Assistant Technical Director

Assistant Technical Director: Help Build the Future of Regional Theatre!

Are you a skilled scenic engineering expert and a dedicated leader ready to advance your career at a rapidly growing regional theatre? Olney Theatre Center (OTC), a vibrant artistic hub just north of Washington, D.C., is seeking an Assistant Technical Director (ATD) to join our dynamic Production team.

This is a pivotal moment to join OTC! We are dramatically expanding our facilities and capabilities, offering you the chance to work with cutting-edge technology, and influence the operations of our new spaces:

• New Production Facilities: OTC is significantly expanding its campus, with brand-new production facilities opening in April to enhance our scenic and technical capacity
• Artistic Core: Lead the scenic execution for dynamic productions programmed in the Mulitz-Gudelsky Lab Theatre, a vital hub for new and experimental work.
• Pioneer a New Venue: be part of the team that sets a new standard in a completely remodeled and now dynamically flexible space when the Bernard Family Theatre opens in September.

At Olney Theatre Center, we emphasize artistic rigor, prioritize a sense of belonging, embrace a variety of backgrounds, and strive to ensure every team member is valued and heard, placing collaboration at the center of our work. The successful candidate will join a leadership team dedicated to fostering  a new generation of vibrant, multifaceted, theatre-makers. This commitment ensures our production team not only executes stunning designs, but also helps shape a more welcoming and accepting industry.

What You'll Do: Technical Leadership & Scenic Execution

The ATD is a crucial leadership position, assisting the Technical Director (TD) and the Director of Production with all duties associated with realizing and installing the scenic elements for our full season and special events.

• Technical Drawing & Planning: Create and modify technical drawings using CAD and/or Vectorworks to ensure successful and safe execution of scenic plans.
• Shop Management: Oversee all shop tools, equipment, stock, and supplies, ensuring adherence to the highest safety guidelines.
• Team Supervision: Work alongside the TD to supervise all scene shop team members, including over-hire labor and carpentry apprentices, fostering a collaborative and skilled environment.
• Collaboration & Load-Ins: Work cooperatively with the Shop Foreperson to supervise efficient and safe load-ins and installations across our venues.
• Design Liaison: Assist the TD as a key point of contact and institutional support for the Scenic Designer for each production, maintaining up-to-date inventory and reviewing all plots.
• Budget & Logistics: Assist the TD in developing budget and build schedules, tracking set budget categories, and purchasing/renting necessary equipment and materials.
• Mentorship: Assist in the education and mentoring of all apprentices, with a specific focus on our carpentry team members, recognizing OTC as a teaching campus.

Requirements and Compensation

This role requires a dedicated professional with proven technical mastery and strong leadership skills.

Skills & Experience Required

• Mastery of wood and metal scenic construction, fabrication techniques, and scenic engineering.
• Proficiency in CAD and/or Vectorworks is required.
• Preferred 1 - 2 years of professional experience in Assistant Technical Direction or equivalent.
• Well-established skills in handling budgets, scheduling, and labor management.
• Excellent personal, organizational, time management, and communication skills.
• Ability to motivate, manage and coordinate team members of varying skill levels.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and clean driving record.
• Ability to climb a ladder, and lift/carry 75lbs.
• Investment in OTC’s Mission, Vision, and Values, and its Statement on Social Justice and Becoming Anti-Racist.

Salary and Benefits

• Salary Range: $53,000 - $56,500 annually, commensurate with experience.
• Benefits: Olney Theatre Center offers a complete benefits package, including a modest 403(b) match.
• Start Date: Anticipated start date is immediate.

How to Apply

Please submit by any means (letter, video, video letter, resume, portfolio, etc.) that best represents you and your work to jobs@olneytheatre.org; no calls, please. Include and highlight any skills or experiences most crucial to this position. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and strongly encourage candidates from diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply.

About Olney Theatre Center

Located ten miles north of Washington, DC in arts-rich Montgomery County, Maryland, Olney Theatre Center is one of the Washington region's most critically acclaimed large theater companies. Founded in 1938 as a summer stock company on the Straw Hat circuit, OTC is now an $8M/year professional regional theater offering nine-member productions annually in four spaces on its fourteen-acre campus. Legendary performers Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Sir Ian McKellen, Tandy & Cronyn, and Olivia de Havilland trod the boards in the early days. With a more recent turn towards new work, creatives with Tony and Grammy Awards, OBIEs, and MacArthur Genius Grants have premiered their work here, like Moises Kaufman and Sergio Trujillo, among others. Along with Baltimore's Centerstage, Olney Theatre Center is one of Maryland's two state-designated theaters.