Director of Production

Company Overview

Based in Stratford, Ontario, the Stratford Festival is one of the world’s foremost repertory theatre companies. It operates year round, presenting a season of about a dozen plays each year between the months of April and November, a rich stream of digital content and hundreds of Forum events, designed to deepen understanding of the plays. For every person a theatregoer sees on our stages, we have seven people working behind the scenes, some of the world’s most dedicated and experienced arts workers. At this time we are undergoing a culture shift to support anti-racism and anti-oppression in all areas of our work, including play selection, casting, marketing and public relations efforts, education programs, production, recruitment of staff and volunteers, and the composition of the Board of Directors. Members of equity deserving groups are always encouraged to apply.

 If you would like to be part of this change and contribute your own remarkable talents to North America’s largest not-for-profit theatre, we’d like to hear from you. We are currently welcoming applications

Job Description

Reporting jointly to the Artistic and Executive Directors, this position leads the Production Department with accountability for mounting the season productions and supporting the fulfillment of activities ranging from Meighen Forum events, to digital projects, to marketing content and to new projects and other special initiatives within the financial and creative guidelines while upholding the Festival’s equity, diversity and inclusion principles and sustainability objectives.

 The Production Department hires and oversees design, stage management, technical direction, stagehands, wardrobe and wigs & makeup attendants, in addition to the workshops that build bespoke scenery, properties, costumes and wigs for 12 or more productions that perform in rotating repertory in four venues while facilitating a range of complementary activities.

Responsibilities:

 Oversees a team of 12 direct reports and 400 indirect reports both non-union and unionized (six bargaining units).

·       Responsible for preparing and monitoring operating ($24 million) and capital ($700k) budgets for the Production Department, working closely with the technical direction team in fulfilling the project plans and adhering to the budgets with consistent forecasting throughout the year.

·       Supports open channels of communication with all stakeholders bringing positive attitude to the fulfillment of each production, project and offering.

·       Provide support to the creative teams – Director, Designers and others – throughout the development, build, rehearsal and running process.

·       Create a collaborative environment setting out clear guidelines and communicating regularly with the creative teams.

·       Provide leadership and ensure overall department investment in equity, diversity and inclusion and a working environment that is accessible.

·       Lead and champion efforts to support both health & safety, and sustainability & environmental stewardship.

·       Work alongside the Labour Relations Manager in serving as liaison with the production locals of IATSE including the negotiation and administration of the collective agreements.

·       Collaborate with senior management team in the exploration and fulfillment of strategic initiatives that complement the season playbill offerings which include digital content, capital projects, new play development, and tours & transfers, among others.

·       Actively support the efforts of the marketing, digital content, publicity, audience development, education and advancement teams in developing materials and content and mounting events.

 Qualifications:

·       The successful candidate will have a minimum of 10 years’ experience in directorship of theatre production, with strong leadership and human resources skills, a formal education in theatre management (or equivalent professional experience), and a demonstrated ability to guide and support a large, varied and talented team.

·       Experience in a repertory theatre is considered a strong asset.

·       You must have a demonstrated commitment to excellence, exemplary financial acumen and be able to juggle multiple priorities.

·       Demonstrated ability to work in a team setting.

·       Exceptional organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.

·       Experience in a unionized environment.

This full time position is located in Stratford, Ontario and will begin as soon as possible.

 The Festival is working diligently toward a safe and healthy workplace for everyone.  We welcome applicants of every identity, and encourage applications from Indigenous, Black, People of Colour, Deaf, disabled and 2SLGBTQ+ folks. We are committed to accommodating people with disabilities throughout the recruitment process and beyond. If you require accommodation (including, but not limited to, an accessible interview site, alternate format documents, ASL Interpreter, or Assistive Technology) during the recruitment and selection process, please let our Recruitment team know.

No candidate will meet every single desired qualification. If your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

 If you feel you could make a meaningful contribution to the Stratford Festival, please apply by submitting your resume and cover letter in a single PDF