Technical & Production Coordinator

Northwest Mississippi Community College (NWCC) is seeking a Technical & Production Coordinator for the Heindl Center for the Performing Arts. This position is responsible for assisting the venue’s Production Manager in technical production of the theater’s regular season programming, rentals, and on-campus events. In addition, the Technical & Production Coordinator aids in technical production of events held in the College’s Fine Arts Auditorium and assists with technical production of events elsewhere on campus when scheduling permits. The Technical & Production Coordinator assists in regular maintenance on improvements of all theatrical equipment and advances all events for technical lighting, audio, and staging needs in coordination with the Production Manager. The Technical & Production Coordinator provides outstanding customer service to artists, touring personnel, rental clients, and faculty and staff, responding to feedback and inquiries in a timely manner with thoughtful solutions. This position reports to the Director and the Production Manager of the Heindl Center. 

When assisting with technical needs for events in the Fine Arts Auditorium, the Technical & Production Coordinator will work collaboratively with the college’s theater faculty and students, and/or with others using that venue. When assisting with technical needs for other events and projects on-campus, the Technical & Production Coordinator will work collaboratively with the college’s IT staff/administrators, and other campus faculty and staff.

The Heindl Center for the Performing Arts:

The Heindl Center for the Performing Arts is a 65,000 square-foot development that presents a 1203 seat fully-equipped performance theater, including balcony seating, a reception gallery with private courtyard, and a two-story lobby entrance. Backstage areas incorporate multiple dressing rooms, a green room, and prop and costume preparation areas. The facility features classrooms, computer labs, a digital piano lab, multiple private instrument practice rooms, and a recording studio for academic music and entertainment industry pathways.  Four spacious rehearsal spaces are provided for the Northwest bands and choirs, including an outdoor, 100-yard practice field for the Northwest Marching Band. The Heindl Center hosts Broadway touring productions, celebrity attractions, visiting artists, premier lecturers, local presentations, film screenings, and on-campus events.

The Fine Arts Auditorium:

The Fine Arts Auditorium is a 403-seat performance theater including balcony seating. The venue is a traditional proscenium theater with no fly system that includes a scene shop, props, and costume storage. It includes a theatrical stage with full lighting and sound capabilities including a sound system and projection screen.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Primary Responsibilities
  • The Technical & Production Coordinator is responsible to the Production Manager for the organizing of the technical needs of the event or production, such as materials for the set, lights, sound, video, any equipment rentals and special effect needs. The Technical & Production Coordinator works with the designers and technicians to make technical rehearsals and events run smoothly.
  • The Technical & Production Coordinator assists in the supervision and maintenance of lighting and sound equipment, rigging equipment, and stocks of property and materials, maintains a current file of relevant vendors, and ensures the proper maintenance of all tools and equipment.
  • The Technical & Production Coordinator makes recommendations regarding repairs and replacement and on equipment expenditures for the lighting, sound, video, scenery, and property areas to the Production Manager. 
  • The Technical & Production Coordinator is responsible for the completion of technical elements according to the production schedule deadlines.
  • The Technical & Production Coordinator must also be present for all technical rehearsals to train and supervise pertinent student assistants and labor crews and verify the proper light and sound cue notations to be used by the event or production as well as ensure that the floor plan as laid out on the stage are correct and to scale.
• Event Administration
  • Assists in advancing the needs of incoming events/artists.
  • Assists in the restoration of the stage areas and backstage areas following each event. 
  • Aids in post-show follow-up with backstage staff to assess the outcome of each event/project and adjust operational procedures and recommend repairs and additional equipment, as necessary.
  • Occasionally serves as the Manager on Duty backstage during events and/or Front of House management as needed.  
  • Ensures the department meets and/or exceeds the fulfillment of each event’s technical requirements while meeting or coming in under the projected budget.
  • Resolves technical issues with the artist's staff.
  • Proactively encourages and/or assists with enhancing the quality of productions to meet venue standards when appropriate.
  • Reacts to and solves emergency situations requiring immediate decisions and action.
• Venue Management
  • Aids in appropriate supervision of all personnel supporting backstage operations.
  • Aids in the maintenance and procurement of all equipment, supplies, and stage-related systems. Continuously develops improvements to increase efficiency, capability, and safety.
  • Continuously considers and makes recommendations for facility upgrades and backstage equipment replacement.
• Safety
  • Promote a culture of safety in all backstage operations.
  • Frequently and personally conducts and documents walk-throughs of backstage spaces to ensure a safe working environment and repairs issues or reports problems to NWCC Physical Plant team.
  • Ensures all stage equipment is maintained and operated in the manner required of its manufacturer, college, venue, OSHA, and other regulatory or applicable laws/regulations.
  • Works in conjunction with the Director and Production Manager to develop written emergency plans to include contingencies for show interruption, show cancellation, emergency evacuation, severe weather, medical emergencies, worker/artists accidents, audience intrusion on stage, security breach, etc. 
  • Responsible for ensuring all staff are adequately trained on safety protocols and emergency plans and can execute them as needed.
• Administrative 
  • Attend and participate in weekly team meetings and other meetings as scheduled. 
  • Adhere to and maintain a designated work schedule.
  • Follow established protocols and procedures for purchasing items. 
  • Routinely read and respond to emails from NWCC colleagues and members of the visiting artists’ production team.
  • Assist Director and Assistant Director as needed in setting up areas of the venue and procuring hospitality items or other needs in preparation for events. 
  • Supervise any student workers assisting during an event.
• Other
  • Special projects and other duties may be occasionally assigned. 
  • Assist with the technical needs of on-campus audio/video projects as needed, working collaboratively with the college’s IT staff/administration.
  • Assist with the technical needs of Fine Arts events as needed, working collaboratively with the college’s theater department faculty, staff, and students. 

Qualifications:

• 1-3 years of work experience in technical stage operations of a performing arts venue.
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university in a relevant field (i.e. technical theater production) preferred.
• Scenic and lighting design experience preferred.
• Live audio engineering experience preferred.
• Experience in operating standard office equipment and Microsoft Office, specifically Outlook, Word, and Excel. 

Environmental Demands:

• Variable work shifts including working evenings and weekends.
• Long hours standing and/or moving quickly around the multi-story backstage area and venue.
• Some exposure to outside elements while supervising artist load-ins. 
• Occasional exposure to loud working environments caused by stage sound amplification.
• Occasional exposure to dim-lighting situations while shows are in progress.
• Ability to work in high spaces from ladders and aerial lifts, climb flights of stairs, and walk large venue when needed.
• Ability to lift up to 75 lbs. 

Additional requirements:

• Must be 18 years or older, dependable, and punctual.
• Willingness to work unusual and varying hours.
• Demonstrated leadership ability in creating and maintaining a safe working environment.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate orally and in writing at a professional level with the ability to be an exemplary representative of NWCC and the Heindl Center. 
• Demonstrated ability to provide a vision and leadership for the venue in terms of continuously improving backstage operations and safety.
• Demonstrated knowledge of standard theatrical stage equipment and the ability to safely operate such equipment (e.g. counter-balanced rigging, chain motor rigging, audio/visual, lighting, and electrical systems).
• Demonstrated knowledge of industry standards in terms of venue services provided to facility renters, artists, and local/touring productions and how to advance the technical requirements of touring events.
• Demonstrated ability to supervise and/or train assigned personnel. 
• Demonstrated ability to operate standard hand tools.
• Demonstrated ability to perform minor maintenance, repair, and/or modification of stage and sound equipment and oversee major maintenance & repairs.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate professionally and effectively with faculty, staff, students, the general public, and touring personnel.
• Demonstrated ability to design basic lighting plots and utilize standard theatrical lighting systems.

Application:

To apply, please submit and attach the following documents:

• Submit application at www.northwestms.edu 
• Resume
• Three (3) Professional References