Job Description
Associate Comedy Festival Programmer
SXSW, LLC. - 4.4
Austin, TX Job Details Full-time 17 hours ago Qualifications Industry trends Full Job Description Associate Comedy Festival Programmer Job Purpose SXSW is seeking an Associate Comedy Programmer to serve as the organizational backbone of the SXSW Comedy Festival. This role will work closely with the Director of Comedy and is responsible for supporting the day-to-day operations and planning for live comedy programming. This includes tracking and reviewing submissions, onboarding talent, and advancing and facilitating on-site Comedy events to ensure the successful execution of the festival. The ideal candidate must be highly collaborative and organized, with a deep knowledge of comics and industry trends. Strong communication skills, close attention to detail, ability to work with talent, specifically comics, and effective multitasking in a fast-paced environment are required for this position. Duties & Responsibilities Responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Support Comedy programming by tracking industry trends, scouting and identifying talent across live, streaming, digital, and podcasting. Maintain up-to-date project and programming trackers, ensuring operational milestones are met, and information is accurate across internal databases. Collaborate closely with internal teams, including legal, registration & housing, event staffing, content, accounting, and production, to ensure a smooth event experience for comedians, attendees, and industry professionals. Oversee talent onboarding, working with representatives and production companies to confirm travel, hotel, and transportation leading up to the event, and proactively mitigating issues as they arise on-site. Develop and maintain working relationships with comedians, producers, bookers, reps, and industry execs. Assist in developing new initiatives alongside the Director of Comedy to support SXSW Comedy's growth as a top-tier culture-driving festival. On-Site Event Responsibilities Serve as a primary on-site point of contact for talent, reps, and presenters, troubleshooting issues and assisting with any task necessary to keep shows on track and ensure a high-quality experience for attendees and artists Actively communicate with stage managers, production teams, and volunteer crews to align on nightly schedules, production needs, and guest lists Coordinate with venues to ensure signage, greenrooms, and hospitality spaces are event-ready and meet SXSW standards Qualifications & Skills Qualifications include: A proactive and adaptable collaborator with an "all-hands-on-deck" mentality; someone who maintains a positive, solution-oriented attitude while navigating the high-pressure environment of a live festival Deep knowledge of US and international comedy talent, industry trends, and pop culture. Excellent communication skills and the ability to interface professionally with high-level talent and representatives Strong attention to detail with the ability to manage complex logistics across multiple projects Experience working in the comedy industry, production, and/or live events preferred Proficiency with Google Suite, Slack, Airtable, and FileMaker Physical Requirements The physical demands described here are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Requires prolonged periods of sitting or standing at a desk and working on a computer. Must be able to frequently stand, walk, and visit multiple festival venues for long periods of time during the event cycle. Safely lift and move 25-40 pounds regularly as needed for venue setup and event operations. Maintain the manual dexterity required to operate standard office equipment (computers, phones, printers). Requires the ability to remain on-site and away from home for up to 7 consecutive days during peak event execution. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Work Location & Schedule This is a full-time position located in Austin, Texas. Core business office hours are 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. Candidates must be available to work additional hours from January through March, including evenings and weekends, and be on-site during the March event. This schedule operates on a hybrid model and may be adjusted dynamically based on seasonal scaling and operational event demands.
