Production Manager
DESCRIPTION
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday with occasional night and weekend work based on production needs
How to Apply: Qualified applicants should submit their resume and cover letter to employment@detroitopera.org
Position Summary:
The Production Manager is a key member of the production team and serves as the primary liaison for all production personnel who work behind-the-scenes, including but not limited to designers, stage managers, costume, wardrobe, wig & makeup, and vendors, and providing them with a welcoming and supportive environment. In this role, the incumbent manages the day-to-day production planning for opera, dance, and other institutional events or activities requiring production support.
Responsibilities:
Production:
Create and maintain keyboard tuning schedules for all Detroit Opera events; manage contracts, working relationship, communication, and schedule for tuning technician(s).
Review technical riders and collect feedback from technical department to respond to dance companies, designers, etc. promptly.
Assist with preparing production budgets, forecasts, and co-production budget settlements.
Ensure hospitality logistics and servicing for all production personnel and contribute to creating a welcoming and supportive environment.
Produce informational materials for production personnel, including but not limited to parking, venue/company protocols & policies.
Coordinate the booking of travel, housing accommodations, and ground transportation for visiting production personnel.
Assist with filing of visa applications for visiting foreign production personnel.
Review program book and website content to ensure accuracy of production personnel information for each production.
Act as primary liaison with and between designers, directorial staff, technical department, costume department, WMU crew, etc.
Hire, contract, and supervise production personnel including supertitles operator, WMU personnel.
Schedule Administration:
Manage and ensure accuracy of production schedules for all opera and dance, working closely with the Technical Department, Costume Director, Designers, and Stage Management Teams to ensure clear, timely, efficient, and thorough communication among all constituents.
General Management:
Participate in regular production and artistic meetings.
Participate in union negotiations and ensure compliance with IATSE, AFM, and AGMA collective bargaining agreements.
Attend rehearsals and performances as a representative of the Production Department;
Process invoices in a timely manner.
Assist the Chief Programming Officer (Director of Production) as assigned.
Prepare agendas and materials and manage cross-departmental production meetings involving artistic, marketing/PR, facilities, events, education-community, dance, etc. to ensure transparency and clarity of information.
Required Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree in performing arts field, production, technical, or equivalent professional experience;
3+ years of experience working for a performing arts organization or production experience;
Ability to make informed decisions and discern when issues need to be escalated;
Superior planning and organizational skills along with a high attention to detail is essential;
Ability to handle emergencies, prioritize projects and meet deadlines;
Excellent communication skills with the ability to collaborate in a team environment across the institution to achieve overall collective goals;
Demonstrated independent, mature judgment;
Ability to consistently maintain a professional image and demeanor, especially in stressful situations;
Must be able to approach needs creatively, accurately and quickly to resolve problems and achieve successful outcomes within a larger organizational context;
Proficient with Microsoft Office and able to learn and use various database and planning software;
Ability to work a flexible schedule that includes evenings, weekends, and some holidays
Ability to understand diverse perspectives and acknowledge the significance of differences and complexities in background, cultures, values and viewpoints as the foundation for an inclusive environment.
Desired Qualifications:
Supervisory experience;
Experience working with unions;
Essential functions/physical demands:
The person in this position routinely moves materials weighing up to 30 pounds
The person in this position must be able to remain in a stationary position for periods of time
The person in this position occasionally ascends/descends ladders
The person in this position occasionally moves throughout the building to access files
The person in this position routinely moves through a backstage low-light environment with a changing layout.
The person in this position routinely communicates verbally using a headset or radio.
Application Deadline:
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended. Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.
Additional Information:
Detroit Opera is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and encourages all employees to fully incorporate their diverse backgrounds, skills, and life experiences into their work and towards the fulfillment of the MOT mission.
About Detroit Opera:
Founded in 1971, Detroit Opera (DO) is the premier multi-disciplined producer and presenter for opera, musical theatre, and dance in the Great Lakes Region. Based in the city of Detroit, the organization engages artists of national and international stature for stellar main stage and outreach performances, and provides compelling cultural enrichment programs for the diverse audiences and communities that it serves, making it one of Detroit’s pillars of arts and culture. DO is among a select few opera companies nationwide to own its theatre, the historic 2,700-seat Detroit Opera House, which is located in the heart of downtown Detroit.
DO is seen as the most innovative opera company in America. DO garnered great critical and popular acclaim during the pandemic for its socially distanced, drive-thru production of Twilight : Gods, an adaptation of Wagner’s Götterdämmerung. Brainchild of new Artistic Director Yuval Sharon, Twilight : Gods was performed across multiple levels in DO’s own parking structure and provided performance opportunities for local cast and orchestra members, in addition to international opera stars. Lauded for past projects such as his reverse chronological staging of Puccini’s La Bohème, Sharon in July premiered a high-tech reimagining of a Wagner opera.
For more information, please visit https://detroitopera.org
BENEFITS
Pay Range: $60,000 - $65,000 Annual
HOW TO APPLY
How to Apply: Qualified applicants should submit their resume and cover letter to employment@detroitopera.org
Application Email/Link: detroitopera.org/auditions-employment/