Production Manager

Denison University; Granville Township (OH); On-site; USD 61,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement 10%

Vacation days 22

Floating holidays 3

Healthcare benefits

Campus closure

Job summary

Denison University seeks a production planning lead for the Eisner Center to oversee calendars, budgets, and labor for four theatre productions, two musicals, and three dance concerts across five spaces. You will collaborate with faculty, staff, students, and guests to deliver artistic excellence and safe, on-time results.

Supervise Technical Directors, Costume Shop Supervisor, and student crews; coordinate shop timelines; advance guest artists; ensure smooth load-ins and rehearsals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and significant experience in Technical Theater, Stage Management, or Production Management.
• 3-5 years of experience in technical production or management in theatre.
• 1-3 years of experience in a supervisory or leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Lead the production planning process for the Eisner Center and academic departments, coordinating with faculty, staff, and students.
• Establish production calendars, lead production meetings, and liaise with management, designers, and crews to ensure on-time, safe execution.
• Budget and track labor costs for both student and overhire technicians; manage production budgets and capital expenditures.
• Supervise the Technical Director of Stage Operations, Technical Director of Production, and the Costume Shop Supervisor.
• Coordinate and communicate complex scheduling for load-ins, rehearsals, and performance days.
• Advance guest artists and work with tour managers to ensure excellent performance experiences within available resources.
• Recruit, train, supervise, and schedule student performance crews for over 100 annual performances.
• Ensure safety protocols and health and safety standards across shops and performance spaces.

Skills

Technical Theater

Stage Management

Production Management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Manage the production planning process for music, theatre, and dance performances and focus on effective resource allocation of production budgets, labor, and time. Collaborate with faculty, staff, students, and guests to establish rehearsal and performance processes with an eye toward artistic excellence, student engagement, academic inquiry, and community care. Supervise the Technical Directors and Costume Shop Supervisor, student stage managers, and technical crews, both professional and student, for all Eisner Center performances. Work in collaboration with the Managing Director and lead the technical production team by serving as a resource for communication and project management.

Department/Division Overview: The Michael D. Eisner Center, named after one of Denison’s proud alumni, is the vibrant heartbeat of creative life at Denison University. Bringing the departments of Dance, Music, and Theatre under one spectacular 108,000-square-foot roof, the Center is specifically designed to champion interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and risk-taking. From our 400-seat Sharon Martin Hall to our intimate black box and recital spaces, we provide a dynamic environment where student curiosity meets professional-grade performance. We produce over 100 performances a year in five performance spaces, including four plays, two musical productions, and three dance concerts, and a wide array of student music ensembles and guest artists.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the production planning process for the Eisner Center for the Performing Arts and the academic departments of Music, Theatre, and Dance, which includes 4 theatre productions, 2 musical productions, 3 dance concerts and approximately 60 concerts per year, in five performance spaces.


• Establish production calendars, lead production meetings, liaise with management, technical team, designers, faculty, staff, and students to ensure projects are completed safely, on time, and to scope.


• Manage production and technical budgets and plan and coordinate capital expenditures.


• Budget and track labor costs for both student and overhire technicians.


• Supervise the Technical Director of Stage Operations, Technical Director of Production, and the Costume Shop Supervisor.


• Work closely with the shops on day-to-day operations, project timelines, benchmarks, and navigate conflicts and resolve concerns.


• Provide additional technical support to shops during overlapping projects in order to ensure student safety and support.


• Develop detailed production schedules which address the unique needs of each production, the overlapping nature of projects, and the needs of faculty, staff, and students.


• Coordinate and communicate complex scheduling for load-ins, technical and dress rehearsals, and performance days.


• Advance guest artists and work with tour managers to ensure that Denison provides an excellent performance experience, while using discretion to implement the artistic vision within our resources.


• Establish crew staffing needs for all performances, ensuring performances are staffed with knowledgeable students or supplemented by recruiting and supervising overhire production crew.


• Recruit, train, supervise, and schedule the student performance crew, who support over 100 performances each academic year.


• Stage manage complex events, or delegate/ hire stage management for music and dance performances as necessary.


• Manage safety protocols including emergency procedures during events, health and safety standards in the shops and performance spaces, ensure students have access to community care resources.


• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervising Responsibilities:

• Supervises 3 Administrative Staff positions: Technical Director Stage Operations, Technical Director Production, and Costume Shop Supervisor.


• Supervises a team of student employees.


• Supervises professionals on contract and casual labor contracts (overhire).

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree and significant experience in Technical Theater, Stage Management, or Production Management.


• 3-5 years of experience in technical production or management in professional or academic theatre.


• 1-3 years of experience in a supervisory or leadership role.

Preferred Requirements (Optional):

• Master’s degree in Technical Theater, Stage Management, or Production Management.


• 7+ years of experience in production management with significant stage management and supervisory experience.

Why Choose Denison?

Denison University is a leading, fully residential liberal arts college in Granville, Ohio, located just outside the Columbus metro area. Established in 1831, Denison blends a rigorous academic foundation with an award-winning approach to student mentorship and career readiness. With a vibrant campus community of 2,400 students and around 1,000 employees, Denison offers employees a supportive work environment dedicated to educational excellence and professional growth. Denison provides a number of staff-focused benefits, with some highlights:

• 10% contribution to your retirement


• 22 vacation days


• 3 floating holidays


• Comprehensive and inexpensive healthcare benefits


• Paid campus closure from Christmas to New Years


• Free parking and gym membership


• Free classes for employees

Starting at $68,000

Denison University is an independent, coeducational, residential college of liberal arts and sciences. Founded in 1831, Denison is one of the earliest colleges to be established in the old \"Northwest Territory\", west of the Allegheny Mountains and north of the Ohio River. Denison University is a leading liberal arts college where faculty and students collaborate in research, civic engagement, & cultivation of independent thinking. As a leader among the nation's top residential liberal arts colleges, Denison has earned a reputation for academic rigor that is rivaled only by its commitment to preparing students for a lifetime of personal, professional and civic success.

Denison is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Title IX Notice:

Sex discrimination is prohibited by federal law through Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. Denison does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that it operates including admissions and employment. For Denison’s official Notice of Non-Discrimination, please visit https://denison.edu/forms/non-discrimination-notice. You can learn more about Title IX at Denison at https://denison.edu/campus/title-ix. Job seekers who may need a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should contact the Office of Human Resources at [phone] or by email at [e-mail].