Sound Technician in Manchester

• Closing date - 1 September 2026
• Salary - £30,596.36 per annum

Our expert technical teams deliver the physical elements of all shows, artworks and events, working closely with the Programming and Producing teams to realise innovative ideas and making sure they are created in a safe, sustainable and exciting way.

Our Sound team use state-of-the-art equipment from Digico, d & b, Allen & Heath, Martin Audio, Q-Sys, Audinate, QLab, and Shure to help them deliver projects to the highest standard.

We are looking for expertise from all artforms; live music, visual and performing arts, theatre, corporate events and beyond.

The Sound Technicians will support the Heads of Department and other Factory International teams to ensure that all of our spaces, events and shows are delivered to an exceptional standard and accessible to everyone

• Please note this is a fixed term role until March 2028
• The key responsibilities for the Sound Technician include;
• Support the department heads in the operation and deployment of all aspects of Factory International’s technical equipment with particular emphasis on sound.
• Become familiar with the venue’s technical equipment and infrastructure including sound systems, consoles and control network.

Preparation of sound equipment, and/or venue spaces in readiness for event load-ins.

De-prepping equipment as required and ensuring items are stored safely and securely.

• Reporting faults or issues on sound equipment and sound control systems in a timely manner to department heads or technical manager and carrying out first line maintenance when appropriate.
• To participate in the organisation and supervision of the get ins, rehearsals, show runs, and get outs.
• Co-ordinating and working with discipline specific team members and freelance staff in the delivery of production sound for concerts, artworks, shows and events within the building.

Assisting in the rigging and operation of fixtures in the various venue spaces and to programme and operate sound consoles as required.

Where required, assist in sound design for in-house productions and events or act as an associate for our touring work.

This extends to programming and operating.

• Attend production meetings, rehearsals and technical rehearsals as required.

Liaise with visiting technical departments, ensuring their requirements are met and they are compliant with Factory policies.

Working with team members to identify, develop and promote production related income streams and to maximise return on the commercial contract.

• Working on a rota system which will require some evening, overnight and weekend working.

Lead shifts when required in the absence of a Technical Duty Manager.

Provide advice to all other users of the venue with regard to the safe and proper use of venue sound equipment.

Deliver all aspects of the venue’s sound systems to the highest standard.

• In conjunction with other technical team members, plan and deliver an effective programme of maintenance (inc.

Planned Preventative Maintenance), housekeeping, stock control and testing for all appliances and sound related equipment in the building

The person specification for the Sound Technician are;

ESSENTIAL

• Extensive practical audio experience in one or more art forms (live music, theatre, performance art, etc), preferably in a producing environment
• Experience of concert and/or theatre sound equipment and setups, system tuning, and audio mixing approaches for different art forms
• Thorough knowledge of d & b audiotechnik PA systems, PA rigging practices, signal processing and Dante networking
• Experience with setup and operation of Digico and Allen & Heath consoles
• Working knowledge of QLab programming and operation
• Experience of supervising staff with demonstrable leadership and supervisory skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and to prioritise competing workload demands
• Experience of receiving or delivering large scale national and international touring productions
• Knowledge of the principles relating to the safe use of electricity, and an ability to apply this knowledge in practical situations typically required in an entertainment environment
• Ability to interpret information from tech riders, stage plans and show advance documents.
• Experience in audio system planning and deployment (both large and small scale), stage plans, playback systems, stage patching, show relay systems, temporary electrical installations, portable appliance testing.
• Experience of Health & Safety practice and procedures including Risk Assessments
• Commitment to championing representation and inclusion at every level of the organisation with a proven ability to work with people from a wide range of backgrounds
• Willing to complete relevant statutory checks eg DBS (Factory International can support with processing and payment)

DESIRABLE

• Experience of mixing FOH and/or mons (wedges and/or IEMS) for live music artists across various genres
• Experience with d & b R1 and Array Calc
• Familiarity with Q-Sys system programming and operation for distributed zone control
• Experience with RF coordination and deployment of Shure Axient and Sennheiser RF systems
• Practical experience with Clear-Com wireless comms systems
• Working knowledge of d & b Soundscape, En-Space and En-Scene
• A practical knowledge of LOLER, PUWER and other relevant Health and Safety regulations working within a large receiving venue
• IPAF, PASMA training
• Emergency first aid at work training or similar
• 3-Day Rigging for the Entertainment Industry course or similar
• CSCS certification
• Experience of Co-production / collaboration with a variety of partners and stakeholders
• Electrical qualification or training; BS 7671 18th Edition, BS 7909, C & G 2365 Lvl. 3, PAT testing & inspection, etc.
• Good understanding of statutory regulations governing venues such as the Working Time Directive
• Awareness of current trends in various venue technologies and systems
• Experience of touring
• Full UK Drivers License
• Appropriate qualification in technical theatre or live sound from an accredited college, university, ABTT or industry relevant training courses
• Vocational qualifications such as IRATA or CITB
• Understanding of ABTT Technical Standards for Places of Entertainment
• Enthusiasm for training, mentoring and support of emerging talent

When applying please do not rely solely on Chat GPT/AI software for your answers as it may not fully reflect your skills and experience and how they align with this role and we may decide to discount your answer if we believe it is solely generated by AI.

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