Mega Mega: Exhibition Production Manager

Salary Fee: £4,000 (excluding any negotiated expenses)

MEGA MEGA is an immersive exhibition exploring Romford’s electronic music and club culture between 1989 and 1999. Through archive material, oral histories, artist commissions, sound, film and interactive installations, the exhibition will celebrate Romford’s role in shaping London’s rave, jungle, garage and drum & bass culture. The curatorial vision combines museum-quality interpretation with the atmosphere and energy of club culture, using a former nightclub as the exhibition venue. The Exhibition Production Manager will oversee the practical delivery of the exhibition from approved design through installation, opening and de-installation. Working closely with the Curator, Executive Producers, Exhibition Designer and Graphic Design Team and Havering London team, they will coordinate all production activity to ensure the exhibition is delivered safely, on time, within budget and in accordance with the approved exhibition designs and technical specifications. The Exhibition Production Manager will be appointed once the exhibition design has been approved and will oversee its delivery through fabrication, installation, opening and de-installation.

Key Responsibilities

Exhibition Production

• Develop and maintain the exhibition production schedule.
• Coordinate the delivery of the approved exhibition design and technical specifications.
• Work from the layouts, technical drawings and fabrication specifications prepared by the Exhibition Designer.
• Coordinate the installation programme across all artists, designers, contractors and suppliers, identifying and resolving scheduling conflicts.
• Coordinate exhibition build, installation and de-rig.
• Coordinate the fabrication and installation of exhibition furniture, display structures and graphics in accordance with the approved exhibition design.
• Overseeing production of printed material for exhibition displays.
• Liaise with the Exhibition Designer to resolve practical production issues and ensure the approved designs are delivered accurately.
• Manage production budgets and monitor expenditure.

Artist & Commission Delivery

• Coordinate the delivery of all commissioned artworks including any: installation requirements technical specifications transport insurance requirements installation schedules
• Liaise directly with artists to ensure work is delivered on time.

Venue Coordination

• Ensure the venue is operational, safe and ready for public opening.
• Ensure the venue is fully operational before opening

Audio Visual & Technical Delivery

• Coordinate installation and testing of: projection sound systems lighting media players interactive installations listening stations archive displays headphones networking where required
• Work with specialist AV contractors to ensure all equipment is installed and commissioned in accordance with the approved exhibition design and technical specifications

Exhibition Build

• Manage all contractors during installation including: fabricators electricians AV installers decorators printers signage installers graphic designers (during artwork production and installation)

Collections & Archive

• Coordinate installation of archive material including: showcases framing graphics object handling loans condition reporting
• Work alongside Havering Museum and the Curator to ensure archive material is installed safely and in accordance with agreed handling and display requirements

Health & Safety Lead

• Lead on exhibition Health & Safety including: Risk Assessments Method Statements contractor documentation installation safety arrangements for visitor safety emergency procedures
• Ensure compliance with all venue requirements.

Procurement

• Procure and coordinate: equipment hire exhibition furniture graphics vinyl AV equipment transport storage installation materials

Logistics

• Maintain the production critical path and identify delivery risks, escalating issues where necessary, and coordinate: delivery schedules artwork transport courier bookings installation timetable volunteer support during install de-install and returns

Opening

• Coordinate all final preparations including: snagging technical testing artist sign-off exhibition handover opening event logistics

Site Information

The exhibition will be presented within an existing premises in Romford town centre The commission relates to the entrance level and first floor only. The remainder of the building will be closed to visitors and is outside the scope of this commission. The entrance level will form the exhibition’s Record Shop, a functioning retail space and social hub where visitors can browse records, purchase merchandise, listen to music and oral histories, and gather for informal talks and events. The first floor will accommodate the main exhibition, including immersive environments exploring record shops, home studios, pirate radio, dance culture, commissions and oral histories.

Supporting information, including floor plans and photographs of the existing spaces are available on request.

Skills and Experience Required

• Demonstrable experience delivering exhibitions, immersive installations or large-scale cultural projects.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills.
• Experience managing contractors, suppliers and installation teams.
• Strong understanding of exhibition production, fabrication and AV delivery.
• Experience managing production budgets and schedules.
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of health and safety legislation and production compliance.
• Ability to work collaboratively with artists, designers and project partners.
• A proactive, calm and flexible approach to managing complex projects and tight deadlines.
• Experience working in museums, galleries or heritage settings.
• Experience delivering projects in temporary or non-traditional venues.
• Knowledge of collections care and exhibition installation.
• Experience of community-engaged cultural projects.

Working Relationships The Exhibition Production Manager will work closely with the Curator, Executive Producers, exhibition designers, commissioned artists, contractors and Havering London team to ensure the successful delivery of the exhibition. They will act as the lead for all exhibition production and installation activity, ensuring the agreed curatorial vision is delivered safely, on time and within budget.

Disability Confident Employer

We can confirm that we are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 1-3) who can welcome a wide-range of disabled applicants within our level of training.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer and welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, regardless of their race, disability, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion and belief, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity and caring responsibility. We are committed to offering a working environment where everyone is valued and feels appreciated.