING projects




- Work with your team to determine project requirements to populate project budgets and schedules
- Work with the Programming team to identify venue and presenting opportunities for various programming, looking for creative solutions to problems that may arise from presenting content in non-traditional venues
- Work to scope the viability, safety, capacity and suitability of current sites and venues being designed or built specifically for an outcome
- Identify potential venues and risk management issues and work with the Partnerships and Programming teams to find solutions
- Oversee budget management across all projects, ensuring accuracy throughout the festival planning process and that all committed production expenditure is underpinned by a commercial and smart delivery philosophy
- Analyse production expenditure post-festival to improve future budgeting accuracy
- Oversee Project Managers to achieve curatorial vision balancing risk management, operations, production, technical, logistics and budget
- Work with the Executive Producer and Program Manager to ensure the delivery team collaborate effectively with Curators and Producers as the creative project leads
- Oversee the Festival Operations, Risk and Workforce Manager and the operations teams planning outcomes across the festival including F&B; and FOH, permits, Risk Management, EOC, emergency services and traffic management
- Ensure all projects are delivered to an exceptional and consistent standard, establishing and maintaining the RISING customer experience as one of the best in the business
- Oversee the Head of Technical Services to manage the use and inventory of all festival -owned production equipment and offsite store location, and lead production elements of public realm works through festival delivery
- Oversee the Festival Production Manager to manage scoping production elements across projects and the management and mentorship of production managers across project streams with a focus on performance and dance through festival delivery
- Oversee Project Managers as they adapt project requirements with the Head of Technical Services to utilise available venue stock where possible; organise local suppliers to provide all other equipment or labour required
- Work alongside the External Relations Director, Brand and Commercial Director and the stakeholder team as they manage relationships and opportunities to enable RISING’s growth and expansion, assisting with project information and potential avenues, and cementing its leadership role as innovators within the sector
- With the Program Manager, oversee the management of venue information files, keeping drawings, specs, and other production information up to date, and
- Working with teams to improve efficiencies, process, and production excellence
- Contribute to the development of procedure documents and departmental policy for the effective and efficient operation of the Creative, Stakeholders and Delivery Department
- Build and maintain solid, effective, and mutually beneficial working relationships with festival authorities, venues,



suppliers, and participant
- Contribute to Airtable and other data systems and documentation used in implementing the festival
- Ensure team members and direct reports consistently follow procedures around safety and risk management
- Contribute to the delivery of RISING’s FairPlay Equity Action Plan as appropriate for your role
- Perform related duties as assigned, within your scope of practice

SKILLS YOU’LL NEED

- Managerial: Proven experience in a comparable leadership role in terms of staffing, budgeting and reporting responsibilities, as well as and the demonstrated potential to develop into more senior roles
- Project Management: Experience managing highly complex festival delivery requirements, with a deep understanding of the audience experience, creative thinking and problem solving while adhering to an artistic overview and budget framework
- Communication Skills: Superior ability to communicate confidently, warmly and effectively, verbally and in writing to a large range of stakeholders, artists, peers and institutions
- Relationship Management: A high level of experience in relationship management including with artists, creatives, stakeholders, and commercial partners
- Technical, Operational & Industry: Extensive knowledge and event presentation experience across the full spectrum of the arts (including theatre, dance, opera, music, outdoor and visual arts), with food and beverage event experience in considered favourably. A working knowledge in set building, rigging, lighting, sound, multimedia. An understanding of the operational requirements of delivering events in public spaces in busy urban areas and unique found spaces
- Creative Problem Solving: An ability to apply production expertise and knowledge to identify and develop creative solutions to presenting arts in new and untested environments and contexts. Plus, strong decision-making abilities, working within a large and complex team to ensure critical timelines are met
- Health & Safety: Strong knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety and Risk Management, particularly as it pertains to event management
- Systems: Advanced experience with MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote); AutoCAD, Vectorworks
- Process Improvement: Demonstrated experience in process improvement, providing process clarity, and process documentation
- Time Management and Planning: Demonstrated capacity to manage a team that effectively plans and meets deadlines

LOCATION

RISING supports versatile working arrangements, and a hybrid office/WFH model is currently in place. The RISING office is at Level 2, 377 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne 3000.

ACCESS

RISING is a festival aspiring to be a cultural leader in inclusion and accessibility. We want our organisation and program to be a true reflection of our city representing people with a variety of skillsets and life experiences, cultures and backgrounds. We encourage applications from First Nations people, those who are from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people who are LGBTQIA+, people who have a disability and/or who are d/Deaf.

If you have access requirements that will cause difficulty applying online and you need assistance, please call 03 9662 4242, Monday to Friday, between 10AM–3PM. We are only able to respond to accessibility enquiries at this number, for all other queries please email [email protected]

📌 Delivery Director (Events) (Melbourne)
🏢 RISING Melbourne
📍 Melbourne