Director of Production

Director of Production - Cal Performances (000460) - 41578 About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles , our Principles of Community , and our Strategic Plan .

Departmental Overview

Cal Performances is the performing arts presenting, commissioning, and producing organization based at the University of California, Berkeley. The mission of Cal Performances is to produce and present performances of the highest artistic quality, enhanced by programs that explore compelling intersections of education and the performing arts. The organization delivers a diverse artistic and educational mission to the University and surrounding communities, as well as internationally through its digital platforms. The organization delivers roughly 350 events per year, maintaining a budget size of roughly $18M and roughly 65 career staff with hundreds of part-time employees, volunteers, third-party partners, and students.

This leadership position is responsible for the implementation of technical elements for Cal Performances events and other University and third-party events staged in the Zellerbach Auditorium, Zellerbach Playhouse, Hertz Hall, Wheeler Auditorium, Hearst Greek Theater, and other off-campus venues, as necessary.

The Director of Production is responsible for our theaters' technical assets and for leading our production technical departments and contractors, including set/carpentry, lighting, sound, wardrobe, and makeup. Working with a team of 15 career production staff and dozens of occasional production staff, the Director of Production is responsible for leading the advanced production preparations. The Director of Production oversees and manages all stage needs related to the production of each event including stage equipment, staffing levels, advance work, and touring artist requirements. This position works closely with the Director of Artistic Planning and Rental Business Manager, as well as other leaders, in the planning and budgeting of all production considerations. Due to the nature of this work, this position's schedule includes extensive on-site evening and weekend hours.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: September 6, 2022.

Responsibilities

Production Advance Planning

Work with directors, designers, producers, company technical directors, and tour managers to assess and coordinate technical requirements and budgets in advance of each company's arrival.

Plan, manage, and implement all technical and staging aspects for performances and related educational/community programming, in a number of diverse performance venues.

Responsible for all aspects of financial planning and management for production portions of project budgets, working closely with the Director of Artistic Planning to optimally utilize our financial and human resources. Must manage production expenses to agreed upon budget plan, consulting with Director of Artistic Planning or Rental Business Manager when expenses must exceed the budget to minimize net impact.

Ensure the dissemination of production details to all other individuals who require it to be successful at their work.

Recommend optimal venue seating configurations for each performance and disseminate that information to internal stakeholders including Ticket Office, Front of House, Artistic Planning, Marketing, etc.

Fulfill and negotiate the requirements of contracts, technical riders, and production operations. Recommending solutions to challenges that adversely affect timelines, resources, and scope of projects.

Implement a system of reviewing all production activities after each event and documenting lessons learned and how we can continuously improve in delivering productions in effective and efficient ways, including safety, timeliness, management of expenses, employee engagement, process improvement, and artist/renter satisfaction.

Advise and specify appropriate and cost-effective equipment to be used for presentations.

Advise Cal Performances departments regarding technical needs for special events or residency activities.

Assist Rental Business Manager in developing labor estimates for rental or campus events.

Production Leadership

Directly supervise Production Department Heads, including assigning work duties and overseeing work being performed.

Oversee the recruitment, hiring, and training of Production Department Heads and all levels of Scene Technicians.

Oversee the timely and complete scheduling of all stage production labor. Production Administrative Manager will produce the schedule.

Oversee orientation sessions for newly hired Scene Technicians, ensuring that Production Department Heads provide effective and consistent onboarding to all employees.

Provide or oversee additional on-site basic theater craft instruction and training of all stage crew employees during pre-hangs, load-ins, rehearsals, shows, load-outs, and/or changeovers.

Work with Production Administrative Manager, Production Department Heads, and Human Resources to address performance management issues, including assignments, training and development, evaluation, promotions, and disciplinary matters.

Maintain a strong understanding of Labor Relations contracts with our represented employees and oversee our compliance with that contract and participate in meetings between Represented Labor, Union Leadership, and Management to address grievances and other matters.

In conjunction with the Production Administrative Manager, maintain and approve monthly payroll records for direct reports.

Assist in maintaining a safe working environment. Ensure that necessary and appropriate stage safety training is regularly provided on schedule. Advise leadership of possible risks or hazards and participate in developing and implementing mitigations.

Maintain strong relationships with third-party vendors and service providers, working closely with the Production Administration Manager to ensure that our partners deliver the goods and services we need for production in a high quality, on-time, and cost-effective manner.

On occasion, perform some duties which are the responsibilities of the Production Administrative Manager or other Production Department Heads, as determined.

Production Operations

Act as the Manager on Duty , overseeing all staging, workflow, and schedule for pre-hangs, rigging, load-ins, rehearsals, performances, load-outs, and changeover days.

In collaboration with the artists, direct the implementation of all related elements required by events. Work with touring technicians, designers, or artists during load-ins, rehearsals, performances, and load-outs in assessing and resolving event technical problems and event budgetary issues.

Act as primary manager responsible for creating a stage environment that reflects Cal Performances' high standards as well as the high standards of the artists we present.

Ensures strong communication between the production team, Artistic Planning, Event Managers, and Audience services during each event, so that the artists, renters, and audiences have an optimal experience at Cal Performances, including being a key participant and leader in our regular production and event planning cross-departmental meetings.

Lead the creation of solutions to challenges that adversely affect timelines, resources, and scope of production projects.

Arrange for the procurement of technical equipment required for an event, as needed.

Serve as onsite technical contact for event production needs.

In coordination with the Production Administrative Manager, document all event stage labor, vendors' expenses, consultants, and labor hours within designated software systems.

Assist Rental Business Manager in reporting actual labor expenses for all rental events.

Equipment and Facilities Maintenance
. click apply for full job details