Mill Valley Film Festival Volunteer Manager

California Film Institute – 2026 Mill Valley Film Festival Volunteer Manager

Location: San Rafael, CA (15 minutes North of the Golden Gate Bridge)

Status: Full-Time, Salary, Seasonal, Hybrid/Remote, onsite starting 9/22/26

Dates: 8/3/26 through 10/16/26

Salary: $1355/week

CAFILM supports its mission to celebrate film as art and education by presenting the annual Mill Valley Film Festival and Doc Lands Documentary Film Festival, exhibiting film year-round at the non-profit Christopher

B. Smith Rafael Film Center in San Rafael, CA and Sequoia Cinema in Mill Valley, CA, and building the next generation of filmmakers and film lovers through CFI Education. Founded in 1978, the Mill Valley Film Festival is a world-renowned 11-day event held every October, screening over 200 innovative US and international films for over 60,000 attendees. MVFF has a stellar reputation as a filmmakers  festival with a high-profile, prestigious, non-competitive environment celebrating the best in independent and world cinema in gorgeous Northern California.

Volunteer Manager works in the Operations Department, to develop, recruit, and manage the film festival Volunteers. The Volunteer Manager is the liaison between the volunteers and the festival. You will be responsible for recruiting, training, and scheduling volunteers while making sure festival needs are met and the volunteers have a positive experience. Reports to Festival Operations Manager and works within the Operations Department.

• Recruit new volunteers within Marin County and the surrounding Bay Area
• Plan and execute Volunteer Orientation and training sessions
• Using Better Impact (Volunteer Software Program) for onboarding, communication and scheduling throughout the festival for all volunteer tracking
• Manage volunteer benefits
• Coordinate volunteer needs and scheduling with other festival departments (special events, Guest Services, theater operations, etc)
• Manage volunteer communications via Better Impact, phone, and in person in a timely manner
• Be on-site and on-call during the Festival to assist volunteers and communicate with staff
• Work with Events Coordinator to plan and execute the post festival Volunteer Appreciation Party. This includes soliciting raffle prizes, staffing the event, and inviting volunteers
• Arrive to work on time daily, and manage work and hours to end work at reasonable time each night
• Submit a detailed Wrap Report to the Festival Operations Manager and participate in post-festival wrap meetings
• Create a wonderful MVFF experience for the volunteers including recruiting, onboarding, orientation, training, and wrap up

• Volunteer Management experience required
• Strong interpersonal skills and calm while working with many people at one time
• An in-depth knowledge of Better Impact volunteer management software
• Proficient with MS Office and Google Docs (Gmail, calendar, etc)
• Detailed, disciplined, and thorough. You have a professional appearance and demeanor with a great attitude and smile
• Thrives working independently and on a team - and communicates well in both environments
• Calm under pressure, managing multiple tasks with competing deadlines
• Strong managerial, customer service and leadership skills
• Extensive experience with problem solving on-the-go
• Must have own transportation, own smart-phone, able to work nights and weekends as necessary, including work through Labor Day weekend if needed

• Your resume including two references

We strive for a culture where people feel like they are valued, can bring their whole selves to work free of oppression, injustice, harassment or discrimination, and that they experience belongingness through a common purpose. We are taking steps to ensure that the California Film Institute is a safe and equitable space for staff members, filmmakers and audiences alike by incorporating inclusivity, diversity and accessibility measures into our business plan and tangible KPIs to hold ourselves accountable.