Orchestra Operations Manager - WC2E DD

Permanent Contract
Full time; 40 hours per week
Salary: £36,000 – £40,000 (dependent on experience)
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.

The role:
We are seeking to recruit an Orchestra Operations Manager, to work closely with the Orchestra Production Manager to ensure that all necessary technical, practical and seating requirements are in place for all work of the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House (OROH) at all venues and for all work of guest orchestras and ensembles appearing at the Royal Opera House, ensuring the highest standards of safety at all times.

This will include physically setting up pit / stage facilities, including instruments, chairs, music stands, technical equipment and scores.

They will work with the Orchestra Operations Team on all orchestral logistics, the forward planning of orchestral layouts, facilities maintenance, and management of the day to day working of the Orchestra Operations office. The Orchestra Operations team comprises of an Orchestra Production Manager, Orchestra Operations Manager and two Assistant Orchestra Operations Managers.

What you’ll bring:
This role will suit a candidate who can adapt to changing situations, have a level of flexibility, and can work under pressure and in fast evolving situations. You must be resilient, reliable and enjoy working as part of a team.

You will also be able to demonstrate:

• A proven track record in an orchestral stage management, technical or events project management role.
• Considerable knowledge of the working practices and logistical demands of an orchestra.
• The ability to read music (basic level) and engage with orchestra players.
• Experience in the safe handling, storage and transportation of musical instruments.
• A working knowledge of relevant H&S regulations including the current Noise at work regulations.
• Strong project management skills with a demonstrated level of initiative.
• Proficient Microsoft Office user as well as experience with software such as OPAS, DIESE, AutoCAD, Presto (or other equivalent event management system software).
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills and the ability to tailor communications to relevant stakeholders.

To submit your application, please provide a supporting statement that outlines how your skills and experience match the essential criteria listed above. We recommend drafting your response in a separate document and then copying the final version into the application form. Please note that as part of our commitment to anonymised shortlisting, panels do not view CVs during the recruitment process.

If you choose to upload your CV, our system will automatically pull information from your CV into our application form.

Closing date for applications: Midnight, Sunday 18th January 2026.

Interviews will be held on Tuesday 27th and Wednesday 28th January 2026.

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…