Production Manager

Job Title: Production Manager 

Location: Chicago, IL 

Terms: Full-Time

Requirements: Ability to work evening and weekend hours per events scheduled

About Us:

The Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture is a not-for-profit organization whose mission and principal activities are to promote and support fine arts, cultural programming, and spiritual development for Catholics and the general public in Chicago, Illinois. Our mission is to invite people into encounters with Beauty and to revitalize the great Catholic tradition of the arts from our location in one of Chicago’s most unique religious, artistic, and civic buildings. 

Our performing arts center was built in 1911 as part of St. Alphonsus parish in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, as a place for the spiritual, physical, and intellectual growth of parishioners and the community. The Center has multiple performance and event spaces, including our 950-seat Historic Main Stage Theatre. 

At ACTC, we believe that Beauty has the capacity to build up culture, transform society, and change lives. We hope to help our patrons contemplate, encounter, and delight in Beauty.

Job Description:

Athenaeum Center for Thought & Culture is seeking a dedicated, performing arts professional to join our team as Production Manager. The Production Manager oversees and leads all production staff and production operations of Athenaeum Center in-house programming, including the management of all production planning, budgeting, and operations; rehearsal and performance logistics, physical implementation, and negotiation and execution of various union and artist contracts. 

Responsibilities and Duties:

Research and Planning

• Assist the Executive Director and Artistic Team in research and development of prospective productions
• Review scripts and provide production cost analysis
• Create preliminary budgets for both prospective and planned season productions
• Manage contract administration for designers, assistants, and associates.
• Review design comps and evaluate the cost associated with proposed materials, equipment, and personnel, as well as the subsequent effect on the budget. 
• Works directly with the designers to reduce cost while maintaining the essence and effectiveness of the designs.
• Schedule and lead regular design and production meetings with staff and creative teams.
• Provide clear communication to all members of the creative team ensuring the understanding of resources available to them.
• Create and distribute design milestones and deadlines, relevant policies and show calendars to all creative teams
• Organize on site design meetings and designer visits.
• Negotiate pricing and procure all technical elements needed for each production.
• Interviews, negotiates contracts for, and hires the production crew members

Production

• Manage production calendars ensuring timelines are communicated and stay on track.
• Create and maintain production and tech schedules.
• Lead, manage and supervise stage management teams.
• Work closely with Technical Director throughout production process
• Cultivate and promote a safe working environment and ensure that all production and technical departments operate in accordance with current health and safety regulations and best theater practice.
• Create and distribute daily schedules for the various production crews, including progress goals for each shift
• Act as the main point of contact during production. Check in daily with all crew members, receive daily shipments, and resolve immediate problems
• Stay on top of goals and communicate effectively with crew members to maximize the amount of time workers can dedicate to their jobs
• Maintain the show budget and track all labor, production, artistic and show related expenses.
• Ensure timely completion of construction of scenic elements, load-in, lighting, and sound installation, as well as strike and proper restoration of the Historic Main Stage and other venues
• Coach and develop staff members by monitoring the quality of employees work and providing constructive feedback, undertaking disciplinary actions if the need arises and completing annual performance evaluations.
• Actively participate in fostering a work environment centering the core values of ACTC.
• Serve as an ambassador of the venue to creative teams, prioritize making all feel welcome and taken care of while working at the Athenaeum Center.
• Attend departmental and interdepartmental meetings as required.

Post-Production

• Complete production settlement and final financial audit
• Manage and distribute final show report 
• Attend and complete a post mortem report

Qualifications:

• Training and experience serving in a management role in a production department at a theater, live event venue, or a related field.
• Enjoy creating and implementing new processes and working across departments.
• Budget management experience and aptitude in crafting and overseeing budgets required.
• Experience with contract negotiation
• Proven experience in handling production and design processes on large scale productions.
• Demonstrated creative judgment, excellent problem-solving skills and detail-oriented.
• Experience with personnel management. Strong ability to lead a team, delegate and communicate effectively across multiple departments and with dynamic people.
• Ability to keep a peaceful, Christ-like demeanor in demanding situations
• Ability and willingness to exercise professional courtesy and discretion at all times and maintain confidentiality as required.
• Must be able to meet deadlines and adapt to changing priorities as well as attend to numerous projects concurrently.
• Must have the ability to coordinate several activities at once and quickly analyze and resolve specific problems 
• Must be willing and able to work flexible hours/days reflective of a production schedule of a theater which includes a variety of hours including evenings and weekends.
• Proficiency in Google Docs / Microsoft Word and Google Sheet / Excel and on-line meeting platforms such as Zoom essential.
• Written and verbal communication
• Knowledge of union rates and regulations

Reports To:

• This position reports to the Executive Director
• This position’s direct rep
• This position interacts frequently with the Technical Director, General Manager, and Associate Artistic Director

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