Director of Production

Job Summary

Reporting to the Director of Administration and working closely with the Artistic Producer, Manager of Administrative Initiatives and Finance, and the Chair of the Theater, Dance & Media (TDM) concentration, this position oversees all elements of production related to performance, classroom activities, and co-curricular production occurring in TDM spaces. The DP will implement policies regarding space and equipment allocations; oversee production and classroom facilities needs and maintenance operations as they relate to the TDM curriculum and affiliated activities; consult on the program’s production design/technology curriculum and teach one course on technical theater, annually, as needed. This position supports the pedagogical vision as well as the administrative direction of the program.

Position Description

Staff Management and Supervision:

• Manages Theater, Dance & Media production staff and all part-time and full-time laborers affiliated with TDM curricular productions (and co-curricular events occurring in TDM controlled spaces).
• Completes performance reviews, provides feedback, and follows through on corrective action when necessary.
• Supervises production staff/teams for special programming, events.
• Mentors student workers and students involved in technical theater within and outside the TDM program.

Production Management:

• Leads the collaborative process with visiting directors/lecturers (3-5 per year), designers (5-10 per year), specialized labor (10+), and students (15+) in the execution of production safety, budget management, design/engineering/construction processes for all concentration, theses, visiting productions, special events, non-curricular events scheduled into Farkas Hall, 485 Broadway, Harvard Dance Center and other performance spaces both on campus and off as needed.
• Plans, organizes, and delegates work assignments on Theater and Dance Production Studios and other programmatic projects/performances.
• Consults with Environmental Health and Safety, Office of Physical Resources and Planning, and other arts departments and aligned science depts. on current arts health and safety practices; implements these practices into TDM performance venues, classrooms and lab spaces, particularly while navigating Covid considerations surrounding Audience/Public Safety.

Curricular Support:

• Working with Production Design/Technology faculty, helps develop and implement production design/technology components of TDM academic curriculum in courses, student crew assignments and requirements, and helps oversees student production participation requirements.
• Plays a principal leadership and planning role for technical theater in the curriculum.
• Teaches 1 course on technical theater per year, as needed.

Financial Responsibilities:

• In collaboration with Artistic Producer and Manager of Administrative Initiatives and Finance, manages TDM production and facilities budgets (including associated labor/personnel expenses).
• Tracks spending and reporting for production-related expenses.
• Consults on technology required for the curriculum housed in Farkas Hall, 485 Broadway, and Harvard Dance Center.

Facilities/Operations:

• Maintains/Designs/Consults on all curricular/operational/technological needs for Farkas Hall, 485 Broadway, Harvard Dance Center, 155 Fawcett Street (storage facility), and 1280 Mass Ave (the TDM administrative office location), as needed.

Basic Qualifications

BA/BFA required. 3 years experience in personnel management and budget management. 7+ years of professional experience may be considered, in lieu of BA/BFA.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• MA/MFA, teaching experience at the college level, specifically teaching in the production design/technology fields
• 7-10 years’ experience as a performing arts technologist and manager, with expertise in the following: production management, collaborative processes, design/maintenance/implementation of live production systems (sound, lighting, scenic/costume construction, video/projections/media), emerging technologies, safety planning/protocols
• Basic use of organizational policies and tools
• Experience managing comprehensive budgets
• Previous supervision experience of staff and undergraduate/graduate students

Certifications and Licenses

Driver’s license

Physical Requirements

The position requires a good deal of physical work including pushing, lifting, pulling, climbing, work at heights, work in tight spaces, work in woodshop environments, work in dark environments

Working Conditions

Multiple Locations, Classrooms, Workshops, Office

This position is based primarily on-campus, in Massachusetts. This may include in-person during emergency situations (if applicable). Additional details will be discussed during the interview process.

How to Apply

Click here to apply through the Harvard Careers Portal

Please submit a cover letter to be considered for this position. All formal written offers will be made by FAS Human Resources.

We regret that we will not be able to provide visa sponsorship for this position.