Job (Calgary): Head of Production – Ambrose Arts

Theatre Alberta; Calgary; On-site; CAD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Head of Production at Ambrose Arts works across the Office of Advancement and Ambrose Arts to deliver high-quality campus events and productions. The role combines budgeting, scheduling, and technical oversight to ensure timely and safe execution of set, lighting, sound, and design elements across venues.

Based in Calgary, this 11-month salaried position involves mentoring student artists, coordinating with facilities and IT, and managing a diverse crew to achieve the highest production

Qualifications

• Degree in Technical Theatre or equivalent with professional training/experience.
• Experience creating and managing budgets and cost estimation.
• Experience working with the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA) and Associated Designers of Canada (ADC).
• Experience with music performance—opera, orchestra, musical theatre, jazz (reading a score helpful).
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to maintain high workmanship quality and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Attend weekly Advancement meetings.
• Plan productions including rehearsals, deadlines, and venue maintenance.
• Manage personnel, designers, stage management, carpenters, and technicians.
• Schedule production meetings and liaise between directors and designers.
• Ensure design/specifications are followed and tax/contract compliance is met.
• Oversee crew calls, builds, load-ins/strikes, and off-campus/site work.
• Coordinate budgeting, procurement, and maintenance of equipment.
• Support student volunteers and facilitate opportunities with staff.

Skills

Project management

Budgeting experience

CTA/ADC experience

Music performance knowledge

Attention to detail

Production techniques

Crew supervision

Collaboration with designers/directors

Communication skills

Quality workmanship

Education

Degree in Technical Theatre

Excel knowledge with formulas

Valid Driver’s License

Drafting software knowledge (asset)

Certifications are an asset (First Aid, etc.)

Tools

Excel

QLab

Job description

Home » Blog » Job (Calgary): Head of Production - Ambrose Arts

The Virgin Trial - Alberta Theatre Projects The Virgin Trial
Alberta Theatre Projects

Directed by: Glynis Leyshon
Written by: Kate Hennig
Actors Pictured: Nigel Shawn Williams, Jamie Konchak, Emma Houghton, Conrad Belau & Sarah Orenstein
Set Design: Scott Reid.
Lighting Design: David Fraser
Costume Design: Heather Moore
Photo: Benjamin Laird

Photo Credits

Directed by: Glynis Leyshon
Written by: Kate Hennig
Actors Pictured: Nigel Shawn Williams, Jamie Konchak, Emma Houghton, Conrad Belau & Sarah Orenstein
Set Design: Scott Reid.
Lighting Design: David Fraser
Costume Design: Heather Moore
Photo: Benjamin Laird

Job (Calgary): Head of Production - Ambrose Arts

The Head of Production (HP) is a collaborative team member with a passion for production excellence, as well as mentoring and training aspiring student artists. The successful candidate will demonstrate proficiency in project management, technical direction, time management, personnel management, financial management, facility management and conflict resolution skills. The duties may also include creative assignments, such as design, depending on the qualifications and skill of the candidate.

This position is a member of the Office of Advancement team, but by agreement, Ambrose Arts oversees and evaluates the work involved with its various productions. Splitting time between the two departments, the Head of Production is responsible for encouraging the highest level of creation in various university events and facilitating the flow of information amongst artistic, administrative, academic, and production staff.

The HP ensures that all technical aspects of campus-wide events and the Ambrose Arts production season are carried out in a timely fashion, including set design, set construction, lighting, costume, sound, and media. In addition, the HP maintains the technical equipment and inventory, while liaising with other departments such as Facilities, IT, Advancement, etc., to provide technical solutions, budgeting, and long-term planning.

Regular Responsibilities

• Attend weekly Office of Advancement meetings.
• Attend Ambrose Arts Season Planning Committee Meetings.
• Under the direction of the Chair of Ambrose Arts,
  • Develop and monitor budgets for personnel, casual labour, seasonal supplies and production expenses related to the Production Season.
  • Schedule Ambrose Arts productions, including rehearsals and performances, design and construction deadlines, production meetings, tech weeks, strike and load-outs, and venue maintenance.
  • Identify and spec off-campus performance sites as needed.
• Manage personnel and contractors, including selection and hiring of designers, stage management, carpenters, set crew and all technicians and contractors in consultation with the appropriate department.
• Schedule and attend production meetings for individual season events.
• Liaise between directors and designers.
• Make technical information available to designers (i.e., available paints, light plot specs, etc.)
• Ensure that design is created according to the designer's specifications in keeping with elevations and models they have provided.
• Manage communication with stage management, and delegate tasks within the department.
• Schedule and supervise crew calls (including build times, if necessary), meetings, set-building days, and load-in/strike at on-campus or off-campus spaces.
• Facilitate any needed carpentry or builds.
• Work with administrative and creative staff to facilitate service hour opportunities for student volunteers.
• Solve technical problems that may arise during an event or run of a show.
• Rent and transport all gear.
• Ensure compliance with all government policies, collective agreements and engagement contracts (e.g., Canadian Theatre Agreement and Associated Designers of Canada Agreement), as well as university and department policies.
• Fulfill other responsibilities as may be reasonably assigned by the Advancement Office or Chair of Ambrose Arts.

The Office of Advancement works with various departments to produce annual campus events (orientation, graduation, Deeper Life Conference, Ambrose Research Conference, etc.) Ambrose Arts produces between ten and fifteen productions per season (September - April) and performs in various locations on site and off.

This is an 11-month salaried position with full benefits. Interviews will begin in mid-August.

Skills and Requirements

• Project Management experience in a supervisory role
• Experience in creating and managing budgets
• Experience working with the Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA) and with Associated Designers of Canada (ADC)
• Experience with music performance—opera, orchestra, musical theatre, jazz (Ability to read a musical score is helpful.)
• Proven attention to detail, consistency, and accuracy
• Familiarity with production techniques and cost estimation
• Experience leading and supervising a crew
• Experience working with designers and directors
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written
• Ability to maintain a high quality of workmanship, achieving the attention to detail that the production requires

Qualifications

• Degree in Technical Theatre OR equivalent combination of professional training and experience.
• Experience working in Excel spreadsheets using formulas
• Valid Class 5 Driver’s License (or equivalent) and clean Driver’s Abstract
• Ability to use drafting and other design software an asset
• Experience with QLab
• Certifications are an asset, including:
• Standard First Aid
• Possession and Acquisition License
• Fall Arrest Certification
• Pyrotechnics License

Hours

40 hours per week on average, with time off to compensate for more intense periods, which are likely to include some evenings and weekends.

Compensation

$55,000 - $60,000 annual salary based on experience. Pro-rated to 11 months. July is the preferred off-duty month, but alternative timing can be negotiated.

Theatre Alberta does not necessarily endorse the organizations and/or individuals submitting Classified listings on our site. It is the responsibility of each patron using the Theatre Alberta Classifieds to research the integrity of the organizations who submit listings to which they are applying/responding and to verify specific information, especially pertaining to the job/audition listings and youth listings.