Lead Electrician

Oregon-Shakespeare-Festival; Ashland (OR); On-site; USD 64,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Union position

IATSE Local 154

Job summary

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) in Ashland, Oregon is seeking a Lead Electrician for the Lighting Department. This hands-on leadership role requires deep technical expertise, crew leadership, and a commitment to safe, collaborative production practices.

You will lead hangs, focuses, strikes, programming, and maintenance of lighting systems, guiding a team and coordinating with designers and production staff during a full repertory season.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional theatrical lighting experience with crew leadership.
• 2+ years of staff supervision experience.
• Expert ETC EOS programming and familiarity with Lightwright.
• Proficiency in rigging, electrical theory, and safety.
• Ability to read lighting plots and technical drawings.

Responsibilities

• Lead lighting operations including hangs, focuses, strikes, and changes.
• Program and run ETC EOS consoles during tech rehearsals.
• Oversee overhead rigging; support video, atmospherics, networking.
• Train and supervise Lighting Department staff in technical operations and safety.
• Maintain lighting equipment, diagrams, SOPs, and changeover procedures.
• Collaborate with designers and production teams on complex projects.

Skills

5+ years in theatrical lighting

staff supervision (2+ years)

ETC EOS programming

reading lighting plots/drawings

rigging/electrical theory/safety

team leadership & collaboration

Tools

Lightwright

Vectorworks

Job description

Description

Now Hiring: Lead Electrician
Department: Lighting | Reports to: Lighting Department Manager
Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt, Union
Expected Start Date: Oct 1, 2026
Pay Rate: $30.84 hourly
Location: Ashland, OR
This position is represented by IATSE Local 154.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is seeking an experienced and highly technical Lead Electrician to join our Lighting Department. This hands-on leadership role is ideal for a theatrical lighting professional who brings deep technical expertise, strong crew leadership, and a commitment to safe and collaborative production practices.

The Role You’ll Play

As Lead Electrician, you’ll lead Lighting personnel in the safe implementation, operation, maintenance, and repair of lighting systems and designs throughout OSF’s repertory season. You’ll oversee hangs, focuses, strikes, programming, rigging, specialty projects, and technical rehearsals while training and supporting Lighting Department staff.

What You’ll Do

Lead Lighting Operations: Plan and lead hangs, focuses, strikes, work calls, changeovers, and show-specific lighting installations.

Programming & Control: Program and run ETC EOS Family consoles and provide programming support during technical rehearsals.

Rigging & Technical Systems: Lead overhead lighting rigging and support lighting, video, atmospheric effects, networking, and specialty installations.

Team Leadership: Supervise and train Assistant Lead Electricians, Lighting Technicians, and other department staff in technical operations and safe work practices.

Maintenance & Documentation: Maintain lighting equipment, networks, circuiting plans, paperwork, technical drawings, SOPs, and changeover procedures.

Production Collaboration: Work closely with Lighting Designers, Production teams, Stage Management, and other departments to execute complex technical projects.

You’ll Thrive Here If You…

• Have 5+ years of professional theatrical lighting experience, with an emphasis on leading crews and programming ETC Eos Family consoles, plus at least 2 years of staff supervision experience.
• Bring expert knowledge of conventional and automated lighting equipment, electrical theory, and theatrical lighting safety.
• Have expert-level ETC EOS programming skills and detailed knowledge of Lightwright.
• Are proficient in theatrical rigging and familiar with Vectorworks and NEC guidelines.
• Can read, interpret, and create lighting plots, technical drawings, and related paperwork.
• Are a collaborative leader who communicates effectively and can navigate the demands of a repertory environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with moving light maintenance and repair.
• Experience in a repertory theatre environment.
• Familiarity with theatrical video projection systems and media server software.
• Experience with electronics, Arduino programming, and soldering.

Physical & Schedule Requirements

Ability to frequently lift up to 50 pounds and climb, balance, kneel, crouch, and work at heights up to 45 feet using personnel lifts, ladders, and fall-arrest equipment. The standard workweek is Tuesday-Sunday, with regular nights, weekends, overtime, and variable or split shifts, particularly during technical rehearsals.

Organizational Background

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) was founded in 1935 in Ashland, OR, and has grown from a three-day festival of two plays to a nationally renowned theatre arts organization that presents a rotating repertory season of up to 10 plays and musicals, including illuminating interpretations of Shakespeare, other enduring classics, and new works. OSF productions have been presented on Broadway, internationally, and at regional, community, and high school theatres across the country. OSF received the 1983 Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre and is one of the largest nonprofit theatres in the nation with three stages, including an outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre.

Statement of Purpose

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival creates world-class theatre, revealing our collective humanity through illuminating interpretations of new and classic plays, and inspiring a love of our art form for current and future generations.

Company Values

We are committed to working toward inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, creating a space of belonging for all audiences and employees—through concrete actions and systemic improvements.

We nurture and support our artists, attracting and retaining diverse, innovative talent across the organization.

We believe in the transformational power of collaborative artmaking and performance.

We recognize the importance of responsible stewardship of resources and sustainable business, financial, and environmental practices.

We serve the public good and engage with and respect our community of artists, audiences, staff, local citizens, patrons, donors, and the greater theatre community worldwide.

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.