Event Technician

School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Chicago, Northern (IL, KY); On-site; USD 32,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

School of the Art Institute of Chicago is seeking an AV Event Technician to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to fulfill all audiovisual requirements for live or virtual events and programming. The role demands mastery of event production across scales, from classroom lectures to large performances, with night/weekend hours as scheduled by the manager.

Candidates should have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and 2-3 years of AV experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 2-3 years’ experience using audiovisual technology for live events and performances in higher education, fine arts, theater, museum or equivalent experience.
• Live sound, lighting, and video production expertise.
• AV equipment knowledge and expertise. Maintain an understanding of current and new audiovisual technology.
• Knowledge of event capture systems and light post production skills, such as video editing and audio mixing, for outputting event videos.
• Strong computer skills with working knowledge of Zoom or other audiovisual conferencing software.
• Sensitivity to working with artists.

Responsibilities

• Supports audio visual event production. Deliver, setup, and operate audio, lighting, and visual projection systems and video content capture equipment to support live or virtual events and performances in collaboration with the AV Systems Manager.
• Coordinates and communicates with event stakeholders. Provide consultation, technically orient and assist, as well as, interact professionally with departments, clients, external, and event representatives.
• Troubleshoots and maintains display systems. Troubleshoot existing audiovisual equipment and systems in event spaces. Responsible for organization, cleanliness of technician booths, control areas, and equipment storage. Report issues to AV Systems Integrator Engineer. Track, report, and support installed equipment inventory. Verify accuracy of inventory before and after events.
• Lecture Capture for live events. Provide client or event requester with recorded media documentation of the event using the lecture capture system.
• Orients and trains freelance staff. Assist in the orientation and technical training of freelance employees by conducting technical tours of the facility, operation, and configuration of existing audiovisual systems and equipment.
• Other duties as assigned. This role is designed to be primarily focused on events and performances. SAIC’s AV team is a constantly adapting department and the role may occasionally work on projects that require overlapping expertise, such as AV equipment installations in classrooms and galleries.
• Please note that, due to the nature of events, this job will require night and weekend hours, as determined by the scheduling manager.

Skills

AV technology

Live sound

Lighting

Video production

Zoom / Conferencing

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Job description

For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top four graduate fine arts programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago Museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, and LeRoy Neiman.

About the Department

The IRFM department provides audiovisual support for events on campus as well as learning in the classroom.

Position Summary

The AV Event Technician will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders at SAIC to fulfill all technical audiovisual requirements for live or virtual produced events and/or programming. The position requires a mastery of event production at all ranges of scale, from a small classroom lecture to a sophisticated performance with audio and visual components.

Responsibilities

• Supports audio visual event production. Deliver, setup, and operate audio, lighting, and visual projection systems and video content capture equipment to support live or virtual events and performances in collaboration with the AV Systems Manager.
• Coordinates and communicates with event stakeholders. Provide consultation, technically orient and assist, as well as, interact professionally with departments, clients, external, and event representatives.
• Troubleshoots and maintains display systems. Troubleshoot existing audiovisual equipment and systems in event spaces. Responsible for organization, cleanliness of technician booths, control areas, and equipment storage. Report issues to AV Systems Integrator Engineer. Track, report, and support installed equipment inventory. Verify accuracy of inventory before and after events.
• Lecture Capture for live events. Provide client or event requester with recorded media documentation of the event using the lecture capture system.
• Orients and trains freelance staff. Assist in the orientation and technical training of freelance employees by conducting technical tours of the facility, operation, and configuration of existing audiovisual systems and equipment.
• Other duties as assigned. This role is designed to be primarily focused on events and performances. SAIC’s AV team is a constantly adapting department and the role may occasionally work on projects that require overlapping expertise, such as AV equipment installations in classrooms and galleries.
• Please note that, due to the nature of events, this job will require night and weekend hours, as determined by the scheduling manager.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 2-3 years’ experience using audiovisual technology for live events and performances in higher education, fine arts, theater, museum or equivalent experience.
• Live sound, lighting, and video production expertise.
• AV equipment knowledge and expertise. Maintain an understanding of current and new audiovisual technology.
• Knowledge of event capture systems and light post production skills, such as video editing and audio mixing, for outputting event videos.
• Strong computer skills with working knowledge of Zoom or other audiovisual conferencing software.
• Sensitivity to working with artists.

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods standing and sitting occur; must be able to stand up to 90% of the duration of an event and sit in a stationary position 75% of the time during administrative and post-production related duties.
• Frequently move audiovisual equipment weighing up to 50 pounds across campus for various event spaces, classrooms, and galleries.
• Frequently ascend/descend ladders, scaffolding, and/or lifts to adjust lighting and audiovisual equipment.
• Frequently position self to maintain audiovisual equipment, including under counters and in or behind racks in audiovisual closets.
• Frequently operate a computer and other audiovisual equipment.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, ability to adjust focus, and the ability to sustain prolonged visual concentration.
• The person in this position frequently communicates with colleagues about audiovisual equipment and exhibition details. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

The following items pertain to compensation and benefits:

• Hiring Range:$23.00 - $28.12 per hour.

The expected hiring range is an estimated amount for positions based on the grade. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, qualifications and other job-related reasons.

If you are accessing this listing from a third party, not all links to salary and benefits information may work. Please visit our career page at saic/artic.edu/employment for complete information

Union

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by AFSCME Council 31.

Accessibility

If you are a job seeker with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to apply for one of our jobs, you will find the contact information to request the appropriate accommodation by visiting the following page:

The Art Institute of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits, hires and promotes qualified individuals compliant with federal and state laws. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact the Department of Human Resources at [e-mail] .

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.