Sr Technical Director

Studio Blue; Orlando (FL); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance

Tuition Reimbursement

Paid Parental Leave

Life, Accident and Disability

Retirement with Company Match

Paid Time Off

Job summary

The Freeman Company, supporting Studio Blue, seeks a Senior Technical Director to lead complex event programs from planning to onsite execution. You will guide technical strategy, mentor directors, and partner with sales, operations, and clients to deliver scalable, innovative experiences.

Based in the Studio Blue team, this role offers a flexible hybrid schedule (home, office, show-site) and requires 25%–50% travel. Strong CAD, budgeting, and leadership skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in project management with 10+ years focused on corporate events or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical direction for large-scale, complex events and experiential programs.
• Experience supporting technical proposals, estimates, and RFP responses.
• Proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams, including internal staff, clients, vendors, contingent labor, and senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provides senior technical leadership across complex, high-profile event programs.
• Mentors Technical Directors and coordinates scheduling, training, and guidance.
• Develops senior-level client relationships to position Studio Blue as a strategic partner and drive growth.
• Partners with Sales, Client Solutions, and Operations to develop event designs, production plans, staffing models, and budgets.
• Supports new-business efforts by reviewing RFPs, developing technical approaches, and contributing estimates.
• Reviews and validates technical drawings and budgets for accuracy and feasibility.
• Provides escalation support for technical, staffing, client, vendor, budget, or onsite production challenges.
• Participates in client contract support, project resourcing, and vendor coordination.
• Creates production diagrams and onsite workflows; ensures crew understands plans and responsibilities.
• Leads technical planning and onsite workflow for multi-workstream events across locations.
• Oversees load-in, installation, system optimization, and load-out with labor coordination.
• Ensures correct specification and optimization of audio, lighting, video, set, and related systems.
• Generates production books, schedules, logistics plans, and vendor coordination documents.
• Coordinates onsite labor and reviews labor budget impacts with leadership.
• Drives safety standards and practices across all phases of production.
• Develops SOPs and workflows to improve efficiency and scalability.
• Identifies opportunities to improve production methods, vendor partnerships, and profitability.
• Stays abreast of industry trends and emerging technologies.

Skills

Technical leadership

Client relationships

Cross-functional teamwork

Budgeting

Safety standards

Training/mentoring

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor degree preferred

High School Diploma or equivalent with experience

Tools

Vectorworks

CAD drawings

Google Drive

Microsoft Office

Job description

About Us

The Freeman Company is a global leader in events, on a mission to redefine live for a new era. With a data-driven approach and the industry’s largest network of experts, The Freeman Company's insights shape exhibitions, exhibits, and events that drive audiences to action. The integrated full-service solutions leverage a 99-year legacy in event management as well as new technologies to deliver moments that matter.

About Us

The Freeman Company is a global leader in events, on a mission to redefine live for a new era. With a data-driven approach and the industry’s largest network of experts, The Freeman Company's insights shape exhibitions, exhibits, and events that drive audiences to action. The integrated full-service solutions leverage a 99-year legacy in event management as well as new technologies to deliver moments that matter.

Summary

The Senior Technical Director develops, oversees, and implements creative concepts, technical strategy, and production solutions for clients. This role serves as a senior technical leader and strategic advisor, guiding complex event programs from opportunity and RFP response through planning, onsite execution, and completion. This role leads high-complexity projects, upholds technical standards, mentors Technical Directors, and partners with clients, sales, operations, and production teams to deliver scalable, innovative, and profitable event experiences. The Senior Technical Director also supports account growth by contributing technical expertise to proposals, estimates, request for proposal (RFP) responses, and senior-level client presentations.

This position will support our Studio Blue team. This role supports a flexible hybrid work schedule, including work-from-home, in-office, and show-site attendance based on project and business needs.

The ideal candidate will be based out of any of the following locations:

• Dallas, TX
• Las Vegas, NV
• Orlando, FL

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Provides senior technical leadership across complex, high-profile, and multi-discipline event programs.
• Leads, mentors, and supports Technical Directors through scheduling, training, coordination, performance feedback, and technical guidance.
• Develops senior-level client relationships that position Studio Blue as a strategic partner and advisor, supporting account growth and successful project delivery.
• Partners with Sales, Client Solutions, Executive Producers, Project Managers, and Operations leaders to develop event designs, production plans, staffing models, and budgets.
• Supports new-business efforts by reviewing RFP requirements, developing technical approaches, identifying production risks, contributing estimates, and participating in proposal presentations as needed.
• Reviews and validates technical drawings, production plans, budgets, schedules, staffing models, and vendor scopes for accuracy, feasibility, and risk.
• Provides escalation support for technical, staffing, client, vendor, budget, or onsite production challenges.
• Participates in client contract support, project resourcing, vendor coordination, and evaluation of contingent labor resources.
• Creates diagrams and production documentation for show events; ensures onsite personnel understand technical plans, schedules, and responsibilities.
• Leads technical planning and onsite workflow for events with multiple workstreams, vendors, locations, scenic elements, and integrated technologies.
• Oversees load-in, installation, system optimization, monitoring, scenic construction, dismantle, and load-out while coordinating technical and labor crews.
• Ensures correct specification, setup, and optimization of audio, lighting, video, set, scenic, and related event systems.
• Generates and maintains comprehensive production books, schedules, logistics plans, and vendor coordination documents.
• Coordinates and supervises onsite labor and reviews labor budget impacts with the Executive Producer and Client Solutions Manager.
• Drives safety standards and practices across planning, installation, onsite execution, and dismantle.
• Develops and implements SOPs, documentation practices, and production workflows that improve consistency, efficiency, quality, and scalability across Studio Blue projects.
• Identifies opportunities to improve production methods, vendor partnerships, labor utilization, safety practices, profitability, and technical innovation.
• Stays abreast of industry trends, emerging technologies, and production best practices.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor degree preferred; High School Diploma or equivalent with relevant work experience required.
• Minimum 15 years of experience working in project management, with a minimum of 10 years focused on corporate events, special events, entertainment, theater, or an equivalent combination of education, certification, and experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading technical direction for large-scale, complex, or high-profile events and experiential programs.
• Demonstrated experience supporting technical proposals, estimates, and RFP responses.
• Proven ability to lead and influence cross-functional teams, including internal staff, clients, vendors, contingent labor, and senior stakeholders.
• Experience managing or mentoring Technical Directors, production leads, or technical teams.
• Strong understanding of event financials, including budget development, cost control, labor planning, vendor estimates, and profitability considerations.
• Ability to assess technical risk and make sound decisions under pressure.
• Experience developing scalable production standards, SOPs, and technical workflows.
• Executive presence with the ability to communicate confidently with senior clients, internal leadership, and key project stakeholders.
• Ability to engineer instructions in written, oral, or diagram form and communicate installation and troubleshooting guidance for related equipment.
• Ability to apply advanced problem-solving techniques and basic algebra, geometry, proportions, percentages, area, circumference, and volume to relevant situations.
• Advanced proficiency in Vectorworks; must be able to create, edit, and interpret detailed event-production CAD drawings, including floor plans, elevations, equipment layouts, and installation details.
• In-depth knowledge base of audio, lighting, video, and set systems.
• Ability to navigate ambiguous situations with diplomacy, tact, and strong communication in high-pressure environments.
• Experience delivering training programs to diverse groups.
• Strong general business acumen; proficient in Google Drive and Microsoft Office.
• Strong attention to detail, positive attitude, team-player mindset, and ability to operate within a fast-paced environment.

Travel Requirements

Travel 25% to 50%

What We Offer

The Freeman Company provides benefits that aim to empower our people and their families to thrive mentally, physically, and financially. These are a handful of the types of programs and benefits our full-time people may be eligible for. There may be some variances in specific benefits across regions.

• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Paid Parental Leave
• Life, Accident and Disability
• Retirement with Company Match
• Paid Time Off
• Pay Range: $120,000 - $150,000 per year, depending on experience

Diversity Commitment

At The Freeman Company, our commitment to diversity and inclusion is helping us to create not only a great place to work, but also an environment where our employees, our customers and our communities around the world can reach their goals and connect with each other. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status and other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

#TFCStudioBlue