Technical Manager

Lighthouse is the leading Arts Centre in the Southwest and the UK’s largest regional art centre. Our success is underpinned by our staff who all work with one aim; to deliver great art and ensure we offer the best possible experience to our customers and artists.

Principle purpose of the role

The Technical Manager is responsible for overseeing all technical aspects of live productions, events, screenings and performances across multiple auditoria within the venue. This role ensures the seamless delivery of productions by managing technical operations, leading and supervising staff and contractors, maintaining equipment, and upholding the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and audience experience, ensuring all productions and events run smoothly, on time, and within budget.

The Technical Manager promotes and maintains high standards of care and attention to all incoming events and companies in all operations, motivating, supporting, and training staff to achieve this objective.

Planning and delivery

• Plan, coordinate, and deliver all technical aspects of live events, productions, and performances across Concert Hall, Theatres, Studio cinema and galleries and Front of House.
• Act as the primary technical liaison for internal teams, visiting companies, artists, promoters, and production crews.
• Ensure technical requirements are met during pre-production, rehearsals, and live events.
• Proactively manage the collection and distribution of technical information pertaining to receiving, erecting, constructing, adjusting, repairing, maintaining, dismantling and seeing off the premises all productions, performances and events.
• Support the delivery of in-house productions (e.g. Panto, music gigs and creative engagement projects) and securing best value for money both equipment and staffing.
• Maintain and manage accurate technical records, including contributing to daily event reports, and any other records that may be required.
• Work closely with Internal departments to ensure accurate and timely planning and budgeting of shows and events is completed.
• Work closely with the Pantomime Production team to develop technical budgets and staff schedules.
• Engage external contractors for technical services as required e.g piano tunings, get in/out crew, staging, servicing, health and safety inspections etc.

Team Leadership & Staff Management

• Lead, train, schedule, and supervise a team of in-house technical staff and freelance crew.
• Develop and maintain efficient systems and procedures that ensure that service delivery is consistent and of the highest standard.
• Delegate workloads effectively across simultaneous productions in multiple auditoria, ensuring efficient and effective staff scheduling.
• Undertake hands on technical roles where required and oversee all important events and performances.
• Plan and schedule all technical staff working hours a minimum of 4 weeks ahead.
• Foster a collaborative, safe, collegiate and high-performance working environment and act as the lead for technical risk management, ensuring all productions are delivered with safety as the highest priority.
• Manage the performance of technical staff in line with the company’s staff development and appraisal ambitions and procedures, always supporting and encouraging them to achieve their potential.
• Ensure appropriate training and career development opportunities are provided to all technical staff.
• Assist in the recruitment of members of the technical team, in close liaison with HR and in line with company policies and procedures.
• Support the Senior Management team with information as required for reporting.
• Deliver staff inductions, training, and toolbox talks on safety protocols.
• Deal constructively and promptly with any complaints or issues from visitors, customers or staff.

Training

• Undertake personal training and development, including attending and completing relevant induction and mandatory training including Online IHASCO and Health and Safety training.
• Participate in the annual performance appraisal process with the line manager every 6 months and take up opportunities identified as part of learning and development.
• Ensure all technical staff are attending and completing all mandatory training.
• Work closely with HR to ensure that all technical staff are compliant with training requirements.
• Ensure that all training and development needs are identified in performance and wellbeing appraisals, one-to-one meetings and on the job are forwarded to HR to action.
• Assist with delivery of employees training and development where appropriate.
• Support the delivery of the Young Technicians and Young Producers programmes and all technical training programmes that may be delivered.
• Maintain a trained and motivated pool of casual staff large enough for the needs of the programme.

Venue and Equipment Management

• Manage and maintain all technical systems, including lighting rigs, sound desks, video systems, staging equipment, rigging infrastructure, and control networks.
• Oversee and monitor the preparation, rigging, operation, and de-rigging of lighting, sound, video, staging, and other production systems.
• Ensure that regular servicing, testing, and certification of equipment in line with health and safety legislation are completed.
• Ensure that the team carry out daily inspections of all technical areas and equipment and ensure that any cleaning, repairs or maintenance that is required is undertaken in a timely manner.
• Implement systems and checks to ensure that the highest levels of service are maintained.
• Recommend and manage technical upgrades, purchases, and capital projects.
• Ensure auditoria and backstage areas are maintained to a professional and safe standard.

Communication

• Hold regular 1-2-1’s with technical staff.
• Hold weekly/monthly team briefings and ensure that the flow of information, both within the department and to others, is clear, accurate and timely.
• Attend and participate in weekly operations meetings to help plan future activities and ensure all relevant co-workers understand the issues and challenges they will be facing with each event or activity.
• Hold regular planning meetings with Head of Programming and Events Manager.
• Provide post-event technical reports and recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Ensure clear communication with promoters on technical requirements, ensuring agreement to staffing levels or equipment use over and above what’s included as standard in the contract/tech spec.

Finance

• Assist the Head of Operations with preparation of departmental budgets.
• Manage the departmental budget, including forecasting, expenditure tracking, and cost control, procedures to ensure income targets are met.
• Work closely with internal departments, providing accurate technical costs to ensure show budgets are met, ensuring efficiency and cost savings where possible without impacting delivery.
• Review technical riders, schedules, and production documentation in consultation with the programming team.
• Prepare cost sheets for each show and have written agreement with the programming team in advance of expenditure being committed.
• Negotiate with suppliers and contractors to achieve best value while maintaining quality.
• Ensure that all procurement policies are followed.
• Ensure timely and accurate reporting to Finance on costs to meet settlement deadlines.
• Complete and process monthly staff payroll.

Health and safety

• Ensure that every aspect of the technical delivery is in accordance with health and safety legislation and Lighthouse’s policies and procedures.
• Enforce all health and safety policies, risk assessments, and safe systems of work.
• Ensure all health and safety procedures are communicated to staff through induction.

Representation

• Represent Lighthouse at performances, external events, site visits and industry seminars as and when required.

Diversity

• To embrace the equity, diversity and inclusion culture and commitment at Lighthouse at all times and ensure that the technical team are aware of and supporting the EDIB policy.

Values

• Work to and promote the Lighthouse values of being Aspirational, Welcoming & Excellence.
• Welcome and ensure excellent service to all visiting artists, companies, production managers and clients.
• Support Lighthouse’s commitment to reduce environmental impact wherever possible adhering to and supporting its Sustainability policy.

General

• Any other duties as may be reasonably required.

Person Specification

EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE

• Proven track record in technical production management with up-to-date experience in a professional theatre or music venue.
• Proven experience of successful staff management & resource scheduling.
• Working knowledge of orchestral concerts.
• Relevant and recent working knowledge of theatrical equipment relating to light and sound and film.
• Proven experience of managing/working with budgets.
• Strong IT skills and knowledge of digital tools (Excel, Word, Artifax, QLab, Auto Cad etc).
• Knowledge and passion for live performance.
• Good general level of formal education (Including English and Maths GCSE or equivalent passes).
• Health and Safety practices in a live performance environment.

COMPETENCES AND SKILLS

• Proven experience in one or more technical discipline (sound, lighting, stage).
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to present information in a manner appropriate to the audience, including written and verbal correspondence.
• Ability to work unsupervised and take responsibility for organising own work and managing deadlines.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• Must enjoy working, managing and motivating people.
• Adaptable to change.
• Dynamic, energetic and enthusiastic.
• Proactive and results orientated.
• Tactful, approachable, discreet and diplomatic.
• Flexible and reliable around working evenings and weekends as required.
• Well presented.