Lighting Systems Manager

Posted Wednesday 8 July 2026 at 00:00 | Expires Sunday 2 August 2026 at 23:59

Salary: £55,672.90 per annum
42.5 hours per week
Based in:
Covent Garden, London

The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world‑class Companies:
The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.

The Royal Opera House describes the place we work, not who we are. The whole is always more than the sum of its parts – we may be a House, but three quarters of our audiences experience what we do outside this building. While our Covent Garden theatre is the nerve centre, the impact and influence of the organisation can be felt in every corner of the country, and around the world.

Our Technical, Production and Costume Department plays a leading part in ensuring our performances are of the highest quality by delivering technical excellence for every performance, rehearsal and event. We are now seeking to appoint a Lighting Systems Manager to be responsible for the overall leadership of a small team and for the equipment and systems of the Lighting Department, providing technical advice for additional equipment needs, productions, events and outside venues, ensuring that all activities are carried out to the highest possible standard of safety, efficiency, and quality.

This is a great role for someone passionate about theatre, with a proven track record in lighting and leading a team to deliver sustainable, future proofed and cost‑effective solutions for the demands of live performance. The postholder will join the department at an exciting time, as we enter Phase 2 of our Production Lighting Rig Upgrade. We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic candidate with the motivation to drive the Lighting Systems team forward and achieve the ambitions of the department.

• A strong background in managing lighting systems for major professional theatres, with up-to-date practical experience an advantage
• Relevant, accredited electrical training aligned with current standards (such as BS7909 and BS7671) an advantage
• A solid understanding of modern lighting equipment and systems, along with an interest in emerging technologies and sustainable practices.
• The ability to interpret production needs and help shape lighting solutions, including suggesting improvements to existing systems and equipment
• Confidence using lighting industry software
• Experience supporting and leading teams and projects to deliver high‑quality productions, with a positive, collaborative leadership approach

A strong awareness of and adherence to Health and Safety policy and best practice is also essential.

The Royal Ballet and Opera is one of the UK’s leading arts organisations and our aim is to inspire imagination, ignite emotion and make the extraordinary for everyone. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.

We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or those who are disabled, as they are under‑represented within our organisation.

We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long‑term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.

The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.

Closing date for applications:
11:59pm, Sunday 2nd August 2026

First stage interviews will be held w/c 10th August 2026

To ensure a fair process, late applications will not be considered under any circumstances.

Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK. No agencies.