Senior Programme Manager and Festival Producer (Norwich Science Festival) - Text only

Company overview

The Forum is an iconic landmark in Norwich city centre. Built for the benefit of the public, our building is open year-round, and is a cultural hub for the city and county. Everyone is welcome at The Forum.

The Forum is a thriving cultural and community hub based in the heart of Norwich. It’s created and run by The Forum Trust. From its unique building and beyond, it provides vital social, cultural, and civic experiences for everyone – residents across the city and county and visitors from near and far.

We are responsible for our landmark building, the outside spaces in front of The Forum and 2 Millennium Plain. We manage a large underground car park and are landlords to a range of tenants including BBC East and Radio Norfolk, Pizza Express and Café Bar Marzano, and the Millennium Library.

This business model enables the Trust to support the management and maintenance of the building and provides an opportunity to create and deliver a diverse and varied programme of community events and activities, most of them free of charge, for everyone to enjoy.

As well as our flagship events, such as Norwich Science Festival, Norwich Games Festival, Norwich Book Festival, Norfolk Heritage Open Days and Norfolk Deaf Festival, our spaces are shared with and hired to businesses, individual and organisations for their own events.

The Forum supports a range of activities working in partnership with other organisations, including Norwich Pride, Norfolk & Norwich Festival, and many other community events. We could not achieve any of this on our own, and the popularity of The Forum, and the success of our events, are the result of our excellent relationships and collaborations with a wide range of partners.

Further information about the building’s facilities and the events that can be enjoyed here can be found on our website: theforumnorwich.co.uk. The Forum has a team of approximately 30 permanent staff, as well as our team of casual staff, who help us deliver events and activities.

Scope of post

Norwich Science Festival is one of the most significant events in the city’s cultural calendar. Since its launch in 2016, it has grown into a multi-venue, city-wide celebration of science and innovation, attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year and hosting world-renowned speakers including Dr Jane Goodall and Chris Packham. 2026 marked 10 years of the Festival, and it is recognised nationally as one of the UK’s top 3 leading science festivals.

We are seeking an ambitious, strategic, and highly experienced Programme Manager and Festival Producer, to lead the next phase of the Festival’s development while also overseeing The Forum’s wider programme of cultural events. This senior role carries responsibility for the direction, curation, and delivery of Norwich Science Festival, and also works with the Head of Public Facing Activity to shape and manage the year-round public programme delivered by The Forum.

You will play a significant role in the leadership of The Forum’s events programme, supporting the team of Event Producers, and helping ensure that all Forum-led cultural activity is delivered to the highest standards, aligns with organisational values, and reaches diverse audiences. You will be a dynamic and collaborative leader with a proven track record in producing high-quality public events, building audiences, managing teams, and fostering strong partnerships across cultural, academic, scientific, and community sectors.

Key activities

Reporting to the Head of Public Facing Activity (PFA), you will work with partners and across The Forum team to create and deliver a dynamic, high quality annual science festival, and strengthen the Norwich Science Festival brand with a programme of complementary activities throughout the year.

Leadership and Programme Oversight

• Provide strategic leadership for Norwich Science Festival and The Forum’s wider cultural events programme, ensuring coherence, quality, and alignment with the organisation’s objectives.

• Line-manage the Event Producers, supporting their professional development, setting clear objectives, and ensuring consistent delivery standards across all events.

• Working with the Head of PFA, oversee the planning, development, and delivery of The Forum’s annual programme of public-facing events, including flagship festivals such as Norwich Book Festival, Norfolk Deaf Festival, Norwich Games Festival and Norfolk Heritage Open Days.

• Promote closer connections within the existing cultural programme, ensuring an audience focused approach to programming, and building synergies between festivals to more effectively deliver to our audiences.

• Foster a culture of creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement across the Public Facing Activity team.

Communication

• Act as the main point of contact for all aspects of Norwich Science Festival.

• Ensure all Festival activity is communicated effectively both internally and externally, to ensure the flow of information to team members and contributors.

• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team, and support and maximise opportunities for effective marketing and communications activity and play a key role in the development of the Marketing Strategy for the Festival.

• Actively engage with the scientific, academic and research communities, particularly Norwich Research Park Institutes and the Universities to ensure Norwich Science Festival continues to be a showcase for the world-class scientific work taking place in Norwich and the local region.

• Promote a positive view of The Forum, its tenants, and The Forum Trust. Act as spokesperson for Norwich Science Festival in media interviews and represent the Festival at a strategic level.

• Work with the Marketing and Communications team and Steering Committee to build and strengthen the Norwich Science Festival brand, profile, and reputation, seeking opportunities to engage across the community.

• Draft and present reports to the Management Team, Board of Trustees, and other stakeholders as appropriate, to highlight performance and evaluation and progress against objectives.

Development

• Develop the strategic direction for the festival, including a 3–5-year strategy to guide the future of Norwich Science Festival, working with the festival team and Steering Committee, and securing buy-in from partners.

• Oversee and manage all Norwich Science Festival activity, including the annual event and all satellite and NSF-branded year-round activity, to ensure science is accessible to a wide audience.

• Explore and maximise opportunities for audience development, working with partners, sponsors, and stakeholders to ensure the Festival reaches new audiences.

• Generate funding, through grant applications and sponsorship, to support the Festival, and ensure delivery of activities and the undertaking of evaluation to meet funding conditions and reporting requirements.

• Identify and secure exciting and fresh content; shows, talks, performances, interactive events, and exhibitions, to ensure the festival offers a varied, inspiring, and innovative programme.

• Maximise all opportunities to develop Norwich Science Festival, working with partners, sponsors, contributors, and The Forum team as appropriate.

• Oversee the evaluation and all individual elements; and continually review and assess performance and success against the aims and objectives for Norwich Science Festival.

• Ensure that diversity, inclusion and belonging are at the heart of the Festival’s programme and delivery.

Event management

• Deliver a high quality, creative and innovative programme of science activity at The Forum, and other venues across the city and beyond.

• Support partner venues and ensure that consistently high standards are applied in the delivery of every festival activity.

• Manage the budget and financial strategy for the Festival, reporting to funders, stakeholders, the Management Team, and the Board as appropriate.

• Lead the team delivering the Festival, working with all other relevant teams within The Forum, external partner organisations and contributors to ensure events are delivered to the highest standard.

• Take responsibility for ensuring the Health and Safety for Norwich Science Festival team and Festival contributors as appropriate and ensuring adherence to all policies and procedures.

Other

This job description is not exhaustive. The post holder will be expected to undertake such other duties and responsibilities as requested, assigned, and delegated, commensurate with the skills and competence of the appointed person and the level of salary paid and which are at a broadly similar level of responsibility.

Person specification

Experience — essential

Extensive experience of curating, producing, and delivering large-scale public events, festivals, or cultural programmes for diverse audiences.

Demonstrable experience in leading and managing teams, including line management of producers and project staff, with a track record of motivating, developing, and supporting colleagues.

Proven experience of working collaboratively with a wide range of partners, including cultural organisations, academic institutions, community groups, and commercial stakeholders.

Experience of developing multi-year strategies, shaping programme direction, and contributing to organisational planning at a senior level.

Strong experience of managing multiple complex projects simultaneously, working to tight deadlines, and maintaining high standards under pressure.

Experience of managing budgets, financial reporting, and securing external funding through grants, sponsorship, or partnerships.

Experience of overseeing Health & Safety, safeguarding, and compliance requirements for large public events. Understanding of planning, licensing, and operational requirements for venue hire and event delivery.

Skills and personal qualities — essential

Highly organised, proactive, and able to balance strategic thinking with hands-on delivery.

Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively, manage competing demands, meet tight deadlines and maintain a calm, solution-focused approach.

A creative and innovative thinker, able to identify new opportunities for audience engagement and programme development.

An understanding of the importance of continuous evaluation.

Committed to diversity, inclusion, and widening participation, with an understanding of how to embed these values in programming and delivery.

Skilled in building and maintaining positive relationships with a wide range of stakeholders. Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment with changing priorities.

Details and terms

Hours

This is a 37.5 hour per week post.

The organisation’s core office hours are 9am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday but with The Forum open seven days a week, and the nature of this role as a festival producer, you will be expected to work evenings and weekends particularly during Norwich Science Festival but also at other times as required.

This might be as part of a rota of Duty Managers for other Forum events or on other occasions in line with the organisation’s business needs. Where additional hours are worked, appropriate time off in lieu can be arranged with your line manager.

Salary

£45,000 per annum.

Payment of salary

Monthly Bank Transfer on the 20th of each month.

Annual leave

Leave allowance is 25 days per annum plus bank and public holidays.

Pension arrangements

The Forum Trust will make a contribution of up to 5% of salary matched by an employee contribution, once the probation period has been successfully completed.

Probation

There is a three-month probationary period for all new starters.

Benefits

Employee benefits include access to Metlife Employee Assistance Programme, discounted membership to The Gym and free adult daytime classes at The Garage.

DBS check

The successful candidate may be subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Equal opportunities policy

We are committed to equal opportunity in employment and recruitment.

Applications are considered on the basis of their suitability for the post regardless of sex, race, ethnic origin, disability, age, marital status, domestic responsibilities, sexual orientation or religious affiliation.

Suitability will be assessed on the basis of factual information provided by candidates.

Give as much information as possible, including information about experience gained outside employment and any other factors you would like to be considered.

Application Process

To apply for this position please forward a completed application form with a covering letter explaining why you feel you are a suitable candidate. A CV may be included as an additional document.

Send applications to our HR services provider, quoting reference: TFT04/26.

Email: [email protected]

HR Team [Ref: TFT04/26),

Flagship Group

31 King Street

Norwich, NR1 1PD

Application forms can be obtained from the vacancies section of our website.

Please complete our Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form.

This form is separate to your application and will not be used for selection purposes.

To discuss the role in more detail contact Sophie Conroy on 01603 727950.

Closing Date for Applications: 12.00 noon on Thursday April 30 2026.

Interviews will be held at The Forum. References will only be taken up after interview.