Production Manager

Harvarduniversity; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvard University’s HRDC production team seeks a Production Manager to oversee all phases of college theater productions, including HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate works.

The role requires mentoring students on technical theater, coordinating spaces, and ensuring safety, timeliness, and budget alignment with institutional standards. Collaboration with directors, designers, and professional staff is essential.

Responsibilities

• Manage all phases and technical disciplines of the production process for HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate productions.
• Coordinate production activities across scenery, lighting, sound, costumes, props, projections, and other technical or design areas required by each production.
• Develop and execute production strategies, schedules, and deadlines, ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and in alignment with established artistic standards.
• Advise and mentor undergraduate students on design, production planning, technical theater, and production processes.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration among students, OFA, and program, facility, and operations staff, as well as other stakeholders, ensuring that production needs are understood and addressed across all disciplines.
• Remain up-to-date on rehearsal, technical rehearsal, and performance reports
• Oversee daily production operations associated with HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate performances.
• Coordinate the scheduling and use of rehearsal, classroom, performance, shop, storage, and production-support spaces required for HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate productions.
• Manage undergraduate production and rehearsal schedules in coordination with students, production staff, and other institutional stakeholders.
• Create schedules for nonperformance events requiring exclusive use of the venues.
• Process and respond to rehearsal, performance, and production-space requests related to HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate productions.
• Prepare and distribute relevant space and production schedules on a regular basis.
• Coordinate access to scenery, lighting, sound, costume, prop, projection, shop, storage, and technical-support spaces required for undergraduate productions.
• Monitor the appropriate use of assigned rehearsal, performance, and production spaces.
• Coordinate production needs among undergraduate groups sharing venue spaces and resources
• Supervise a team of regular, contingent, and student staff supporting HRDC and OFA-supported productions across scenery, lighting, sound, costumes, props, projections, and other production needs.
• Coordinate, supervise, and train staff and students in the safe operation of theatrical, technical, and production equipment.
• Facilitate workshops and training related to production practices, equipment operation, and a safe and healthy working environment.
• Promote consistent safety practices across all production disciplines.
• Oversee production budgets associated with HRDC and assigned OFA-supported undergraduate productions, including purchasing activities and accurate financial record-keeping.
• Monitor production expenditures across scenery, lighting, sound, costumes, props, projections, and other production needs.
• Oversee production inventory, equipment maintenance, storage, and related resources across all technical and design disciplines.
• Coordinate the purchasing, rental, maintenance, and return of production equipment and materials as needed for production in the Loeb drama center and beyond.
• Advances outside rental events and special events
• Determines needs and coordinates production support and staff for rentals

Job description

Job Summary

The Production Manager reports to the Technical Director for college theater and oversees productions and related activities of the Harvard-Radcliffe Dramatic Club (HRDC), as well as undergraduate productions supported by the Office for the Arts and other special projects. The position manages main and black box stages and all disciplines of the production process. The Production Manager advises and mentors students on technical theater, design, production planning, and safe production practices; coordinates performance, rehearsal, and production-support spaces; and supervises production staff. The Production Manager works closely with students, directors, designers, professional staff, and other stakeholders to ensure that productions and projects are completed safely, on time, within budget, and in alignment with established artistic and institutional standards.

Job-Specific Responsibilities

• Manage all phases and technical disciplines of the production process for HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate productions. This may include planning, design development, construction, procurement, installation, load-in, technical rehearsals, performances, and load-out or strike.
• Coordinate production activities across scenery, lighting, sound, costumes, props, projections, and other technical or design areas required by each production.
• Develop and execute production strategies, schedules, and deadlines, ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and in alignment with established artistic standards.
• Advise and mentor undergraduate students on design, production planning, technical theater, and production processes.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration among students, OFA, and program, facility, and operations staff, as well as other stakeholders, ensuring that production needs are understood and addressed across all disciplines.
• Remain up-to-date on rehearsal, technical rehearsal, and performance reports
• Oversee daily production operations associated with HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate performances.
• Coordinate the scheduling and use of rehearsal, classroom, performance, shop, storage, and production-support spaces required for HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate productions.
• Manage undergraduate production and rehearsal schedules in coordination with students, production staff, and other institutional stakeholders.
• Create schedules for nonperformance events requiring exclusive use of the venues.
• Process and respond to rehearsal, performance, and production-space requests related to HRDC and OFA-supported undergraduate productions.
• Prepare and distribute relevant space and production schedules on a regular basis.
• Coordinate access to scenery, lighting, sound, costume, prop, projection, shop, storage, and technical-support spaces required for undergraduate productions.
• Monitor the appropriate use of assigned rehearsal, performance, and production spaces.
• Coordinate production needs among undergraduate groups sharing venue spaces and resources
• Supervise a team of regular, contingent, and student staff supporting HRDC and OFA-supported productions across scenery, lighting, sound, costumes, props, projections, and other production needs.
• Coordinate, supervise, and train staff and students in the safe operation of theatrical, technical, and production equipment.
• Facilitate workshops and training related to production practices, equipment operation, and a safe and healthy working environment.
• Promote consistent safety practices across all production disciplines.
• Oversee production budgets associated with HRDC and assigned OFA-supported undergraduate productions, including purchasing activities and accurate financial record-keeping.
• Monitor production expenditures across scenery, lighting, sound, costumes, props, projections, and other production needs.
• Oversee production inventory, equipment maintenance, storage, and related resources across all technical and design disciplines.
• Coordinate the purchasing, rental, maintenance, and return of production equipment and materials as needed for production in the Loeb drama center and beyond.
• Advances outside rental events and special events
• Determines needs and coordinates production support and staff for rentals

Working Conditions

The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs and objectives and consistent with College Policy, which requires 5 days on-site in Cambridge, MA during term time (first day of classes through commencement), with the exception of student breaks. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University's Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts . Additional details about the College policy will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work locatio