Glyndebourne is one of the most celebrated opera houses in the world, delivering 100+ performances to some 150,000 people from over 50 countries, across a summer Festival and Autumn Season, and a year-round programme of member events and learning and engagement activity.
In 2024 we are celebrating our 90th anniversary amidst an exciting era of growth: We've been welcoming record audiences, recruiting new generations of opera-goers, growing our passionate base of Glyndebourne members, and developing an exciting programme of opera, including commissions and bold Glyndebourne firsts that reflect the ambition and exceptional performance calibre that have defined us since 1934.
As Technical and Production Director you will be pivotal in delivering this by providing strategic and operational leadership through a year-round programme including large and small scale productions, revivals, co-productions and hires. As well as having the relevant technical and production knowledge you will have exceptional management and organisational skills to lead a large and diverse team of specialists to deliver complex projects.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
Production, Planning and Realisation:
- As a key member of the Executive Team you will contribute to Glyndebourne's overall strategic objectives, including creating, leading and role-modelling a respectful and inclusive working environment for all
- Provide overall leadership and direction to the Technical and Production Department
- With the Artistic Director, work closely with the creative teams of new productions to help them deliver artistically, technically and financially feasible productions in a timely manner with the requisite information
- As a member of the Planning Committee, contribute to overall repertoire planning, including rehearsal and performance schedules, with particular responsibility for technical feasibility
- With the Artistic Director, and through the Production Coordinator ensure all creative teams and non-singing performers are contracted in a timely manner and within budget
- With the Artistic Director and through the Technical Coordinator, negotiate co- production and hire contracts
Departmental Management:
- To lead and manage Technical and Production Heads of Department and respective teams ensuring consistency of management approach across all teams
- To lead on all health and safety issues relating to the production and technical areas and ensure compliance with statutory and company health and safety regulations, procedures and inspections as well as keeping abreast of any legal changes and developments
- Involvement with union negotiations with BECTU and Equity.
- To ensure best and consistent management practice across production and technical departments
- To assess training needs and make provision for the development of all direct reports and ensure this is carried out for all staff
- To negotiate, plan and schedule all hires
- Responsibility for off-site storage in collaboration with the Operations Director
- With the relevant Technical and Production Heads of Department, plan, cost and implement the necessary capital projects to upgrade our stage and systems for the next 15 years
- With the Technical and Production Heads of Department, constantly review and optimise working practice and process to strive for world-class standards of effectiveness and efficiency
- Deliver measures necessary to enable Glyndebourne to deliver its commitment to halving carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050
Senior Management:
- To communicate all management decisions to the production and technical departments and to represent issues relating to the production and technical departments at a senior level
- To represent Glyndebourne at external and industry events at a national and international level
- To develop relationships with peers in other UK opera houses to ensure Glyndebourne remains pioneering and creative and works to the highest standards of excellence
Knowledge, Skills and Experience:
- A leader who is comfortable working collaboratively both with their immediate team and the wider Executive team, sharing ideas and sharing credit for success
- A leader with strong ideas, who is confident enough both to let others test them and to adjust them where needed
- Exceptional people management skills
- Significant large scale production management experience in repertory theatre including opera
- Experience of large scale touring and co-productions
- Proven ability of working collaboratively with international creative teams
- Proven background in technical theatre to include up to date knowledge of technical procedures, stagecraft and use of technology
- Proven track record of managing and delivering high quality large scale productions on time and to budget
- A sound understanding of planning and scheduling technical and production activities
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise a complex and high workload
- Confident and persuasive with strong negotiation skills
- Strong understanding of management accounts and budgeting
- Proven track record of and commitment to managing health and safety
- Understanding of union agreements
- An interest in and knowledge of opera repertoire
Hours of Work
The contractual hours of work are 35 hours per week, however you will be expected to work additional hours to meet the demands of the role including some evenings and weekends to provide director show duty.
Due to the in-person nature of the teams you are managing, this role is intended to be carried out largely on site at Glyndebourne.
Salary and Benefits:
- We can offer a competitive salary.
- We offer 33 days (6.6 weeks) holiday inclusive of bank holidays, per annum, pro rata.
- We can offer a beautiful working environment, and the chance to see world-class opera.
For those without their own transport we have a free minibus service to and from Lewes railway station.
We also offer:
- Free Pilates and Zumba classes, once a week
- Corporate Gym memberships
- An onsite Physiotherapist
- Subsidised electric car charging
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Subsidised dining at our onsite restaurants
- Free tea and coffee
- Discount at the Glyndebourne shop
- Free on-site parking
- Free minibus service to and from Lewes train station and Ringmer
- Discount at various highstreet retailers through the Glyndebourne benefits hub
For more information or an informal discussion on the role please contact Sally Davies- Head of HR on or email
How to Apply
Glyndebourne is an Equal Opportunities Employer and a Registered Charity. We promote equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace and actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply for vacancies, including ethnically diverse and disabled candidates, who are currently under-represented in our workforce.
To help us monitor the effectiveness of our commitment to diversity and inclusion and our supporting policies and procedures, we ask all job applicants to complete our anonymized and confidential Equal Opportunities monitoring form .
Please then apply by email, sending your CV and covering letter to .
Glyndebourne commits to protecting your privacy. We will only use information about you in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and other relevant legislation and regulations. Please see more information in our Company Privacy Notice on our website.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 12 May 2024, with interviews to be held at Glyndebourne w/c 20 May 2024.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for our vacancies. If relevant to you, please inform us of this in your covering letter. If you have any questions in relation to this or if you would like this advert sent to you in a larger or dyslexia friendly font then please contact a member of the HR team at .
