Job offer: Cultural Projects Officer at IFAS

The position of Cultural Projects Officer is based at the French Institute of South Africa (IFAS) in Braamfontein, Johannesburg. IFAS is a financially autonomous institution attached to the French Embassy in South Africa, Lesotho and Malawi.

Together with local partners, IFAS organises more than 70 events a year in its various fields of expertise: visual arts, audiovisual, performing arts, debates, fashion, music, architecture and literature. The programme is implemented by the teams of the Culture and Audiovisual Departments, who manage the projects and monitor the budgets for each sector. The various departments work closely with the Communications Department to promote the projects/events and with the IFAS General Secretariat for HR, administrative and budgetary aspects.

Under the leadership of the Cultural Attaché-Deputy Director of IFAS, the Culture Department works on cultural development in a spirit of partnership and reciprocity with an extensive network of South African, French and African stakeholders. Through project development, networking and programming, IFAS strives to make exchanges between France and South Africa ever more enriching, complementary, dynamic, innovative, creative and ambitious. The IFAS programme is structured around priority themes, in line with France’s cultural diplomacy strategy:

• promoting cultural diversity;
• supporting contemporary creation and emerging talent in South Africa;
• promoting French and Francophone artistic creation and talent;
• developing projects with local partners in the spirit of sustainable cultural development;
• strengthen inter-African relations.

Reporting to the Cultural Attaché-Deputy Director, the Projects Officer will be responsible for implementing the department’s strategy and monitoring its annual programming.

He/she contributes to the design of projects, assesses their feasibility, ensures their implementation, and liaises with partners.

With a cross-functional vision, he/she helps to draw up the annual calendar and the cultural budget, and coordinates with the communications team to ensure that the various projects are promoted.

Main tasks / responsibilities:

Project management

• Monitoring the cultural planning and budget in conjunction / collaboration with the other Cultural Projects Officer of the team, under the responsibility of the Cultural Attaché-Deputy Director;
• Monitoring the various aspects of projects: partnerships, administrative follow-up, logistics, organisation/implementation and budget monitoring;
• Preparing and assisting in the organisation of events;
• Participation in the communication strategy and its implementation in conjunction with the Communication Department.

Administration

• Drafting and managing agreements and contracts with partners, sponsors and technical suppliers;
• Responding to for calls for projects and writing proposals to sponsors;
• Drafting reports and notes, updating contact lists.

Cross-functional

• Monitoring France’s cultural diplomacy strategy and transformational agenda;
• Seeking co-financing, responding to calls for projects and seeking patronage/sponsorship (Institut français de Paris, MEAE, AFD, EU, private patronage, sponsors);
• Keeping abreast of the latest artistic developments, maintaining regular contact with the South African artistic scene in particular, but also with the French artistic scene, in order to identify new projects and engage new partners;
• Helping to prepare trips (Ministers, Secretaries of State, elected representatives, ambassadors and cultural attachés/delegate directors);
• Welcoming delegations and preparing programmes.

Skills required:

• Good knowledge of the South African and/or French cultural sector and ability to understand the South African and French social and political context;
• Ability to adapt and respond to policy directives from the Ministry and the Embassy;
• Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently and as part of a team in a multicultural context;
• Excellent budgetary skills (management of projects ranging from €2K to €1.2M);
• Strong sense of diplomacy;
• Ability to work both in English (written and verbal);
• As the working environment is bilingual, fluency in French would be a real asset. If the candidate is not a French speaker, he/she will need to have a good command of translation tools;
• Ability to work quickly and accurately;
• Curiosity and ability to summarise;
• Excellent communication skills;
• Strong computer skills (MS Office Suite).

Qualifications and experience required:

• At least 3 years’ previous experience in project management and coordination – ideally in the cultural sector;
• Good understanding and knowledge of the South African and French cultural sectors.

Working environment, evening/weekend availability, on-call duty/availability:

The work is mainly carried out at the IFAS premises in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, in-person on a daily basis, and off-site during meetings with partners.

Occasionally, the Projects Officer may be required to work evenings or at weekends to attend events (work outside normal working hours entitles him/her to time off).

Travel/Assignments:

As part of his/her duties, the Cultural Projects Officer may be required to travel to Pretoria, where the French Embassy is located, or to go on mission to other cities in South Africa, as well as to France, Europe and Africa (less frequently).

Composition of the team:

The IFAS team consists of about 20 people. The Project Officer reports to the Cultural Attaché-Deputy Director. The Culture Department consists of 4.5 people (Attaché + ½ time VIA + 3 local staff, including 1 media librarian).

Position open to:

Citizens or permanent residents of South Africa or applicants legally entitled to work in South Africa. Having a valid work permit is required.

Terms and Conditions:

• Contract: 12-month fixed-term renewable contract with a three-month probationary period. Possibility of a permanent contract after two years fixed-term.
• 40 hours per week.
• 30 days of leave per year.
• Gross salary: Level 5 of IFAS grid = R 34 513 per month + benefits: 13th cheque + medical aid and pension fund + transport allowance.

Starting date: from February 2025.

To apply, interested candidates should submit a CV and cover letter, to the attention of the IFAS Director, by the 21^st of January 2025, to the following email address / specify “Cultural Projects Officer” in the subject line: administration@frenchinstitute.org.za.

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted.