Head of Lighting & AV - Derby Theatre

About The University

We have one simple promise – to make a positive impact. Through our ground-breaking research, teaching excellence and commitment to sustainable living, we are changing lives for the better. The University of Derby is a modern university with a modern outlook. Everything we do is driven by delivering excellence and opportunities for our students, our staff and our region. We have some of the best university facilities in the UK and achieve outstanding results for our teaching and research and have been awarded Gold in the prestigious Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023 – making it one of the top universities in the country recognised for its outstanding student experience and student outcomes. Financially strong and seriously ambitious we offer our employees an inclusive culture that centres itself around staff wellbeing, where you can be confident you will receive all the help and encouragement you need to build a rewarding career with lots of opportunities to enhance your skills.

About The College/Department

At Derby Theatre, we are a charity and a National Portfolio organisation for Arts Council England, and we’re known for artistic excellence. We’re committed to education. And we believe that theatre can change your life. Previously Derby Playhouse, we have a long and important theatrical history. As Derby Theatre, we work in partnership with the University of Derby and are a home for higher education students. We produce new plays and projects, collaborate with artists and local people, and offer training for young people too, with opportunities for learners of all ages. It’s all about empowering people to tap into their potential and achieve.

The Technical Department is part of the wider Production Department, led by the Technical Manager and comprises of the Head of Lighting & AV, Head of Sound, Head of Stage, and three multi-disciplinary Technicians. The department work on all Produced and Received shows, and on external hires and internal projects, including the theatre's large Youth Theatre and outreach events. The department provides all aspects of technical theatre support, from set builds to show operation, fit-ups to get outs, workshops with school groups to assisting the university Theatre Arts students; if there’s a technical part then we’re part of it.

About The Role

The Head of Lighting & AV line-manages the Lighting Department, overseeing the day-to-day duties of the team, ensuring their Health and Safety and welfare, and assessing any training and development needs. Duties for Produced work will include working with designers to accurately and safely realise their plans, and the design and creation of practical effects. For Received work, duties will include liaising with incoming companies to match their requests to our equipment, and managing the rigging of lighting and AV in a safe and timely manner. All to the highest standards possible within the time and financial resources agreed and available. The job involves both hands-on and office-based work, and regular evenings and weekends will be expected.

Salary - £28,520 To £31,689 per annum plus overtime and UKT/BECTU Get-Outs as applicable. Potential interview dates - 24th/25th February

About You

You will have good experience in a lead Lighting and/or AV role in a professional theatre or entertainments venue, you will have solid knowledge and expertise of technical theatre, including producing shows. You will have proven leadership skills, and have the ability to work with a wide range of people, personalities, and departments, sometimes under a great deal of time pressure. You will be competent and confident in regards to industry Health and Safety, accomplished and accurate in IT skills and record-keeping, and have an interest in supporting learners of all ages. As this role involves working with young people, a full DBS check will be required.

Principal accountabilities

• Lead the team of lighting technicians, ensuring the wellbeing, motivation, professional development and satisfactory conduct of all assigned staff.
• Directly supervise the work of technicians.
• Instruct team members, allocate work and ensure work is processed accurately and on time.
• Overseeing and running fit-ups, get-outs and operating shows in accordance with staff rotas.
• Administrating the running of the department; providing schedules, budgets and time sheets as required.
• Recruit, supervise, and manage all Lighting Department team members working at Derby Theatre ensuring their time is scheduled as effectively as possible adhering to the UK Theatre/BECTU Agreement.
• Use judgement, technical knowledge and expertise to provide advice, guidance and solutions in your specialist areas of risk and expenditure.
• Influence outcomes to achieve long term resilience for your department.
• To be a proactive member of the production team promoting and maintaining high production values.
• Keep yourself and your team aware of developments and issues developing in Derby Theatre and the wider theatre industry.
• Identify and ensure appropriate training and induction is given to all departmental staff and provide in-house training wherever possible.
• To deputise in the absence of the Technical Manager.
• Work closely with multiple touring companies, directors and designers to ensure their artistic vision can be safely delivered, and within timescale and budget.
• Operating shows in accordance with staff rotas.
• To act as Duty Technician, as required, taking responsibility for the security of the building, its occupants and associated equipment.
• Being familiar and complying with current Health & Safety regulations relevant to the industry and keeping abreast of changes to such regulations.
• Implementing and overseeing Health & Safety in all backstage and onstage areas, including the control room, adhering to Health & Safety regulations and the in-house Health & Safety policy.
• Responsible for creating and monitoring suitable risk assessments and method statements for all department related activities, and producing and maintaining PAT, COSHH and any other Health & Safety records relevant to the department as required.
• To liaise with the Head of Production regarding production or building Health & Safety issues that may affect performing or incoming companies.
• Set and lead standards for in house safe electrical working, and work with designers and directors to be sure incoming rigs can be safely achieved.
• Translate complex rig and patch plans to the stage, using expertise at design stage to negotiate, influence and inform the creative team to produce workable schemes of design.
• Plan, oversee, create, and install all rehearsal and production practicals as necessary.
• Ensure that assigned budgets are managed efficiently and to assist the Head of Production and Technical Manager in financial planning and budgeting objectives.
• Costing and sourcing hires and materials for productions and rehearsals as required.
• Ordering equipment and consumables as necessary in accordance with budgets and financial procedures.
• To identify additional income generation opportunities from department resources.
• To keep up to date with environmental best practice in the theatre industry, such as the Green Book and Julie’s Bicycle monitoring tools.
• To monitor the use of materials and equipment in use, looking at levels of re-use, recycling, and reduced energy consumption.
• To champion and develop the use of more environmental policies in the production department.
• Actively understand and promote the values and mission of the Learning Theatre.
• Actively support Derby Theatre’s Learning Theatre model, including engaging with the University of Derby’s Theatre-related higher education provision.
• Lead and facilitate learning opportunities and support the theatre’s wider role as a learning environment.
• Provide technical support to assigned learning productions and projects.
• To keep up to date with developments in the industry as they relate to your role, and to contribute to the overall development of the department and organisation.

Person specification

Experience

• A proven track-record of working in a lighting department in a similar-sized Producing and Receiving theatre.
• Experience of programming ETC lighting desks for mid-scale to large shows.
• Experience of QLab operation/programming for mid-scale to large shows.
• Experience of video programming.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Proven leadership and communication skills, with the ability delegate and to take control when needed, while remaining calm under pressure.
• Comprehensive knowledge and practical experience of theatre lighting and AV equipment and rigging techniques.
• Comprehensive knowledge of programming and troubleshooting ETC consoles.
• Comprehensive knowledge of programming and troubleshooting QLab.
• Ability to work from technical drawings.
• Ability to carry out the physical demands of the role, including Get Ins and Outs, working at height, and evening and weekend work as required.
• Knowledge of working with and implementation of the UKT/BECTU agreement.
• Willingness and ability to support learners of different ages, including students and young people.
• Excellent I.T. skills.

Business Requirements

• Completed DBS check.
• Evening, weekend, and Bank Holiday work will be required.

Desirable Criteria

Qualifications

• Recognised qualification in Health and Safety.
• Recognised electrical qualification.
• IPAF and/or Tallescope certificate.
• First Aid training.
• Full UK driving license.

Experience

• Experience of working in a similar role.
• Experience of managing budgets.
• Experience working with students and/or young people.

Skills, Knowledge And Abilities

• Skills in CAD software such as AutoCAD or Vectorworks.
• Confidence with counterweight flying systems.
• An understanding of environmental issues and how theatre production contributes to them.

Benefits

Please refer to the job description for Derby Theatre benefits. Please note benefits from University of Derby do not apply.

Key contact

For further information and informal enquiries regarding the role, please contact Mike Redley, Head of Production via m.redley@derby.ac.uk. For enquiries regarding your application and for sponsorship eligibility, please contact the recruitment team via recruitment@derby.ac.uk.

Important information

Visa Sponsorship Eligibility: The Theatre is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers under the Skilled Worker route for this role; however, applications are welcome from candidates who are able to demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.

DBS check: This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974 and is therefore subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

Equity, diversity and inclusion: At Derby Theatre we aim to actively champion and celebrate diversity in all its forms. We are committed to equality of opportunity for all of those we work with and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, caring responsibilities, disability, gender, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. We positively encourage disabled people, people of various heritages and backgrounds. We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer and invite adjustments to ensure equitable participation in recruitment.

Environmental Sustainability: At the University of Derby, we are passionate about embedding sustainability into everything that we do. We aim to bring environmental sustainability into all aspects of the University, including teaching, research and operational activities. We expect all staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University's objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.