5065 Technical Director

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Technical Director

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 5065

GRADE 26

CLASSIFICATION Nonexempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Executive Director, Athletics and Entertainment Facilities

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Technical Director is responsible for designing, developing, constructing, and maintaining the lighting and sound equipment for daily facility operations and scheduled special events in the JQH Arena, Hammons Student Center, Plaster Sports Complex, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. The Technical Director provides production assistance to University departments and organizations as well as commercial entertainers, organizations, and groups utilizing the JQH Arena, Hammons Student Center, Plaster Sports Complex, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts, recommends appropriate staging, tightening of counterweight ropes, lighting, and sound techniques for scheduled events and performances. The Technical Director supervises production and technical crews composed of student and temporary employees.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A high school diploma or the equivalent is required; a Bachelor’s degree is preferred.

Experience: Five years of progressively responsible experience in technical operations, theatre, concert, or entertainment production at a comparable facility, which includes experience in stage lighting operations, sound reinforcement and design, development, construction, maintenance, and operations, is required. If the educational level is the Bachelor’s degree, three years of progressively responsible experience in technical operations, theatre, concert, or entertainment production at a comparable facility, which includes experience in stage lighting operations, sound reinforcement and design, development, construction, maintenance, and operations, is required.

Skills: Strong verbal and written communication skills are required. Supervisory skills are required. The ability to design and construct production equipment from sketches, diagrams or plans is required. The ability to read and understand floor plans, color schemes, stage lighting, and basic construction plans or blueprints is required. Mechanical skills in the construction, operation, and minor repair of sound and lighting equipment and the use of hand and power tools are required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.

Effort: The ability to lift and carry materials weighing up to 100 pounds on a frequent basis is required. The position requires prolonged standing, frequent bending or stooping, and climbing of steps and ladders. This position will occasionally be required to work on a grid at a height of at least 60 feet. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.

Other: The scope of the job frequently requires evening and weekend work, particularly during major athletic or entertainment events, lectures, and/or rehearsals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Ensures that athletic, entertainment, and special events at JQH Arena, Hammons Student Center, Plaster Sports Complex, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts have sufficient and suitable lighting and sound support by determining the desired lighting and sound effects required for specific events, designing special purpose or unique lighting and sound systems, if required, from instructions provided by stage managers, installing and repairing lighting and sound equipment following blueprints and wiring diagrams, operating controls to supply electrical and lighting effects, and positioning and operating lighting and sound equipment during events or performances.

2. Prevents contractual liability on the part of JQH Arena, Hammons Student Center, Plaster Sports Complex, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts in scheduling commercial events by reviewing the technical riders of contracts for prospective performers to determine technical requirements and fulfilling the technical requirements with existing or rental lighting and sound equipment.

3. Assists visiting entertainers and groups using the JQH Arena, Hammons Student Center, Plaster Sports Complex, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts by providing them information regarding operational policies and procedures, coordinating specific requirements for technical and associated support, and advising them on staging techniques.

4. Ensures that JQH Arena, Hammons Student Center, Plaster Sports Complex, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts and related areas are ready for use by athletic teams, entertainers, or performing groups by coordinating with production crews to identify unique or special requirements, planning and organizing personnel and equipment resources to meet event schedules, and directing work crews in completing facility preparations.

5. Promotes preventative maintenance as a strategy in maintaining facility lighting, sound, and scoreboard equipment by periodically testing equipment and replacing components before failures occur, maintaining an inventory of spare parts and components to reduce down time when failures do occur, keeping a library of technical manuals and data manuals for equipment and components used in the facility, and remaining technically up-to-date on equipment through reading trade publications and technical journals and bulletins.

6. Coordinates the production aspect of events conducted in Hammons Student Center, Plaster Sports Complex, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts by renting forklifts, gasses, staging, and other necessary equipment, scheduling piano tuning and other professional services as required to support the event, and arranging and directing venue tours.

7. Supports Hall performances by supervising the hanging and focusing of lighting for all events at the Hall, maintaining an inventory of replacement lamps, supervising the set-up of sound reinforcements as needed for each event, and supervising the set-up of the sound system for each event.

8. Develops an effective and efficient staff of student technicians by recruiting and hiring qualified student workers, providing training in testing, tuning, adjusting, and operating lighting and sound equipment to obtain the optimum operating conditions and scheduling and supervising student technicians.

9. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.

10. Contributes to the overall success of operating JQH Arena, Hammons Student Center, Plaster Sports Complex, and Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

SUPERVISION

The Technical Director is supervised by the Executive Director, Athletics and Entertainment Facilities and supervises stagehands, contract labor, and student workers employed as electronics technicians and production crews and makes recommendations that are given particular weight regarding the hiring, termination, promotion and other changes of status of those supervised.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED FEBRUARY 2023

JOB FAMILY 2

Factor 1: Educational Requirements of the Job

Level 2.0 - 100 Points: The job requires a high school diploma or equivalent.

Factor 2: Skill Requirements - Craft and Trade Skills

Level 4.0 - 750 Points: Knowledge of an extensive set of operations and procedures, specific skills and demonstrated ability, that requires considerable creativity or mechanical aptitude. Skills at this level normally require more than two and as much as five years of experience and previous training.

Factor 3: Managerial Responsibility

Level 4.0 - 300 Points: Supervision of a work group including hiring, training, planning, and directing the work of permanent employees. At this level the job often requires close supervision, generally of a rather small number of employees, and it is frequently necessary to train and instruct others, and plan and direct work. Supervisory responsibilities consume moderate amounts of work time and may include input into the development of budgets, some financial and inventory control responsibility, and general work planning tasks. Most first-line supervisors or office managers are typically at this level.

Factor 4: Guidelines

Level 3.0 - 90 Points: Procedures and standards exist, but considerable latitude in applying procedures and selecting a sequence of activities must be exercised. The employee uses judgment in interpreting and adapting guidelines such as agency policies, regulations, precedents, and work directions for application to specific cases or problems. The employee analyzes results and recommends changes.

Factor 5: Contacts

Level 5.0 - 350 Points: The purpose is to influence or motivate others to engage in negotiation regarding common, everyday issues. Contacts may be with students, coworkers, or the general public, may be moderately unstructured, and may involve persons who may be uncooperative or who have opposing objectives. Contacts at this level require considerable interpersonal skill, particularly in persuasion, negotiation, and conflict resolution.

Factor 6: Work Environment

Level 2.0 - 40 Points: The work area involves moderate discomfort and/or risk such as that from moving machinery, occasional work with hazardous substances, or moderate levels of noise. The work may require wearing of protective gear. The work area is generally adequately lighted and ventilated, but may involve uncomfortable temperatures at times.

Factor 7: Physical Demands

Level 5.0 - 200 Points: Work requires maximum exertion on a daily basis. Prolonged and frequent walking, standing, bending, stooping, reaching, climbing, crawling, and/or heavy lifting represent normal work day activities. The job requires frequent lifting of objects weighing up to 75 pounds without assistance, and periodic lifting of heavier objects with or without assistance.

Factor 8: Responsibility for Facilities and Resources

Level 3.0 - 70 Points: At this level would be jobs in which the incumbent has considerable ongoing responsibility for building security and public safety.

Factor 9: Complexity

Level 4.0 - 700 Points: The work involves varied duties requiring many different and unrelated processes and methods such as those relating to well-established administrative or professional fields. Decisions regarding what needs to be done include the assessment of unusual circumstances, variations in approach, and incomplete or conflicting data. The work requires making many decisions concerning such things as the interpreting of considerable data, planning the work, or refining methods and techniques to be used.