"Director, Production and Technology, Programs and Special Events"

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title
Director, Production and Technology, Programs and Special Events

Job Profile Title
Director C, Development, Events

Job Description Summary
The Director, Production and Technology is a senior member of the Programs and Special Events team within Penn’s Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) department. This position plays a vital role in enhancing the impact and reach of constituent engagement events by providing expert guidance, planning, and execution of technology and production solutions. They will manage a Senior Associate Director, Production and Technology and will evaluate event technology needs, coordinate technical support, serve as the primary liaison with vendors, and oversee technical aspects of in-person, hybrid, and virtual events. This role ensures that DAR events are executed smoothly, meet the highest standards of professionalism, and align with University branding and accessibility expectations.

Working with the Senior Associate Director, this position is responsible for providing expert technical support for wide-ranging events in DAR. DAR events range from high-level volunteer and donor meetings requiring basic AV, to virtual events requiring Zoom room management, to large events in venues both nationally and internationally with audiences of 200-800+ where sound, lights, set décor, video assets, and dynamic presentations may be part of the program. Many events on campus will be outdoor events. Our events typically involve University leadership and other VIPs: seamless execution and a high degree of professionalism are vital for this role.

This position reports to the Executive Director, Programs & Special Events, with a dotted reporting line to the Senior Director, Programs and Special Events, who directly manages the team of event planners and all aspects of on-the-ground event execution. The ideal candidate will have exceptional technical skills, creativity in designing production elements, and excellent planning, organization, and management capabilities.

Job Responsibilities

• Manage a Senior Associate Director to work together to deliver expert production and technical services within the Programs and Special Events Team of 15 people.
• Maintain expertise in production and technology solutions by keeping apprised of ongoing developments in the field.
• Serve as an internal production consultant for the team, recommending technologies based on event goals. Participate in event planning to advise on supporting technology to meet the vision of the event owner and stakeholders.
• Plan and arrange details of technology required for individual events, as determined in conjunction with the event owner and lead planner/s for each event: this may involve working with vendors or venue onsite tech teams depending on the scale of the event.
• Generate technical and set budgets for specific events. Request and review bids from venue-based production teams or external vendors for production and technology support as needed. This role will be responsible for comparing options to ensure that the expected cost of production remains within or under established budgets.
• Coordinate payment schedules with the PSE Business Manager and vendor to ensure invoices and contracts are properly approved and processed on a timely basis.
• Serve as production manager to ensure proper execution onsite of several major events, including managing teams of contracted production providers as needed, planning and managing technical rehearsals, and supervising the actual events. As this position will often interface with organized labor workers, experience and knowledge of working with IATSE and other trade unions is preferred.
• As needed, act as the hands-on technical operator for events.
• Work with the Senior Associate Director of Programs and Special events, who oversees virtual and hybrid events, to support technological needs related to large Zoom events, or live-streaming from in-person events requiring multiple camera set-up and sound delivery.

Qualifications

Professional

• Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, and 7 to 10 years of experience in special events technical production management and execution or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Proven leadership and management skills to take full responsibility for the delivery of highest standard services in technical production of highly visible events, working within a large and complex organization, and managing a staff member within a larger team.
• Must be highly organized, motivated, and self-initiating while working as a member of a team within a goal-oriented, fast-paced environment.
• The ability to multi-task and manage several large projects with varying scopes of complexity is critical as this position will be managing development and execution of a wide range of concurrent events.
• Experience working with 3rd party vendors to define and deliver technical services for successful execution of events within budget.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to work with a wide range of individuals including colleagues across the University, senior leadership, donors, and alumni volunteer leaders.
• Experience budgeting for technology for large scale events. Experience with large scale events with total budgets of $100K+ desirable.
• Frequent weekend and evening work required. Frequent off campus events and extensive travel including international required. Must posses a valid driver’s license and current passport.

Technical Skills

• Must have proven ability to research, develop, and present technical support solutions for a wide range of applications.
• Experience with multifaceted technical installation and operations, including set installation, lighting, audio and sound, and video.
• Familiarity with virtual event technical needs and tools such as Teams and Zoom is preferred.
• Must have ability to technically direct a complex, multi-camera and multi-source production for both live and virtual environments.
• Must have proven technical proficiency in current presentation suites to include PowerPoint, Keynote, and Presi. Expert understanding of standard format, widescreen, and HD layouts as well as custom screen sizes and knowledge of conversion techniques is critical.
• As this position will often interface with organized labor workers, experience and knowledge of working with IATSE and other trade unions is preferred.
• Post-production video editing skills a plus.

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Development and Alumni Relations

Pay Range
$109,000.00 - $130,000.00 Annual Rate