Assistant Head of Stage Engineering – Theatre Royal Drury Lane

The Role…

The Assistant Head of Stage Engineering will support the Head of Stage in managing the delivery of resident production performances, rehearsals, maintenance, along with maintenance of technical theatre infrastructure, providing the highest standard of customer experience to our resident production. They may also liaise with a wide variety of incoming concerts and events, within the auditorium and stagehouse, to ensure that these events can achieve their goals whilst maintaining the continuity and safety of the resident production.

The Assistant Head of Stage Engineering will play an integral role in creating a high-performance culture and achieving the overall brand vision; to stage the extraordinary.

What you’ll be doing…

Together with the Head of Stage Engineering and their Deputy, the Assistant Head of Stage Engineering is responsible for helping to ensure that the technical team put customers at the heart of everything they do by delivering the highest technical standards of customer service throughout the venue to the resident production.

The Assistant Head of Stage Engineering will work with the Head of Stage Engineering and their Deputy in liaising with the Producers and their Production Managers in relation to all technical aspects of getting their productions in and out, while ensuring the Company’s interests are safeguarded and the highest possible production standards are maintained. This will include:

• Attending pre-production meetings prior to any production coming into the TRDL and advise on all technical, licensing, Health & Safety or staffing issues that may arise.

• Bringing to the attention of the Head of Stage Engineering any failure by Producers/Promoters to comply with Health & Safety and licensing requirements.

• Recognising and balancing the competing needs of the visiting Company and the Theatre, escalating concerns or recommendations in this regard to the Head of Stage Engineering.

Commercial & Culture

• Monitor the continued effectiveness of service contracts, reporting their feedback and recommendations to the Head of Stage Engineering as appropriate.

• Champion and drive a positive and proactive approach to Health & Safety at the Theatre.

• Constantly reviewing the status quo and be proactive in pursuit of making improvements to equipment and working practices to ensure the delivery of programming content is of the highest quality; making recommendations to the Head of Stage Engineering as appropriate.

• Ensure that backstage areas are kept tidy and well maintained for the production and that an excellent standard of general housekeeping is always sustained; liaising with the Technical & Building Services Manager and Head of Stage Engineering to assist with general maintenance issues.

• Assist with the recruitment of Production Technicians to ensure that appropriate staffing levels are maintained in co-operation with the Technical & Building Services Manager, Head of Stage Engineering and the HR department, to deliver the required technical services for the resident production.

• Assist with creating a high-performance culture in the team; setting clear objectives, providing ongoing feedback, identifying relevant training for Production Technicians and ensuring that they have or are actively seeking appropriate qualifications.

• Help to ensure there is excellent communication and collaboration between the Stage Engineering department and all other departments in the Theatre.

Compliance

• Proactively support the Head of Stage Engineering with the practical application of the Group’s Health and Safety Policy in respect of technical theatre operations.

• Work with the Head of Stage Engineering to manage operations with proportionate, suitable and sufficient regard to the Technical Standards for Places of Public Entertainment, Local Authority Rules of Management and other relevant legislation, regulation, guidance, ACOP etcetera.

• Work with the Head of Stage Engineering to deliver a suitable and sufficient maintenance and inspection regime for all technical theatre infrastructure. This shall include arranging inspections, analysing maintenance and inspection reports and taking appropriate action in each case, including record keeping.

What we need…

• An extensive practical knowledge of technical theatre systems, particularly those which are business critical.

• Experience of overseeing the fitting up and get out of concert, TV or touring productions.

• Experience of supervising, motivating and instructing a technical team.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to lead constructive meetings.

• Proven ability to balance and prioritise a busy workload.

• Willingness to challenge existing working methods and to recommend new working practices.

• A working knowledge of Construction and Design Management 2015.

• A working knowledge of Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment.

Above all, the Assistant Head of Stage Engineering will be passionate, forward thinking and dedicated to delivering the very highest quality in everything they do. They will be constantly looking for ways to improve; never resting on their laurels.

They will be able to adapt to changing circumstances, overcome challenges and

ultimately work as part of a diverse and multi-skilled team to deliver a vision which will break new ground in our industry.

Salary and Hours

£50,315.20 per annum

40 hours per week over 5 days, Monday to Sunday Inclusive

Diversity and Inclusion

At LW Theatres, we pride ourselves on being a family of individuals and actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds – it’s one of our core values and we believe celebrating our differences is key to success.

At the heart of our Company is a culture of inclusion where everyone feels seen and heard and can be themselves at work. Regardless of your background, all we ask is that you have the skills and experience required and the desire to succeed. In return, we pledge to ensure that our selection process is both transparent and fair.

This role may close early if a sufficient number of applications are received.