Technical Director - School of Theatre and Dance

Job Details

Technical Director - School of Theatre and Dance

Working Title: Technical Director - School of Theatre and Dance

State Role Title: N/A

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: College of Visual and Performing Arts

Department: 100019 - School Theatre and Dance

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Beginning Review Date: 5/16/2026

About JMU:

We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Situated in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

JMU School of Theatre and Dance (STAD) is inviting applications for a Technical Director. The School of Theatre and Dance is in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and has approximately 300 students and offers a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Theatre, Musical Theatre, and Dance. Housed in the award-winning Forbes Center for the Performing Arts, the School has a collegial environment and provides practice-based training within a liberal arts tradition. https://www.jmu.edu/theatredance/index.shtml

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead and participate in construction, load-in, and strike of scenery, properties, and rigging for all STAD productions, and changeovers for student driven studio productions.
• Develop construction plans, drafts, deliverable schedules, and budgets for scenery and properties for STAD productions.
• Work with the production manager, faculty, student, and guest artist designers to develop estimates, track budgets, organize production milestones, and ensure that material and labor budgets remain in scope.
• Purchase materials, schedule workers, and manage and maintain the scene shop and theatrical equipment.
• Supervise a scene-shop head, student employees, and over-hire labor.
• Implement and support safety protocols and recommended practices.
• Implement Universal Design standards.
• Work collaboratively with Forbes Center for the Arts staff, the School Director, and faculty across the School of Theatre and Dance to improve production processes, culture, and access to education.
• Foster a positive, welcoming learning environment supportive of student development and collaboration.
• Work with and mentor students using effective methods appropriate for students with differing abilities, preparation levels, and cultural experiences.
• Collaborate with local, regional, and professional partner organizations in support of productions, student learning opportunities, and community engagement initiatives.
• Accommodate a non-standard work schedule including evenings and weekends. A typical week is 40 hours. No work is permitted during university closures.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• MFA in Technical Direction, Theatre Production, or a related field, or a Bachelor's degree with substantial professional technical direction experience.
• Demonstrated professional experience in technical direction or scenic production.
• Working knowledge of and ability to lead others in the technologies and recommended practices in the following areas:
  • Carpentry
  • Welding
  • Rigging
  • Scenic painting
  • Properties
• Proficiency with technical drafting and design software (Vectorworks, AutoCAD, or similar) used to produce scenic construction documentation.
• Demonstrated ability to develop scenic construction estimates, manage material and labor budgets, and plan production schedules.
• Knowledge of standard theatrical safety factors and guidelines provided by ESTA, OSHA, and NEC protocols.
• Experience supervising student crews, over-hire labor, or production staff in a theatrical or educational production environment.
• Ability to work effectively with students, faculty, staff, and guest artists.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and organizational skills.
• Ability to effectively work on stairs and ladders and at elevations up to 70' (theatre grid).
• Ability to use woodworking, metalworking, rigging and material handling tools.
• Ability to drive pickup truck and cargo van.