Technical Director

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DEPARTMENT: Production

POSITION: Technical Director

REPORTS TO: Director of Production

JOB TYPE: Full Time, Exempt

START DATE: ASAP

SALARY RANGE: Starting salary for candidates meeting minimum requirements is $100,000

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE

WORK VISA AVAILABLE

BENEFITS:  

• Comprehensive and affordable health benefits, including:

  • medical, dental, and vision insurance

  • high-deductible healthcare plan with an employer funded health savings account

  • flexible savings account

  • employee assistance program

  • employer-paid life, short term disability, and long-term disability insurance

• Generous paid time off including vacation, wellness, parental leave, and scheduled and flexible holidays

• 403b retirement plan with employer match

• Flexible work schedule

• Professional development fund and opportunities

• Discounted parking in the Theater District garage and nearby lots, plus easy access to Metro transportation

• Free tickets to our mainstage and community productions and events​

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Position Summary

The Technical Director provides leadership and management of all stage operations. They are responsible for delivering the highest artistic standards within allocated resources, managing all staff, subcontractors, and resources to ensure the efficient and effective implementation of HGOs physical productions.

 

Essential Duties

• Plan, manage and implement all technical aspects throughout the build, rehearsal and running of each HGO production

• Evaluate and advise on technical and financial feasibility of current and future productions, ensuring that productions will work within the physical requirements of HGO venues and repertory situations

• Oversee technical aspects of new production builds, realizing scenic designs from bid process through delivery

• Oversee the creation and maintenance of technical drawings, ground plans, sections, rigging plans, working closely with the ATDs, Lighting staff, design teams, and crew heads

• Oversee load-in, set-up, technical rehearsals, performances, and strikes for all HGO productions, including installation of technical elements, hiring and scheduling of all labor crews, and creation of detailed logistics plans

• Facilitate communication with other technical/production areas about cross departmental production elements

• Establish and maintain accurate archival records of all shows

• Work closely with the Director of Production to set a positive safety culture of and to ensure the safest possible working environment in all workspaces

• Develop and implement safety policies and procedures

• Develop Risk Assessment documentation for productions and processes

• Manage and track technical budgets, controlling costs and ensuring efficient use of resources within agreed budgets

• Provide input on the creation of technical budgets, including but not limited to crew and staffing requirements and material and equipment needs

• Provide direction, performance management, and development for direct reports: Assistant Technical Directors, HGO Crew Heads and IATSE employees

• Represent HGO in past, present, and future projects with designers and production teams, establishing a close and supportive working relationship

• Represent HGO in past, present, and future projects with co-producers, contractors and hiring companies as required

• Working closely with other HGO departments, provide technical support as required for special projects and activities, including but not limited to special events, stage tours, Community & Learning programs and projects

• Work collaboratively with the WCOC (Wortham Center Operating Company), Houston First, Houston Ballet, and other partners for all HGO technical matters

• Participate in the planning, negotiation, and implementation phases of IATSE collective bargaining agreements

• Manage and maintain all HGO Production facilities and equipment: HGO warehouse maintenance, upkeep, inventory tracking, storage planning, Leeland costume and wig shop, facility maintenance and upkeep, HGO equipment and production department vehicles maintenance and upkeep

• Oversee production cartage activities including overland and overseas shipping

• Foster a culture of collaboration and cooperation with all HGO departments.

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Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in technical theater or at least 5 years experience in production or technical management with a professional producing venue or organization

• Previous experience managing large scale projects and effectively supervising multiple teams

• Budget and resource management experience, management of union personnel, negotiating and working within multiple collective bargaining agreements required

• Experience with supervising personnel, managing conflict resolution, and setting and benchmarking job expectations strongly preferred

• Ideal candidate has knowledge of OSHA health and safety practices and proficiency with current release of Vectorworks and AutoCAD, with previous experience in opera production

• Candidate must be highly motivated, independent self-starter with ability to be a calming, rational presence with a wide range of personalities

• Must be able to manage multiple tasks and numerous projects within a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

• Must have the ability to quickly analyze problems and present creative solutions within artistic and financial parameters

• Must possess effective verbal and written communication skills

• Availability for evening and weekend work required.

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About Houston Grand Opera

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The mission of HGO is to enrich our diverse community through the art of opera. We do so by creating, curating, exploring, and producing outstanding experiences centered around the human voice. HGO has received a Tony Award, two Grammy Awards, and three Emmy Awards – we are the only opera company in the world to win all three honors.

 

Our strategic focus is two-fold: creating profoundly enriching experiences for our diverse audiences and clearly defining and positively promoting the HGO brand.

 

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Anti-Racism Statement and Action Steps

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We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment for all company members. We believe every team member enriches our diversity by exposing a broad range of ways to understand and engage our community and discover, design, and deliver enriching experiences.

 

The Houston Grand Opera’s Equity, Access, and Belonging Committee (“EAB”) is:​

A diverse community of peers from across the organization committed to exchanging ideas without judgement or bias, initiating important conversations, and moving toward positive change.

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The task force’s goal is to create an open, equitable, accessible, and welcoming work environment where all HGO employees have a voice and feel a sense of belonging

 

EAB Accomplishments to Date:

• Ongoing meetings with HR to better understand existing practices and framework around: hiring, recruiting, onboarding, and accommodating for different physical abilities and mental health challenges.​

• Creating a system for examining terminology used in future productions.​

• Providing specialized training for production staff working with diverse artists.​

• Engaging in ongoing dialogues with advocacy groups and consultants.​

• Collaborating with other leaders in the industry and suggest policies that could bolster equity, access, and belonging industry-wide.​

• Researching best practices in recruiting diversity at other companies – both arts and nonprofit partners and corporate supporters.​

• Working to address the training pipeline in all areas of the company through engagement with the community.​

• Fostering opportunities for sharing stories/sharing more of oneself.​

• Hiring intimacy directors and cultural consultants to participate in the rehearsal process for certain productions. ​

 

Ongoing Areas of Exploration:

• What can we learn about what HGO is already doing to promote Equity, Access, and Belonging?​

• How can we continue to diversify the HGO staff to reflect our city?​

• How can we encourage company members to interact and communicate to create a sense of belonging?​

• What training might our staff need to create a positive and inclusive workplace?​

• How can we remove barriers that might discourage individuals from working at HGO based on their identity?​

• Does HGO welcome and fully accommodate the needs of differently abled people?​

• What can we do to make things most equitable for the workforce at HGO?​

• What ideas or practices have we seen in other organizations that might be a good example?​

• How is our culture changing and what implications might that have for the workplace?​

 

 

Covid Safety Policy

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HGO employees must comply with HGO's Workplace Safety Protocols, including our COVID-19 Vaccination Policy. If an offer of employment is extended, applicants will provide HGO with proof of vaccination against COVID-19 or a fully supported petition for exemption due to a qualifying disability or sincerely held religious belief.

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