Senior Performing Arts Technician

Midlands Arts Centre; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) seeks a Senior Performing Arts Technician to lead technical services for productions, performances and events in our spaces, and to oversee maintenance and servicing of MAC's performing arts facilities.

You will line-manage core and variable-hour technicians, supervise schedules, recruit and train staff, interpret technical plans, ensure health and safety compliance, and collaborate with visiting companies to deliver high quality, safe technical support across theatre,

Qualifications

• Level 2+ qualification in any subject.
• Minimum 2 years’ experience in a similar role.
• Proven experience supporting live events across multiple artforms.
• Ability to interpret technical plans and specifications.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills.
• Excellent communication and teamwork.
• Willingness to work flexible hours.

Responsibilities

• Deliver technical support for theatre, dance, music and comedy productions.
• Lead line management and scheduling for technicians and apprentices.
• Recruit, induct and train staff and work placements.
• Oversee maintenance, safety and compliance of technical spaces.
• Manage service contracts and stock control for equipment.
• Collaborate with visiting companies to meet their technical requirements.
• Prepare technical scripts and provide basic stage management support.
• Operate lighting, sound and AV and rigging as required.
• Ensure high production values and safe working practices.

Skills

Lighting & AV operation

Team leadership

Health & Safety knowledge

Live events support

Communication

Problem solving

Flexibility

Education

Level 2 qualification

Tools

IPAF/PASMA

Job description

Midlands Arts Centre (MAC) is an exciting, ambitious arts centre which offers a wide array of free exhibitions, theatre, music, cinema and comedy performances as well as creative learning and participation activities. Well-loved and well-used, it’s a relaxed, friendly place attracting a diverse mix of visitors, situated in the leafy Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham. We are currently recruiting for a Senior Performing Arts Technician to join our technical resources department.

Job Purpose

The Senior Performing Arts Technician is responsible for the management and delivery of consistent and high-quality technical services relating to productions, performances and events in the centre, and for the maintenance and technical servicing of MAC's performing arts spaces.

Key Responsibilities

Technical Duties

• Deliver technical support for a wide variety of theatre, dance, music and comedy productions; amateur events; community events and conferences.
• Maintain high production values, ensure the highest standards of presentation for all MAC's work.
• Carry out get ins and get outs for touring productions.
• Operate lighting, sound and AV for live events.
• Rig and focus lighting, sound and AV, accurately interpret plans and tech specs.
• Construct sets and carry out basic carpentry.
• Realise visiting designer’s technical designs; provide events without an external designer with appropriate lighting, sound and staging.
• Act as Duty Technician for performances and events, liaising with front of house teams.
• Identify technical needs for events, ensure those needs are met appropriately.
• Provide basic stage management duties for visiting shows and co-productions.
• Prepare technical scripts for show operation.
• Safely work at height using ladders; tallescopes and powered access.
• Operate motorised and hemp flying systems.
• On occasions to provide technical assistance on behalf of MAC to external agencies.

Coordination

• Line management of core and variable hour Performing Arts Technicians; Technical Assistants and Apprentices. Supervise their work and conduct reviews and/or appraisals.
• Create effective team schedules to ensure all events receive appropriate technical support.
• Carry out recruitment, inductions and training of technicians and work placements.
• Keep Technical Specifications and other documentation up to date.
• Liaise with companies for hired and programmed events, providing information about MAC’s equipment and systems and advising on how to achieve their technical requirements. Interpret their technical requirements in order to schedule and provide services appropriately.
• Communicate and carry out site visits with hires customers and companies programmed by the arts teams, providing appropriate support.
• Disseminate information to technicians to ensure they are appropriately informed about the events they work on.
• In conjunction with the Performances Programmer and Head of Technical Resources, order and hire materials, distributing as necessary and keeping accurate records.
• Stock control of theatre consumables.

Health and Safety

• Be responsible for Health & Safety within the performing arts spaces. This will include:
• Hazard identification and writing Risk Assessments
• Creating method statements for safe working practises
• Ensuring that electrical equipment is safe to use, keeping PAT testing records
• Assessing risk assessments written by others
• Responsible for adhering to the Construction Design Management (2015) regulations in line with MAC’s CDM policy.
• Follow established safe working practices in the pursuance of duties and adhere to MAC's risk assessments and Health and Safety Policy.
• Ensure that visiting companies, artists, and technicians follow established safe working practices and adhere to MAC's risk assessments and Health and Safety Policy.

Maintenance

• Oversee the annual maintenance of performance spaces, PAT testing and thorough cleaning of equipment.
• Ensure the safe operation, maintenance and repair of equipment within the department's control and recommend when outside assistance may be required.
• Manage the relevant service contracts within the department, schedule maintenance and liaise with external engineers. These may include LOLER inspections; electrical inspections; powered access; theatre equipment and auditorium seating.
• Carry out routine maintenance of the dance studios and conference rooms, ensuring the sound and AV systems are functioning effectively.
• Keep stage, studio and storage spaces clean and tidy, make sure MAC provides a safe and professional working environment.

Working with others

• Liaise with MAC’s producers and Commercial Hires team to ensure the needs of visiting companies are met.
• Work alongside the other technical teams at MAC, sharing knowledge and expertise.

General

• Keep up to date with technical advances and practices related to the job role.
• Ensure that the centre works as an effective and welcoming base and that facilities and services are appropriately provided.
• Participate in training and development activities as required and to assist with the training and development of colleagues as appropriate.
• Implement MAC’s Environmental Policy and consider how this role can contribute to MAC’s sustainability goals.
• Further, promote and ensure the implementation of the equal opportunities, diversity, safeguarding and health & safety policies of MAC.

Any other duties which may reasonably be required to support cross-organisational needs

All staff are expected to further, promote, and ensure the implementation of MAC’s equal opportunities policies.

Our commitment to diversity and equality is a long-standing one. Our aim is to ensure that MAC’s work draws on and reflects the full range of backgrounds and perspectives to be found in the communities we serve.

Our ambition is that the leadership and workforce is more reflective of the diversity of contemporary England. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from people of all cultures and ethnicities, including those that may experience racism in our society, those with LGBTQ+ identities, neurodivergent and/or d/Deaf and disabled and those that have experienced socio and economic barriers.

Note

This job description outlines the principal responsibilities and duties of the post holder. It is not meant to be, nor is it, an exhaustive list of specific responsibilities and duties. The post holder will be expected to undertake any other duties which could reasonably be expected as being within the remit of the post and which arise out of changes in legislation, regulations, orders, rules and working practices, methods and procedures and reviews, as directed from time to time.

Hours of work will include weekend and evening work.

Person Specification

Core

• Level 2 or above qualification in any subject
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in similar role
• Proven experience supporting live events across a wide variety of artforms.
• Line management of technical teams including scheduling.
• Strong practical knowledge of lighting; sound and AV, have rigging and operation capabilities in all of these.
• Knowledge of relevant Health & Safety legislation e.g. CDM; LOLER
• Maintenance of equipment and spaces, including PAT testing.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and create technical plans and specifications.
• Ability to fault-find damaged stock, identify and execute solutions for technical equipment.
• Excellent communication skills, able to liaise with internal teams and external partners professionally and effectively.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills.
• Proactive approach and strong problem-solving ability.
• Commitment to equal opportunity and inclusion with consideration to how the performance spaces serve their users.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to maintaining high production values.
• Willingness to work flexible hours.

Desirable

• Qualification in technical theatre
• Health & Safety certification e.g. risk assessments, electrical safety.
• IPAF/PASMA
• Experience in an arts centre or multi-disciplinary venue.
• Experience in managing service contracts.
• Experience supporting community events.
• Hemp and powered flying.
• Competence in hazard identification and writing risk assessments.
• Lighting and/or sound design.
• Stage management.
• Confident working at height.
• Self-motivated, flexible and adaptable.
• Organised and orderly.
• Experience of sustainability in technical theatre e.g. Theatre Green Book.
• Willingness to acquire additional technical skills e.g. live broadcast

Deadline

Applications can be received at any time until midnight 18 October 2026.

Late applications will not be considered.

Please be aware that we may close this vacancy before the stated deadline if we receive a high number of applications. We strongly advise you to submit your application as early as possible.

Short-listing

Shortlisted candidates will be informed at the latest by the end of day on Friday 23 October 2026.

Interviews

Interviews will be held Thursday 29 October 2026.

Hours

37.5