Boiler Room Producer in Cardiff

Salary: £40,000.00 per annum

Contractual hours: 35

Basis: Full time

Package: Cardiff Bay Discounts, Staff Parking Discount with Q Park, Healthcare Cash Plan, Salary Extras, Gym Discounts, Employee Assistant Programme, Welsh lessons.

Building the Opera Company of the future. We are at a defining moment in our history. Welsh National Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru was born in the post-war spirit of democracy, fuelled by a national passion for human connection through song. In our 80th anniversary year, we are reimagining the company as a contemporary opera organisation, fit for the 21st century, rooted in Wales yet ambitious on the international stage. We want to redefine what opera can be today, positioning WNO as a pioneering, brave and joyful force in the UK’s live arts ecology. We aim to champion diversity on stage and in our audiences, proving that opera is the dynamic art form of our time.

In this next chapter, we are seeking an exceptional Boiler Room Producer to shape and lead our new Boiler Room programme. This initiative will sit at the heart of the company as a dedicated research and development engine, creating space for artistic experimentation, commissioning, talent development and cross disciplinary exploration that will help inform the future direction of both WNO and the artform of opera. Working closely with the Executive Producer and colleagues across the organisation, the Boiler Room Producer will curate and deliver a programme that nurtures new voices in opera and connects research and development activity to WNO’s future repertoire. The role will champion Welsh and Wales based artists, foster collaboration across artforms, and build partnerships across the UK and internationally, positioning the Boiler Room as a vital source of new ideas, practices and pathways for the company and the wider opera ecology.

You will combine creative vision with strong producing expertise, supporting artists to test ideas, explore new forms and develop work that has the potential to progress to larger scale presentation. You will thrive in a collaborative environment, working across departments and with external partners to ensure projects are ambitious, inclusive and aligned with WNO’s strategic objectives. Through this role, you will contribute directly to the sustainability and evolution of opera, helping to shape the future of the artform.

Person Specifications:

• Demonstrable experience producing, curating or developing new work within opera, music theatre, theatre or a closely related artform.
• Experience of research and development processes, including early-stage creative exploration, experimentation or commissioning.
• Proven ability to manage creative projects from concept through to delivery.
• Experience of budgeting, financial monitoring and reporting within an arts or cultural context.
• Experience negotiating and managing relationships with artists, creative teams and partners.
• Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong knowledge of contemporary practice in opera and/or related artforms.
• Excellent communication and collaborative working skills.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends as required by rehearsal and performance schedules.
• Willingness to travel in the UK and internationally as required.
• Right to work in the UK.
• Experience working specifically within opera or with orchestral, choral or large-scale musical forces.
• Experience of commissioning new work or working closely with composers and librettists.
• Experience of partnership-working with UK and/or international organisations.
• Knowledge of public funding structures, including Arts Council Wales and/or Arts Council England.
• Experience supporting pathways from research and development into mainstage or touring work.
• Knowledge of the Welsh cultural context and/or experience working with Welsh or Wales-based artists.
• Welsh language skills, or a willingness to learn and engage with the Welsh language.
• Experience representing an organisation within the arts and cultural sector.
• Knowledge of leading sustainability initiatives in the arts sector, including the Theatre Green Book or comparable frameworks, and their strategic implementation.
• Proven commitment to embedding diversity, belonging, inclusion, and equality within organisational strategy, aligned with the company’s mission to eliminate barriers for marginalised communities within the cultural sector.

Our Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion: We recognise that talented people sometimes hesitate to apply unless they meet every requirement. Research shows this is particularly true for women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, disabled and neurodivergent people, and those from working-class backgrounds. If this feels like your ideal role, even if your experience does not align perfectly with every criterion, we encourage you to apply anyway. Your perspective and experience could be exactly what we need to help build the opera company of the future.

Reasonable Adjustments: WNO is committed to an accessible and inclusive recruitment process. If you need any adjustments to support your application or interview, please email recruitment@wno.org.uk. We are committed to supporting you at every stage of the process. WNO operates a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for applicants who meet the essential criteria and who self-identify as a Person of the Global Majority, a disabled person, or as neurodivergent. Eligible candidates can request consideration under the scheme by emailing recruitment@wno.org.uk. Further details are available in the job description.

How to Apply: For further information, please download the full job description. If you would like an informal conversation about the role, require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, or find the online application form inaccessible, please contact: recruitment@wno.org.uk.