Technical and Facilities Manager in Belfast

The Technical and Facilities Manager is a key management role within the Production Department, responsible for leading the theatre’s technical team and ensuring the safe, effective and well-planned delivery of technical operations across Lyric Productions, Visiting Companies, rehearsals, and events. The role requires strong technical theatre knowledge, credible practical experience, and the ability to lead, motivate and develop technicians at varying stages of their careers. The post holder is also accountable for day-to-day facilities management operations, including the coordination of on-site contractors, prioritisation of routine building issues, oversight of facilities tasks and escalation of significant compliance, cost, or capital matters to the Head of Production.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Technical Operations and production support
  • Lead the day-to-day technical operation of the Lyric’s performance spaces, rehearsal rooms and associated technical areas.
  • Ensure that Lyric productions, visiting companies, Creative Learning activity, external hires and events receive effective, safe and well-planned technical support.
  • Work closely with the Head of Production, Production Manager, Company and Stage Manager, creative teams, visiting companies and other departments to plan and deliver technical requirements.
  • Attend production meetings, technical meetings, planning meetings, and debriefs as required.
  • Support the planning and delivery of fit-ups, technical rehearsals, performances, get-outs, maintenance periods, and other technical activity.
  • Ensure that technical specifications, venue information, and production-related technical documentation are accurate, up to date and appropriately shared.
  • Ensure visiting companies and external users are appropriately briefed on technical arrangements, venue procedures, fire safety, first aid arrangements, access arrangements, and relevant health and safety requirements.
  • Support rehearsals, events and other activity where technical input is required, including advice on room set-up, temporary staging, sound, lighting, projection and other production requirements.
  • Provide hands‑on technical support where necessary.
• Technical Team Leadership
  • Lead, manage, motivate, and develop the theatre’s technical team, including the Deputy Technical Manager, technicians, show operators, and casual technical staff.
  • Set clear expectations for technical standards, safe working, housekeeping, conduct, and performance.
  • Plan and allocate work across the technical team, ensuring that tasks are appropriately resourced, prioritised, and supervised.
  • Prepare technical staff schedules, rotas and crewing plans to meet the needs of the theatre’s programme.
  • Support technicians at varying stages of experience, helping to build confidence, skills, discipline, and good professional practice.
  • Identify training needs within the technical team and work with the Head of Production to plan appropriate technical, safety, and professional development.
  • Conduct regular one‑to‑one meetings, performance reviews, and team meetings as required.
  • Foster a positive, calm, inclusive and solutions‑focused technical department culture.
  • Ensure effective communication between the technical team and Producing and Programming, Production Management, Company and Stage Management, Workshop, Costume, Creative Learning, Customer Services and other departments.
• Technical Equipment, Systems and Spaces
  • Oversee the maintenance, presentation, organisation, and safe operation of performance spaces, backstage areas, rehearsal rooms, technical gantries, control positions, stores and other technical areas.
  • Manage the inventory of technical equipment, tools, consumables and associated assets.
  • Ensure that technical equipment is inspected, maintained, repaired, stored and used appropriately.
  • Coordinate planned maintenance, testing and servicing of technical systems and equipment, including relevant lifting, access, stage, lighting, sound, video and communications equipment.
  • Ensure that records relating to technical equipment inspections, maintenance and asset management are kept up to date.
  • Work with the Head of Production to identify technical equipment replacement needs, infrastructure risks and future capital investment priorities.
  • Maintain good relationships with suppliers, hire companies and contractors, seeking best value and considering sustainability where appropriate.
• Day-to-Day Facilities Management
  • Be accountable for the day-to-day coordination of facilities management operations within the theatre.
  • Coordinate routine facilities issues, ensuring that defects, maintenance needs and building-related concerns are identified, prioritised, logged and followed up.
  • Line‑manage, direct, and coordinate the work of the part‑time Facilities Technician, ensuring that routine facilities checks, minor maintenance, contractor support and follow‑up tasks are completed.
  • Act as the main day‑to‑day contact for facilities contractors and service engineers while they are on site.
  • Arrange and coordinate site access for contractors, ensuring that work is planned around production activity and theatre operations.
  • Ensure contractors are appropriately inducted, supervised or monitored while on site, and that any immediate operational risks are escalated.
  • Maintain facilities‑related records, logs and action trackers as required.
  • Support the effective operation of building systems, including heating, ventilation, lifts, fire alarm systems, security systems, access systems, public area lighting and other relevant infrastructure.
  • Monitor and operate the Building Management System where required, escalating issues relating to comfort, energy use, system faults or plant performance.
  • Ensure that technical, backstage and operational spaces are maintained to an appropriate standard of safety, cleanliness, presentation and readiness.
  • Escalate significant facilities issues, compliance concerns, major expenditure requirements and capital matters to the Head of Production.
• Health, Safety and Compliance
  • Support the Head of Production in maintaining safe systems of work across technical, production, and facilities operations.
  • Promote a positive health and safety culture within the technical team and wider Production Department.
  • Ensure that technical activity is planned and delivered in accordance with relevant legislation, organisational policies, risk assessments and safe working procedures.
  • Prepare, review, and maintain technical risk assessments and method statements, and review production risk assessments for Lyric productions and visiting company activities on stage.
  • Ensure that visiting companies, contractors and internal teams are appropriately briefed on relevant safety arrangements.
  • Ensure compliance with relevant health and safety legislation and guidance in technical and day‑to‑day facilities operations, including LOLER, PUWER, COSHH, working at height, manual handling, electrical safety and fire safety requirements.
  • Ensure that equipment inspections, statutory checks and maintenance records relevant to technical and day‑to‑day facilities operations are completed and retained.
  • Take prompt action in response to unsafe practice, defects, incidents, near misses or emerging risks.
  • Report significant health and safety, compliance or operational concerns to the Head of Production.
  • Undertake required training and remain informed about relevant industry practice, legislation and guidance.
• Administration and internal Processes
  • Manage agreed technical department budgets, including consumables, repairs, and relevant operational expenditure.
  • Support the Head of Production in monitoring facilities‑related spend, contractor costs and maintenance expenditure where required.
  • Ensure that purchases, hires, and contractor appointments follow the organisation’s procurement procedures, including the timely raising and processing of purchase orders.
  • Ensure departmental payroll information, casual staff timesheets, and other required records are completed accurately and submitted in line with internal deadlines.
  • Support recruitment processes for technical, casual, and freelance staff, ensuring relevant documentation and internal compliance requirements are completed.
  • Maintain accurate records relating to equipment maintenance, inspections, budgets, rotas, training records, and other departmental activity.
  • Support the Head of Production with information required for capital planning, budget setting, reporting, compliance review and organisational planning.
  • Contribute to the development of departmental systems, processes and documentation.
• Wider organisational responsibilities
  • Work collaboratively with colleagues across the organisation in support of the Lyric’s artistic, operational and charitable objectives.
  • Attend staff meetings, department meetings, planning meetings and training sessions as required.
  • Support the delivery of Lyric productions, visiting work, Creative Learning activity, events and other organisational activity.
  • Observe confidentiality and comply with the theatre’s policies and procedures, including those relating to health and safety, sustainability, inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
  • Undertake any other reasonable duties appropriate to the role and requested by the Head of Production.