Assistant Production Manager in Milton Keynes

Reports To: Director, Production & Operations | Land Production, UK

Place of Work: UK

Other: Full Time

ABOUT RWS GLOBAL

As the world’s largest producer of groundbreaking live entertainment, and a leading force in the themed entertainment industry, RWS Global creates meaningful connections and customized experiences spanning from theatrical productions to events, multimedia and more. In 2024, the entertainment leaders expanded capabilities into live sporting events with the introduction of RWS Global Sports.

JOB OVERVIEW

The EU Assistant Production Manager supports the successful planning, coordination, and execution of live entertainment productions across the UK and EU Merlin Theme Parks. Working closely with Production Management teams, this role assists with production logistics, scheduling, budget tracking, resource coordination, vendor management, and on-site execution to ensure projects are delivered safely, efficiently, on time, and within scope. This role requires a highly organized and detail-oriented professional who can effectively manage multiple priorities while supporting cast, crew, technical teams, vendors, and client stakeholders. The Assistant Production Manager serves as a key operational partner to the Production Manager, helping to drive day-to-day project activities and maintaining clear communication across all departments to support the successful delivery of world-class entertainment experiences.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Relationship Management: Support the Production Manager in delivering world-class customer service and maintaining positive relationships with clients, park stakeholders, vendors, contractors, cast, and crew.
• Production Planning & Scheduling: Assist in the development and maintenance of production schedules, timelines, project trackers, call sheets, and workflows to support the successful delivery of productions.
• Resource Coordination: Coordinate production resources including personnel, vendors, equipment, materials, accommodations, transportation, and site logistics to support project requirements.
• Budget Tracking & Administration: Support the Production Manager with budget administration, purchase tracking, expense reconciliation, invoice processing, vendor payments, and cost reporting to help maintain budget compliance.
• Vendor & Contractor Coordination: Assist with vendor, freelancer, talent, and contractor onboarding, communications, scheduling, logistics, and deliverable tracking while ensuring compliance with project requirements and company standards.
• Cast and Crew Scheduling, Support and Communication: Coordinate staffing schedules, travel arrangements, accommodations, onboarding documentation, and end-to-end communications for cast members, production crews and technical personnel.
• Logistics & Operations: Support all production logistics including venue coordination, transportation, permitting, equipment movement, shipping, receiving, storage, and production asset installation activities.
• Technical Production Support: Work alongside Production Managers and technical teams to support the installation, operation, maintenance, and removal of production systems including lighting, audio, video, scenic, SFX, and show-control elements.
• Installation & Site Support: Provide on-site production support during rehearsals, installations, technical rehearsals, special events, openings, and strike activities, helping to identify and resolve operational challenges as they arise.
• Quality Assurance: Assist in monitoring production quality, operational readiness, guest experience standards, and technical execution to support successful project delivery.
• Health & Safety Compliance: Support implementation of health and safety procedures, ensuring documentation is maintained, safe working practices are followed, and any concerns are escalated appropriately.
• Risk & Issue Tracking: Monitor project risks, action items, schedule impacts, and operational issues, escalating concerns to the Production Manager and supporting the implementation of mitigation plans.
• Documentation & Reporting: Maintain accurate production records including schedules, meeting notes, call sheets, inventories, project trackers, travel logs, vendor records, expense reports, and other production documentation.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Act as a liaison between Production, Creative, Technical, Operations, Casting, Recruitment, Health & Safety, and park-based teams to facilitate effective communication and project execution.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Degree in Arts Administration, Production, Film, Media, Sports, Communications, or a related field; equivalent professional experience considered.
• 2+ years of experience in production coordination within theme park entertainment, or live event/experience industries.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Working knowledge of live entertainment production development and execution processes, technical disciplines, creative workstreams and daily operations.
• Familiarity in project management software and tools, such as Wrike, Microsoft Project, Asana, Trello, or equivalent.
• Familiarity with health and safety regulations and best practices in show production environments.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.

Character Attributes:

• Leadership: Enables project team members to achieve collective results through planning, collaboration, and confident decision making.
• Strong Communicator: Able to provide clear direction to team members, crew, talent, vendors, and stakeholders, ensuring clear understanding and alignment across all project activities.
• Highly Organized: Exceptional at planning and managing complex schedules and resources.
• Detail-Oriented: Attentive to all parts of the project process.
• Team-Oriented: Works collaboratively with diverse teams, fostering a positive working environment that encourages cooperation and communication.
• Proactive Problem Solver: Anticipate potential challenges and develop thoughtful contingency plans to quickly address project challenges to client satisfaction.
• Decisive: Confident in making quick, informed decisions.
• Adaptable: Flexible to last-minute changes, unforeseen challenges, or evolving project needs.
• Professional Attitude: Effectively navigate high-stress situations. Representing yourself, the project and RWS in the most positive way.
• Resourceful: Finds creative solutions to optimize resources, manage costs, and maintain quality, within budget parameters.
• Budget-Conscious: Ability to create and track budgets, expenses, P&L, negotiate with vendors and find cost effective solutions to project challenges.
• Safety-Focused: Prioritises health and safety of all project team members, supporting protocols and ensuring compliance with industry codes and regulations.
• Time Management: Capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring all project deliverables are completed on schedule.
• Flexible Schedule: Project locations span the globe and may require extended hours which include work over weekends and holidays and include international travel to project site locations as needed.
• Ethical & Professional: Upholds high standards of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.

Company Benefits:

• Competitive Salary
• Company Pension
• 25 days paid holiday excluding Bank Holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Computer (Mac/Windows)
• Company Phone Allowance
• Employee Assistance and Wellbeing Programme
• Childcare Support Policy
• Employer Sponsored Vision Programme

This is not necessarily a comprehensive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements or working conditions associated with the position, and may require that other or different tasks be performed as necessary and assigned.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENT:

DIVERSE IS WHO WE ARE. Way more than a box to check, diversity is core to RWS Global culture. We value it, promote it, protect it and hire it. All differences are welcome here. We know for a fact that each employee’s individual background, life experiences, knowledge, self-expression, and capabilities are a contribution to our culture, as well as our reputation and achievements. So, bring all of who you are, no questions asked.