Venue Production Manager

University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 59,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Tuition benefits

Retirement plans

Flexible work hours

Job summary

The University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Live Arts division seeks a Venue Production Manager to oversee planning, coordination, and on-site execution of performances across Penn Live Arts venues and external sites. Reporting to the Director of Venues, this role ensures all technical and logistical elements are delivered from advance through load-out.

You will supervise production staff, coordinate with artists and clients, manage budgets and vendors, and serve as liaison with facilities during

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts and 2–3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Experience working in a university, performing arts center, or multi-venue environment.
• Proficiency with Vectorworks, Lightwright, and QLab.
• Experience with ETC Eos Family lighting consoles.
• Proficiency in AV setup and operation.
• Experience with matrix management structures.
• Familiarity with budget tracking, cost estimation, and expense reconciliation in a performing arts context.
• Knowledge of IATSE or other union labor agreements.

Responsibilities

• Planning & Coordination: Advance performances & events with artists, clients, students or other stakeholders, coordinate details with PLA operations team, manage vendors & 3rd party resources.
• Staff Management & Scheduling: Place labor requests & assign staff schedules, provide on-site supervision for production staff & assistant managers.
• Communicate & Stakeholder Management: Use designated channels to share event-related information with internal teams, clients, students, and visiting artists.
• Facilities Liaison: Serve as main contact for facilities during assigned events, relay issues for resolution.
• Administrative: Prepare and reconcile timesheets, track expenses, manage venue calendars, participate in operations meetings.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Staff management

Event coordination

Vendor coordination

Budget tracking

Education

Bachelor of Arts

Tools

Vectorworks

Lightwright

QLab

ETC Eos

Job description

Venue Production Manager

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Venue Production Manager

Job Profile Title

Associate Director B, Arts and Media, Performing Arts

Job Description Summary

The Venue Production Manager is responsible for the planning, coordination, and on-site execution of assigned performances and events across Penn Live Arts venues and external venues with a managerial bias to an assigned venue. Reporting to the Director of Venues and taking programmatic direction from the Director of Production, this position serves as the primary point of accountability for all technical and logistical elements of assigned productions from initial advance through load-out while managing relationships with artists, clients, students, and internal operations teams. Working within a matrix management structure, the role oversees production staff and assistant managers across an array of diverse programming streams.

Job Responsibilities

• Planning & Coordination: Advance performances & events with artists, clients, students or other stakeholders, coordinate all details with PLA operations team, manage vendors & 3rd party resources.
• Staff Management & Scheduling: Place labor requests & assign staff schedules as event needs warrant, adjusting schedules if needs arise Staff Direction & Oversight: Provide on-site supervision for production staff & assistant managers, acting as the primary point of accountability for team performance, productivity, and adherence to operational standards.
• Staff Direction & Oversight: Provide on-site supervision for production staff & assistant managers, acting as the primary point of accountability for team performance, productivity, and adherence to operational standards.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Use designated channels & platforms to communicate all relevant event related & operations information to the internal PLA team, clients, students, & visiting artists.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management: communicate all relevant operations info to the internal PLA team, clients, students, & visiting artists.
• Facilities Liaison: Main point of contact for the facilities during assigned events, relay facilities issues to appropriate parties for resolution.
• Administrative: Prepare, submit, and/or approve timesheets for event coverage, recap & reconcile expenses for budget tracking, manage venue & support space calendars, actively participate in operations team meetings.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Arts and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Experience working in a university, performing arts center, or multi‑venue environment.
• Working knowledge of Vectorworks, Lightwright, and QLab.
• Experience with ETC Eos Family lighting consoles.
• Proficiency in AV setup and operation.
• Experience working within a matrix management structure.
• Familiarity with budget tracking, cost estimation, and expense reconciliation in a performing arts context.
• Knowledge of IATSE or other union labor agreements.

Application Requirement

• A Cover Letter and Resume/CV are required to be considered for this position. Please upload your Cover Letter where it asks you to upload your Resume/CV; multiple documents are allowed.

Job Location

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Penn Live Arts

Pay Range

$58,506.00 - $75,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job's level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family's health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn's Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family-whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you're newly hired, you won't have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That's why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University's libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There's always something going on at Penn, whether it's a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you're right in the middle of the excitement-and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.