PRODUCTION ASSOCIATE

The Salt Company; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plan with company match

Professional growth opportunities

Conference travel

Job summary

Cornerstone Worship is seeking a Production Associate to run audio, video, and lighting for Sunday mornings, Salt Company, and Youth gatherings. This role blends technical skill with people leadership, training volunteers to operate at a high standard.

You will maintain equipment, adapt to last‑minute changes, and work with worship leaders to ensure the visual and sonic experience remains clear and distraction‑free throughout weekend services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or hands-on experience in live production.
• 1–3 years of live production experience in church, touring, theater, or collegiate settings.
• Hands-on experience with system routing, FOH/monitor mixing, or lighting/video programming.

Responsibilities

• Execute technical designs for services and events, working from the vision of each gathering.
• Program and operate production consoles — audio, lighting, and video — with a focus on your expertise.
• Set up and strike stage plots, input lists, microphones, and technical riders for bands and speakers.
• Maintain AVL equipment inventory, ensuring organization and readiness.
• Adapt calmly to run-of-show changes and last-minute audibles.
• Train and invest in volunteers, building a competent team alongside you.
• Hold consistent technical standards—SPL, visual consistency—across gatherings.

Skills

Strong emotional intelligence

Live production coordination

Mac/Windows proficiency

DiGiCo console experience

ProPresenter experience

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Live Production or related field

Tools

DiGiCo

ProPresenter

Lighting control software

Job description

Cornerstone Worship is looking for a Production Associate to help run the audio, video, and lighting that shape our gatherings — Sunday morning, Salt Company, and Youth.
Good production here isn't about being noticed. Our guiding conviction is simple: production should be clear glass — a window people see God through, not a light people look at. This role exists to build and run systems excellent enough to disappear, so nothing on stage or in the booth ever distracts from what's happening in the room.
This role is as much about people as it is about gear. You'll be entrusted with training and raising up the volunteers serving alongside you — not just directing them through a service, but building them, relationally, into a genuinely competent team. We need someone with real emotional intelligence: someone who moves toward people, invests in them personally, and has the skill to turn that care into a volunteer team that can actually run at a high standard.
We're looking for someone who can operate and serve with a balance of conviction and humility.

Technical & Production Responsibilities

• Execute technical designs for services and church events, working from the vision of each gathering.
• Program and operate production consoles — audio (e.g. DiGiCo), lighting, and video switching — with a primary focus on your area of expertise.
• Set up and strike stage plots, input lists, microphones, and technical riders for our bands and guest speakers.
• Maintain our AVL equipment inventory: organized, accurate, and fully functional.
• Adapt calmly through run-of-show changes and last-minute audibles.
• Assist technical leadership with system installs, repairs, and cross-rentals.
• Hold consistent technical standards — SPL/loudness, visual consistency — across every gathering.
• Stay current on AVL technology and trends, and bring fresh ideas to the team.

Live Event Responsibilities

• Execute technical elements for livestream and in-room production, including Sunday mornings.
• Troubleshoot signal flow and technical issues calmly and quickly, even under pressure.
• Operate ProPresenter, lighting control, and other production software with reliability.
• Work closely with worship leaders and fellow production staff to align execution with the week's vision.
• Watch weekend workflows for ways to reduce distraction and improve the congregation's experience.

Team & Volunteer Responsibilities

• Participate in weekly production meetings, rehearsals, and season planning.
• Contribute to stage design and technical brainstorming.
• Give and receive feedback directly, kindly, and without ego.
• Train and invest in our volunteer tech teams, relationally and technically — raising up genuinely competent volunteers is a core part of this role, not a side task.
• Serve hands-on every Sunday: setup, execution, and teardown, alongside the volunteers you're leading.
• Keep the booth, stage, and backstage areas in order, and take part in regular gear and space maintenance.
• Take ownership — if you see a better way to do something, say so and help build it.

Required Competencies

• High emotional intelligence and a real ability to move toward people relationally — this role requires training volunteers to genuine competence, not just managing tasks.
• A genuine commitment to representing Christ and this church well, on and off the platform.
• Proficiency with Mac and Windows, and working knowledge of live production software and digital consoles (DiGiCo, ProPresenter, lighting control).
• Solid grasp of signal flow, cabling, and live event execution.
• Strong time management across multiple services and deadlines.
• Calm, adaptable, and clear-headed in a live, fast-moving environment.
• A clear and kind communicator, written and in person.
• Detail-oriented, with real pride in doing things right.
• Willing to be cross-trained across AVL disciplines and to take feedback well.
• Resourceful under pressure — you solve problems instead of waiting for someone else to.

Preferred Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Live Production, Audio Engineering, or a related field — or equivalent hands‑on experience.
• 1–3 years of live production experience (church, touring, theater, or collegiate).
• Hands‑on experience with system routing, FOH/monitor mixing, or lighting/video programming.
• Awareness of current AVL standards and trends.
• Experience leading or working alongside volunteers.

Compensation & Benefits

• Health & Future — Life, health, dental, and vision insurance; short- and long-term disability; a retirement account with a 6% company match.
• Rest & Family — Flexible paid time off, holidays, parental leave, and mid-week flex time to offset weekend service schedules.
• Tools & Tech — MacBook Pro, Mac Studio display, your choice of trackpad or mouse, an adjustable standing desk, and personal gear checkout privileges.
• Culture & Growth — A work culture rated in the top 5% of Best Christian Workplaces. Team lunches, paid travel to industry conferences and training, and real investment in your personal, spiritual, and professional growth.

This is a role for someone who wants to do excellent, unnoticed work in service of something bigger than the booth.