"Concert Hall Production Manager"

Position Summary

The Concert Hall Production Manager (CHPM) is a member of the Shepherd School of Music (SSM) Production team. This position serves as production leadership, liaising with a diverse community of students, faculty, staff, visiting guest artists, and patrons on a daily basis, and works under the direct supervision of the Director of Performance Operations for Music.

Their primary responsibility is to manage and execute the technical and production logistics for all services, including rehearsals, performances, special events, and rentals, at SSM's Stude Concert Hall and Hirsch Orchestra Rehearsal Hall venues. This position primarily supports SSM's large ensembles (including Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, Chamber, Contemporary Ensemble, and Chorale and Campanile Orchestra, (when applicable), as well as guest artist engagements, rentals, and other special events in assigned venues as applicable.

The Production Manager will serve as the primary stage manager for these venues, managing venue preparation, setup, and stage changes. The role requires coordination and communication of all technical details with members of the SSM Production and Events staff, the Orchestra Department staff, student workers, faculty, conductors, guest artists, and others.

This role additionally coordinates the hiring and assignments of student workers, approves biweekly timesheets and tracks the budget, as well as provides necessary training throughout the academic year, in coordination with the Director of Performance Operations.

The ideal candidate has a bachelor's degree in stage management, technical theater, or music and has had prior experience working in a professional production setting. This person has excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively with their team and a diverse group of students, faculty, staff, visiting guest artists, and patrons on a daily basis. They are comfortable multi-tasking, organizing and prioritizing multiple projects. They possess strong problem-solving skills and can respond calmly and quickly to urgent situations. They also enjoy working with and supporting young musicians and faculty in an educational setting.

Workplace Requirements

This position is exclusively on-site, necessitating all duties to be performed in person at the Shepherd School of Music. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible position, and the proposed salary range is $55,000 to $60,800 annually, depending on qualifications and experience.* Exempt (salaried) positions under the FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience above and beyond what is required may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.
• 2+ years of experience in operations, stage management, or technical production for a performing arts organization or higher education institution
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis.

Skills:

• An enthusiastic approach to production support in an educational environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects, prioritize tasks, plan and execute workflows, track progress, and meet deadlines and objectives for multiple projects simultaneously.
• Detail-oriented with strong skill in organizing and presenting information
• Strong critical thinking skills, demonstrated ability to independently manage and adjust priorities in a fast-paced performance environment
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team, with strong interpersonal skills and ability to work with a diverse group of faculty, students, and staff in an educational and performing arts community.
• Ability to mentor others (eg. student workers)
• Prioritizes safety by adhering to all university policies and procedures
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and Google Suite

Preferences:

• Bachelor's Degree in theatre or music production
• Knowledge of standard orchestra layouts and experience creating digital stage plots of orchestra set-ups.
• Knowledge of ASIMUT is a plus

Essential Functions:

• Oversees all of the technical and production needs in Stude Concert Hall and Hirsch Orchestra Rehearsal Hall for all scheduled SSM performances and events, including rentals when required.
• Anticipates challenges, troubleshoots, and problem-solves with diplomacy in a timely manner to keep production needs and events on track
• Supports the needs of SSM students and faculty, visiting artists and creative partners, and the visiting public to ensure all constituencies are served well
• Maintains the concert hall's physical space and equipment to ensure a quality of production excellence for all rehearsals, performances, rentals, and other SSM and/or university events
• Coordinates hiring and assignments of student workers, providing necessary training to all student workers
• Coordinates payroll for student workers with the Director of Performance Operations
• In coordination with the Director of Performance Operations, plans and schedules additional production staff support as needed for larger set-ups and events, sets up video and audio equipment, and records events as required.
• Maintains production equipment inventory in the hall (ie. music stands, chairs, stage risers, etc.) and reports when equipment needs to be repaired or serviced
• Provides additional production support to other areas of the Shepherd School of Music as assigned by the Director of Performance Operations
• Performs all other duties assigned

Additional Functions:

• Work with the Orchestra department staff to create and/or support the creation of orchestra rep stage plots for all ensembles as necessary, and design and direct onstage shifts for concerts between stage set-ups in a way that is efficient and safe
• Performs basic video editing for events in Stude and Hirsch and ensures a quick turnaround for this content to be distributed to students and/or faculty
• Performs basic maintenance on venue equipment as appropriate

Physical Demands

This position requires the ability to lift up to 50 lbs, stationary work at a desk and computer for long periods of time, and availability to work flexible hours, including nights and weekend hours, in support of rehearsals, performances, and events as required.

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants should attach a cover letter and a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application. We suggest the documents be in a PDF format to avoid formatting issues.