Lead Electrician

Description

Now Hiring:
Lead Electrician
Department: Lighting |
Reports to: Lighting Department Manager
Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt, Union
Expected

Start Date:

Oct 1, 2026
Pay Rate: $30.84 hourly
Location: Ashland, OR
This position is represented by IATSE Local 154.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is seeking an experienced and highly technical Lead Electrician to join our Lighting Department. This hands-on leadership role is ideal for a theatrical lighting professional who brings deep technical expertise, strong crew leadership, and a commitment to safe and collaborative production practices.

As Lead Electrician, you’ll lead Lighting personnel in the safe implementation, operation, maintenance, and repair of lighting systems and designs throughout OSF’s repertory season. You’ll oversee hangs, focuses, strikes, programming, rigging, specialty projects, and technical rehearsals while training and supporting Lighting Department staff.

Lead Lighting Operations: Plan and lead hangs, focuses, strikes, work calls, changeovers, and show-specific lighting installations.

Programming & Control: Program and run ETC EOS Family consoles and provide programming support during technical rehearsals.

Rigging & Technical Systems: Lead overhead lighting rigging and support lighting, video, atmospheric effects, networking, and specialty installations.

Team Leadership: Supervise and train Assistant Lead Electricians, Lighting Technicians, and other department staff in technical operations and safe work practices.

Maintenance & Documentation: Maintain lighting equipment, networks, circuiting plans, paperwork, technical drawings, SOPs, and changeover procedures.

Production

Collaboration:

Work closely with Lighting Designers, Production teams, Stage Management, and other departments to execute complex technical projects.

• Have 5+ years of professional theatrical lighting experience
  , with an emphasis on leading crews and programming ETC Eos Family consoles, plus at least 2 years of staff supervision experience
  .
• Bring expert knowledge of conventional and automated lighting equipment, electrical theory, and theatrical lighting safety.
• Have expert-level ETC EOS programming skills and detailed knowledge of Light wright.
• Are proficient in theatrical rigging and familiar with Vectorworks and NEC guidelines.
• Can read, interpret, and create lighting plots, technical drawings, and related paperwork.
• Are a collaborative leader who communicates effectively and can navigate the demands of a repertory environment.

• Experience with moving light maintenance and repair.
• Experience in a repertory theatre environment.
• Familiarity with theatrical video projection systems and media server software.
• Experience with electronics, Arduino programming, and soldering.

Ability to frequently lift up to 50 pounds and climb, balance, kneel, crouch, and work at heights up to 45 feet using personnel lifts, ladders, and fall-arrest equipment. The standard workweek is Tuesday-Sunday
, with regular nights, weekends, overtime, and variable or split shifts, particularly during technical rehearsals.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) was founded in 1935 in Ashland, OR, and has grown from a three-day festival of two plays to a nationally renowned theatre arts organization that presents a rotating repertory season of up to 10 plays and musicals, including illuminating interpretations of Shakespeare, other enduring classics, and new works. OSF productions have been presented on Broadway, internationally, and at regional, community, and high school theatres across the country.

OSF received the 1983 Special Tony Award for…