Assistant Production Manger

Royal Shakespeare Company; Stratford-upon-Avon; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

Royal Shakespeare Company seeks a developing theatre professional for a 24-month fellowship in production management based in Stratford-upon-Avon. The role offers hands-on experience alongside Production Managers across increasing-scale shows, with focus on delivering work safely, sustainably, on time and within budget.

You will assist with design through delivery, help manage budgets and schedules, support risk assessments, and collaborate with creative, technical and production teams.

Qualifications

• Experience supporting live theatre productions or backstage roles.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Ability to manage varied workload and changing priorities.
• Experience with budgets and cost monitoring.
• Understanding of Health & Safety legislation and risk assessments.
• Knowledge of sustainable theatre practices a plus (Theatre Green Book).
• IOSH qualification or willingness to undertake training.

Responsibilities

• Assist with managing the production process from design through construction to delivery on stage.
• Help ensure project parameters, timescales, budgets and milestones are understood by creative teams.
• Research materials, obtain quotes, and support purchasing, prioritising sustainability.
• Liaise with production, technical and operational teams for effective planning and delivery.
• Assist with production administration, including schedules, budgets, risk assessments and documentation.
• Coordinate transport, storage and logistics with internal departments and external suppliers.
• Encourage reuse of materials and resources aligned with sustainability objectives.
• Support staffing planning and requirements as needed.

Skills

Organisational skills

Time management

Communication

Budget handling

Stakeholder management

Health & Safety

Job description

Are you looking to develop your career in theatre production management? Have you gained experience in production management or a backstage theatre role? Can you manage competing priorities effectively whilst working collaboratively to solve problems?

We have a 24-month fellowship opportunity available for an exceptional emerging theatre professional, seeking to specialise in production management. This role is suited to individuals within their first 1-3 years working in the industry, including recent graduates, those who have completed an apprenticeship and/or those working in small-scale theatre.

Working alongside our Production Managers, you will gain hands‑on experience across Stratford‑upon‑Avon productions of increasing scale and complexity, collaborating with creative, technical and production teams to help deliver work safely, sustainably, on time and within budget.

This unique development role champions Creative Brilliance at the RSC by providing crucial support to the production managers to deliver world‑class theatre productions, collaborating with all production and technical departments, and ensuring health and safety needs are met. You will develop your knowledge of making theatre at a larger scale, building up to successfully production managing a show in The Other Place at the end of the contract (schedule dependent).

Reporting to the Production Managers, key responsibilities include (please see the Role Profile for the comprehensive list):

• Assist with managing the production process from design through construction to delivery on stage.
• Help ensure creative teams understand project parameters, timescales, budgets and key production milestones.
• Research materials and suppliers, obtain quotes and support purchasing activities, prioritising sustainable options where possible.
• Liaise with production, technical and operational teams to support effective planning and delivery of productions.
• Assist with production administration, including schedules, budgets, risk assessments and project documentation.
• Coordinate transport, storage and logistics with internal departments and external suppliers.
• Encourage the reuse of materials and production resources in line with the Theatre Green Book and our sustainability objectives.
• Help ensure staffing requirements and specialist skills are identified and planned effectively.
• Support production operations during fit‑ups, rehearsals and performances.

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Experience of supporting live theatre productions, gained in a production management, technical theatre or other backstage role.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage a varied workload and adapt to changing priorities.
• Experience of working with budgets and monitoring expenditure.
• Understanding of Health & Safety legislation and processes, including undertaking risk assessments.
• Confidence interpreting theatre drawings and ground plans (no AutoCAD or drawing production experience required).
• Knowledge of sustainable theatre‑making practices and the Theatre Green Book, or a willingness to develop this knowledge.
• IOSH qualification or willingness to undertake training.
• Ability to build positive working relationships and influence a wide range of stakeholders.

This is a full‑time, fixed term contract for 24 months, based in Stratford‑upon‑Avon. You will be working 44 hours per week, averaged across six days Monday through to Sunday, with evening and weekend work required around productions.

Application Process

The closing date for applications is midnight on 23 September 2026.

Interviews will be a two‑stage process, with the first round on Teams, expected to take place in early October. The second stage will be on‑site in Stratford‑upon‑Avon in mid‑October and include a tour of our buildings.

About the RSC

The RSC strives for excellence, and values creativity, inclusivity, sustainability, collaboration, and accountability.

We can offer great benefits and aim to create a welcoming, supportive environment which is happy, healthy and safe. We place great importance upon developing a diverse, highly motivated and energised workforce to help achieve our priorities. We put our values at the heart of everything we do.

We are committed to building a diverse workforce and welcome applications from all individuals.

We believe that safeguarding children and adults is everyone's responsibility, and everybody working at the RSC has a duty to place safeguarding at the heart of their work. We welcome candidates who will support and advocate the RSC's environmental objectives continuing to improve our sustainability work and actions both on and off stage.

The Royal Shakespeare Company (no. 212481) is a registered charity.