Interim Production Manager

Company Overview

Western Canada Theatre tells our stories on the traditional & unceded territory of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, whose people are the traditional stewards of this land. 

Since 1975, Western Canada Theatre has been producing innovative, entertaining, and educational theatre for audiences in Kamloops, throughout BC’s Southern Interior, and across Canada. We have grown into one of the largest producing theatres in BC and have had a remarkable impact on the national theatre landscape: producing premieres of important new Canadian and Indigenous work, training some of Canada’s finest theatre professionals, and showcasing our work and our artists across the country through touring and co-productions.  We manage & operate the 700-seat Sagebrush Theatre, the 150-seat flexible configuration Pavilion Theatre, & Kelson Hall Centre for Arts & Education.  For more information, please visit us at wctlive.ca 

Job Description

Title: Production Manager 

Reports To: Artistic Director (AD) & Executive Director (ED) 

Direct Reports: Technical Director, Assistant Technical Director*, Production Department Heads*, Designers* and Stage Managers 

* Direct reports may jointly report to the Production Director and be supervised by the Technical Director 

Stage Managers jointly report to the Production Director and the Producer  

Western Canada Theatre (WCT) is seeking a dynamic and experienced Production Manager to oversee all aspects of the production department. This role plays a critical part in supporting WCT's artistic vision by managing production operations, collaborating on strategic and long-term planning, and leading a team of full-time, seasonal, and contract staff. Key responsibilities include budget preparation and management, contracting design teams, scheduling, facilitating clear communication across creative and production teams, and ensuring adherence to safety standards. The ideal candidate brings strong leadership skills, extensive production knowledge, financial proficiency, and the ability to foster a collaborative, inclusive working environment. 

With broad responsibility over WCT’s production department, the Production Director: 

• Oversees all production department operations in support of WCT’s artistic vision; 

• Collaborates with other team leads on envisioning and executing WCT’s strategic plan, including long range logistic and capital planning; 

• Manages full-time, seasonal, contract, and casual employees, in conjunction with the WCT and SBT Technical Directors; 

• Participates in the recruitment, hiring and supervision of production employees; 

• Coordinates with the Artistic Director on the contracting of design teams for each WCT production; 

• Collaborates with WCT Leadership and Team Leads on season planning and production budgets; 

• Coordinates with team leads, WCT’s Technical Director, and department heads on season, production and departmental schedule planning; 

• Prepares and maintains production, operating, and capital budgets for the production department; 

• Facilitates the timely, efficient flow of information among creative teams, stage management, and WCT administrative and production staffs; 

• Oversees production and overhead purchasing; tracks all production expenses to ensure they remain within allotted budgets; 

• Coordinates with leadership and the finance department on all production expenditures, including the tracking of production staff salaries, worked hours and benefits; 

• Leads the supervision, training and support (as required) of production, creative and stage management teams; 

• Liaises with designers and creative teams, ensuring that all designs and production expenses fall within appropriate timelines, budgets, and acceptable safety standards; 

• Participates in production meetings as necessary; 

• Provides insight and interpretation of agreements with ADC and CAEA; IATSE when relevant; 

• Oversees the maintenance and acquisition of WCT equipment, including production vehicles; 

• Oversees the maintenance and logistics of WCT’s warehouse storage, and for storage of all production materials; 

• Provides reliable and safe conditions for all production staff, artists and audience members; 

• Oversees WCT’s health and safety policy implementation in conjunction with the Joint Health & Safety Committee; 

• Outreaches to the community with assistance when required; offers WCT’s resources when practical to assist in the betterment of the local community; 

• Other duties as assigned by WCT Leadership. 

Qualifications and Assets 

• 3 years experience in professional technical theatre leadership; 

• Strong leadership skills, with an ability to lead a team with transparency and candor; 

• Extensive knowledge of staging, production techniques and theatre equipment; solid organisational understanding of all areas of theatre production; 

• Proven proficiency with budgeting in all production disciplines and financial tracking; 

• Ability to coach, mentor and empower others to succeed, while ensuring accountability; 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; 

• Sound creative judgement, excellent problem-solving skills and attentiveness to detail; 

• Excellent time management skills, including managing a high volume of work and attending to numerous concurrent projects; 

• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to constantly changing priorities; 

• Post-secondary industry-relevant degree considered an asset; 

• Experience with ADC and CAEA contract negotiation, execution and compliance considered an asset. 

• Strong knowledge of MS Office; proficiency in Vectorworks considered assets.