What are the responsibilities and job description for the Technical Director position at Bates College?
Job no: 492985
Work type: Staff Full Time - Full Year
Location: Lewiston, ME
Categories: Academic Affairs: Academic Programs and Departments
Title: Technical Director
Position Purpose:
Provide technical support for Theater & Dance productions and student thesis projects/productions (non-academic, written thesis) in Schaeffer Theatre, Gannett Theater, Martin Andrucki Black Box Theatre, Marcy Plavin Dance Studio, and site-specific spaces on campus. Act as the departmental liaison to the Bates Dance Festival on campus. Collaborate with Theater & Dance faculty and staff to achieve departmental mission and goals.
Job Duties:
- Under the supervision of the faculty Production Manager, hire, supervise, and train students and work study employees with varying skill levels in the scene shop and various storage spaces.
- Provide technical direction for faculty and student productions space management.
- Advise on capital purchases, budget management and monitoring.
- Create construction drawings from design elevations; oversee construction of scenery and stage props; oversee hang and focus of lighting instruments; maintain shop equipment and purchase supplies.
- Teach safe technical theater skills with effective practices to students working in theater spaces and shops. Work with students and colleagues in the shops to ensure safe and timely completion of scenic and lighting needs.
- Coordinate with the production team to ensure safe and efficient technical rehearsals and maintenance of department equipment and facilities.
- Ensure that all design and technical work is done in a safe manner. Adhering to department rules and good practices for production work, and that all fire and injury prevention regulations are followed.
- Maintain safe standards and a clean environment.
- Oversee all the Department’s theatrical spaces, including 3 theaters, 2 dance studios and their lobby area, multiple storage facilities on and off campus, 4 dressing rooms, backstage spaces, a lounge, and classrooms. The list below outlines examples of the type of essential work that occurs around the production schedule/calendar.
- Handle general repairs and tool maintenance, deep cleaning, dismantling and recycling, upgrades, and safety inspections. Organize and maintain the hardware section, paint area, hand and power tools, lumber racks, cleaning tools and supplies, and hazardous materials. Purchase and restock commonly used supplies.
- Manage all types of equipment including, lighting, audio, visual, rigging and hardware, as well as software and technology.
- Meet with production team members to discuss ongoing plans and requirements for the upcoming season.
- Train and develop on AutoCAD, Vectorworks, Qlab, EOS, Isadora, Audio Visual programs, and Networking.
- Act as departmental liaison for the Bates Dance Festival (BDF), resource for theater inventory and systems, and an important connection to the larger Bates community, local vendors and professionals. Attend meetings throughout the year to help provide consistency and support before the arrival of BDF summer staff.
- Maintain an inventory of all equipment and systems as well as a detailed description of the various spaces and specifications. As we upgrade, make changes to our stock, and purchase additional equipment, these changes need to be recorded, updated and organized into a shareable format. Inventory of, but limited to: lighting and digital media, scene shop equipment, sound/audio equipment, soft goods, marley, risers and chairs.
- Schedule includes nights and weekends around technical rehearsals and performances.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education
B.A. or B.F.A in technical theater production and three years professional experience OR commensurate professional work experience.
Experience
- Experience supervising students.
- Experience in managing schedules, personnel, and budgets.
- Knowledge of standard theatrical production practices including scenic carpentry, electrical work, rigging, sewing, and painting..
- Requires strong artistic, technical, administrative, and organizational skills, the ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple projects, and communicate effectively with a wide range of persons.
- Experience in sound engineering and control; familiarity with video equipment and control.
- Experience in equipment and facility maintenance.
- Experience with theater-specific software such as Vectorworks, AutoCad, Qlab, Microsoft Office, Google suite, Adobe software.
Skills and Knowledge
- Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
- In-depth knowledge of technical production for the performing arts.
- Strong organization and communication skills, able to manage projects accurately and in a timely way.
- Understands concepts of student instruction in a supportive manner.
- Enthusiasm for experimentation with “cutting edge” practices.
- Desire to possess the most knowledge of professional, instructional, and safety practices.
Benefits:
Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal days, 13 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more), and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug and smoke-free workplace.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.
Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at glexow@bates.edu.
About Bates:
Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.
Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin.
Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology — that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.
Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.
The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community, Maine’s second-largest urban area with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.
Advertised: 1 Apr 2025
