Technical Director

Overview

Harvard University is seeking a Technical Director to direct all aspects of scenery, rigging, and automation in coordination with stage operations for A.R.T. Productions, including managing commercial scene shop builds.

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

A.R.T. is a leading force in American theater, producing groundbreaking work that is driven by risk-taking and passionate inquiry in Cambridge and beyond. Since 2008, Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus have pursued A.R.T.’s mission to expand the boundaries of theater by programming transformative theatrical experiences, always including the audience as a central partner. A.R.T. is nationally and internationally recognized as a leader of artistic innovation.

In recent years, productions that began at A.R.T. have won 19 Tony Awards, and numerous works developed by A.R.T. have been performed throughout the country and around the world.

As the professional theater on the campus of Harvard University, A.R.T. is committed to playing a central role in the cognitive life of the University, catalyzing discourse, interdisciplinary collaboration, and creative exchange among a wide range of academic departments, institutions, students, and faculty members.

For more information, please visit our website at: (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./

Position Responsibilities:

• Leadership, Culture, and Safety:
  Promote an inclusive, respectful work environment for staff, overhire employees, and guest artists. Foster both psychological and physical safety through appropriate training, policies, and daily practices.
• Production Planning and Artistic
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Support and uphold the mission, vision, and values of A.R.T. in all production activities. Collaborate with scenic designers to realize designs within theatre resources, proposing solutions with production management and producers if issues arise. Work with external scenic shops and internal staff to deliver scenic designs on time and on budget, including approval of technical designs and shop builds. Plan and oversee scenic load-in, rigging, strike, load-out, and storage of closing shows, in collaboration with production management and other department heads.
  
  Read scripts and attend rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and previews as necessary to support the production process. Manage scenic, rigging, and automation elements from pre-production through closing.
• Staffing, Scheduling, and Training:
  Provide direct supervision to up to three existing production staff. Coordinate scenery load-in and load-out overhire labor. In concert with production management, coordinate external and internal show builds and maintenance schedules. Manage training and meeting schedules and attend required training sessions and shop/company meetings.
• Budget and Administrative Management:
  Develop scenery budget estimates, including scenery, rigging, automation, and stage operations budget lines. Submit updated budget and expense reports to production management. Manage weekly payroll for overhire employees and other direct reports.
• Facilities, Equipment, and Communication:
  Oversee organization and maintenance of scenic storage in collaboration with the Production Shop Supervisor. Maintain clear and consistent communication with other production departments and creative teams. Clearly articulate resource limitations and collaborate with creative teams to troubleshoot technical issues. Distribute technical ground plans and sections and provide samples and photos as needed, keeping designers and directors informed on scenic builds and support activities.

• Shops are located at various campus facilities. The shops and performance venues may involve multi-story buildings and limited accessibility features. Night and weekend work is expected. The role may require moving scenery weighing upwards of 70 lbs and other materials, loading and unloading from trucks, assisting in rigging installation, and carrying materials up and down stairs. Work may occur indoors or outdoors and at heights such as ladders, genies, and grids.

MS Office, Google Workspace, SharePoint, Slack, Zoom, Dropbox, Vectorworks, AutoCAD, and People Soft (time reporting and human resources software).

Basic Qualifications are the minimum requirements a candidate must meet to be considered for this role.

• Strong knowledge of AutoCAD or similar programs.
• Strong knowledge of engineering fundamentals and experience with their application to non-theoretical problems.
• Hands-on experience with scenic automation.
• Solid experience with safe, industry-standard rigging practices and hands-on experience building…