Head of Stage - 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 Stage, Head of Lighting & AV, Head of Sound, and three multi‑disciplinary Technicians. The department works 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 Stage line‑manages the Stage 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 managing the build of set and scenic elements in our workshop, and ensuring a full complement of competent staff are called for shows. For Received work, duties will include liaising with incoming companies to ensure their production is fit for presentation in our venue, and running the Get In and Get Out 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 evening and weekend work 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 Stage 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 stage 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 Stage 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 scenic workshop, 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 LOLER, PUWER & COSHH and any other Health & Safety records relevant to the department as required.
• To be a member of the Health & Safety committee and attend Health & Safety meetings 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 working loads and work with designers and directors to be sure incoming sets can be safely mounted.
• Translate complex design plans, ground plans and hanging plots to the stage, using expertise at design stage to negotiate, influence and inform the creative team to produce workable schemes of design.
• Creating, building set elements and props as necessary.
• Manage the workshop builds for produced shows in conjunction with the Head of Production, ensuring deadlines and scenic budgets are met.
• Book and schedule freelance scenic carpenters and artists for produced builds.
• Ensure time management whilst adhering to the set budget.
• 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 hardware 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 the stage resource.
• 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 in our sets, keeping track of types of materials and levels of re‑use and recycling.
• 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.

Person specification

Experience – Essential Criteria

• A proven track‑record of working in a stage department in a similar‑sized Producing and Receiving theatre.
• Experience of conducting, monitoring and reviewing risk assessments.
• Experience of counterweight flying.

Skills, Knowledge & Abilities

• Proven leadership and communication skills, with the ability to delegate and to take control when needed, while remaining calm under pressure.
• Comprehensive knowledge and practical experience of stage and rigging techniques.
• Proven knowledge of Health and Safety procedures and policies, including a working knowledge of COSHH, LOLER, and other related legislation.
• Proven set and scenic construction skills, including excellent carpentry and/or metalworking skills.
• 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 rigging qualification.
• IPAF and/or Tallescope certificate.
• First Aid training.
• Full UK driving license.

Experience

• Experience of powered stage machinery including stage lifts, motors and revolves.
• Experience of running a small workshop, maintaining stocks and machinery.
• Experience of drawing up and managing budgets.
• Experience working with students and/or young people.

Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

• Skills in CAD software such as AutoCAD or Vectorworks.
• Ability to program and operate theatre lighting and sound desks.
• 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. Any information you provide will be treated in confidence and only used when considering your suitability for the post. To enable us to process your DBS check please ensure you are able to supply the documentation listed on the DBS website at interview stage.

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 African or Caribbean heritage, South Asian heritage, East Asian heritage, West Asian heritage, Central Asian heritage, South East Asian heritage and people of Middle East and North African heritage and those who have experienced racism.

By the term ‘those who have experienced racism’, we are referring to individuals who have experienced discrimination based on the colour of their skin, race and/or their culture. We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer, demonstrating our commitment to disability inclusion, and invite applicants to highlight adjustments they may require to ensure equitable participation in our recruitment processes. For more information please visit the Derby Theatre website.

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. In line with the University’s strategic framework, we expect all our staff to embed sustainability into their working practices and support the University’s objective to reach net zero carbon by 2050.