Factory International is the organisation behind Manchester International Festival (MIF) and the landmark new cultural space, Aviva Studios, which opened its doors in 2023 – helping to put Manchester on the map as a world-leading destination for art.

Producing an ambitious year-round programme of original creative work, music and special events, Factory International builds on the magic of MIF – which has captivated crowds from Manchester and beyond since 2007.

Audiences can catch world-class acts and Manchester’s rising stars at Aviva Studios – the brand-new venue designed by the Office for Metropolitan Architecture (OMA) – as well as online, internationally and at the city-wide Festival held every other year.

Rooted in Manchester, Factory International cements the city’s status as a place known for its cutting-edge art and innovation. Building on MIF’s record of working with communities and providing jobs, training and creative opportunities for local people, Factory International champions the residents of Greater Manchester.

 MIF will continue to take over the city every two years, using the venue as its base.

Want to join us? At Factory International we’ll be:

• Finding new ways to think about, bring to life and distribute our work

• Offering opportunities for employment, training and learning across the region

• Establishing an open, far-reaching and sustainable space for exploration – loved locally and celebrated worldwide

So it’s official: we are shooting for the stars. Can you help? Whether you are a technical whizz that leaves no margin for error or someone that really gets customer service, an early starter learning the ropes or a wise head ready to take the lead, we want to hear from you.

We’re also training the creative workforce of the future through the Factory Academy, supporting artists to realise their potential, and working with local communities to build our programme. But we don’t stop at Manchester – we take our work to partner venues and festivals all around the world and create extraordinary digital experiences – inviting everyone to play in our virtual world.

Our team reflects the diversity of our city, and we work hard to make Factory International a place where everyone on staff can be themselves, contribute creatively and grow. Alongside their job roles, staff contribute to the organisation in a wide range of other ways – from joining our Equalities Working Groups to attending our monthly Ideas Breakfasts, where everyone can contribute to Factory International’s artistic programme.

We are always reviewing recruitment processes and internal support for all our employees as part of our commitment to diversifying the workforce in the creative industries. We have a detailed Equalities Action Plan, which includes an Equalities Working Group, reporting to Executive and Board, and sub-groups with specific communities, including Race Representation Group, Pride (LGBTQI+) Group, Disability Representation Group, Gender Equality Group and Socio-Economic Mobility Group.

We also have various pastoral support routes in place, including additional support for people with caring responsibilities and access to external professional support services with a focus on wellbeing. Flexible working, including part time and job-share options will be considered for all suitable roles.

We want to bring together a talented team of people at Factory International – reaching out into every corner of Manchester, harnessing the talent and energy that is found across the city and beyond. We hope you'll feel welcome here. And if you see something we could do better, then we’re listening.

•Connect – use the QR or go to our recruitment site to sign up to our mailing list and hear about all the jobs coming up
•Do your research – look at our website for information and an idea of our goals, if there is an online Q&A - watch it!
•Build your profile – prepare to apply by getting a CV ready, or summary of your skills and experience, and think about the reasons why you want to come and work with us
•Tell us about YOU – when jobs come up, we will ask you to tell us a bit about yourself and why you want to work here. Be specific, what make you YOU.

You don’t have to be too wordy, give us bullet points to describe your skills and experience – this could be from work, school, volunteering, life experiences. How do these fit the organisation and the types of roles you’re interested in.

Spend time on getting across your motivations and attitudes to do a good job.

We will always ask about your commitment to and experience with equity (the importance of providing equal opportunities to all) so make sure you think about this ahead of time.

You will be asked to apply with information about your skills and experience and why you’re interested (as above), this is the first thing that we will see and often will be the only information we have about you so take your time to make sure you get across what you want us to know.

We always offer video applications as an option if you prefer, make sure you still answer the questions in the video if you do this and keep it short!

When you apply this will be through our website so it might be worth having a look at it to get comfortable.

After applications we might ask you to attend an in-person group assessment which will help us to see how you work with others and test out some of your skills. We will share the dates when you apply so make sure you have these in mind.

Factory International are committed to safeguarding and protecting the people that use our facilities, engage in our activities and events, creating a setting where everyone feels welcome and safe. Where roles, or other paid opportunities such as Factory Academy courses, are subject to a safer recruitment process this will include scrutiny of employment or training history (where relevant), robust referencing and may include a check on criminal record history if the role involves contact with children, young people or adults at risk. This is in line with our DBS & Ex-Offenders Policy and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.