Director of Event & Technical Production

Job description

Job Posting Title: Director of Event & Technical Production ---- Hiring Department: University Development Office ---- Position Open To: All Applicants ---- Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40 ---- FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA ---- Earliest Start Date: Aug 17, 2026 ---- Position Duration: Expected to Continue Until Aug 31, 2027 ---- Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS ---- Job Details: General Notes About The University of Texas at Austin What starts here changes the world. The University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1883, ranks among the best universities in the world. With 76 programs ranked in the top 10, UT Austin is the #1 public university in Texas and the #7 public university in the nation. Like the state it calls home, The University of Texas at Austin is a bold, ambitious leader supporting more than 55,000 students, 4,750 faculty, 15,000 staff and top national programs across 18 colleges and schools. Amid the backdrop of Austin, Texas, a city recognized for its creative and entrepreneurial spirit, the University provides a place to explore countless opportunities for tomorrow’s artists, scientists, athletes, doctors, entrepreneurs and engineers. Learn more about UT’s mission and values and leadership . Why Join Texas Development? The University of Texas at Austin is a thriving hub of learning and discovery that anchors our city and enables excellence and innovation on the highest level. And it’s only possible because generous supporters believe in the power and promise of our state’s flagship university to change the world. With more than $6 billion raised in the What Starts Here campaign, Texas Development is quickly becoming one of the best fundraising programs in public higher education. Texas Development is a dynamic community of 500+ fundraising professionals across the Forty Acres. We strive to reach the highest levels of achievement and success in all that we do by creating meaningful and powerful experiences for our donors. Follow your passion, grow your career and help us change the world . Benefits The University provides a competitive benefits package that includes insurance and retirement benefits in addition to other programs and services. Texas Development supports growth by offering professional development opportunities that help every team member accomplish their goals, enrich their skillset and deepen their engagement with UT. Purpose The Director of Event & Technical Production provides leadership and operational oversight for technical and event production across a broad portfolio of high-visibility university events that advance donor engagement, institutional priorities, reputational impact, and ceremonial excellence. This role leads and oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of complex event production and technical needs, including audiovisual strategy, technical schedules, staffing models, volunteer support, vendor management, venue coordination, run-of-show development, risk mitigation, and on-site production leadership. The Director supervises 2-3 direct reports and is responsible for staff coaching, workload, planning, performance management, professional development, and team accountability. The Director serves as a senior production partner to University Events & Experience leadership team, development colleagues, campus partners, executive stakeholders, university service providers, and external vendors, translating institutional goals into polished, reliable, and mission-aligned event experiences. Working closely with UEE leadership and finance, the Director provides budget stewardship, policy compliance, production standards, post-event evaluation, and continuous improvement of technical and event production practices across the event portfolio. This position has an end date of 8/31/2027, but may be renewable based upon availability of funding, work performance, and progress toward goals. Funding is expected to continue. Responsibilities Provide direction and production leadership for high-visibility university events, including donor events, strategic engagements, ceremonial programs, reputational events, and other assigned portfolio events. Serve as the senior production and technical lead for assigned events, overseeing technical timelines, production schedules, budgets, task lists, approvals, vendor deliverables, stakeholder communications, and close-out requirements. Build and maintain strong working relationships with UEE colleagues, development partners, campus stakeholders, university service providers, student organizations, external vendors, and executive-level partners to ensure coordinated and high-quality event delivery. Assess event goals, venue conditions, audience needs, institutional priorities, and stakeholder expectations to recommend scalable technical, audiovisual, staging, lighting, sound, recording, livestream, and productions solutions. Direct audiovisual services, technical vendors, campus service providers, production crews, staffing plans, volunteer assignments, and event support teams to ensure successful execution. Establish and maintain production standards and documentation practices, including technical timelines, run-of-show documents, cue sheets, diagrams, staffing plans, call sheets, equipment lists, service requests, and post-event notes. Oversee event documentation, including estimates, contracts, invoices, approvals, communications, production files, vendor records, photos, videos, and final records to support accountability and business continuity. Lead on-site technical execution for complex events, including load-in, setup, rehearsals, sound checks, cueing, vendor coordination, program flow, troubleshooting, guest experience support, cueing, vendor coordination, program flow, troubleshooting, guest experience support, strike, and load-out. Provide direction, training, and coordination for student interns, volunteers, temporary staff, and production support teams assigned to portfolio events. Supervise, coach, and develop 2-3 direct reports, including establishing priorities, assigning work, monitoring performance, providing regular feedback, supporting professional growth, and ensuring accountability for production deliverables. Lead team planning and resource allocation for assigned events, balancing staff capacity, event priorities, deadlines, and cross-functional needs to ensure consistent service, continuity, and high-quality execution. Identify production risks, develop contingency plans, resolve complex real-time issues, and implement improvements that strengthen event quality, technical reliability, business continuity, and stakeholder experience. Ensure purchase requests, contracts, payment requests, and financial documentation are submitted accurately and in accordance with University, State, and internal procedures. Lead post-event reconciliation within two weeks, including budgets, production schedules, documentation, invoices, event records, technical notes, lessons learned, and recommendations for future improvements. Additional duties as assigned. Salary $90,000+ depending on qualifications Required Qualifications At least seven years of progressively responsible experience in event production, technical production, audiovisual coordination, event operations, advancement events, or a comparable role supporting complex or high-visibility events. Demonstrated leadership experience directing technical production workflows, audiovisual systems, staging, sound, lighting, recording, livestream support, rehearsals, and event-day production needs. Experience directing on-site logistics, vendor services, production crews, staffing, volunteers, and on-site execution. Management experience supervising, coaching, evaluating, or directing staff, including responsibility for workload planning, performance feedback, team communication, and professional development. Experience managing production schedules, technical timelines, budgets, staffing plans, vendors, service providers, and competing event priorities with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment. Strong organizational, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to advise senior-level campus partners, donors, faculty, and executive stakeholders. Experience developing and maintaining production standards, agendas, run-of-show materials, cue sheets, staffing plans, equipment lists, diagrams, and follow-up materials. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, calendar management, project management systems, document management platforms, CAD, inventory management systems, and event management tools. Proven ability to exercise sound judgment, solve complex problems, and adapt in fast-paced, highly visible technical production environments. Skilled in maintaining standard operating procedures, production records, event files, and post-event documentation to support accountability and continuous improvement. Demonstrated commitment to professionalism, accountability, confidentiality, safety, and excellent service to stakeholders. Ability to lift 30 pounds or more, as needed. Willingness and availability to work nights, weekends, and travel as required to support event operations. Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate. Preferred Qualifications Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience leading technical production or event production for high-profile donor, advancement, strategic engagement, ceremonial, reputational, academic, or executive-facing events. Advanced experience with audiovisual production, sound, lighting, staging, livestream, recording, hybrid event support, cueing, rehearsals, show calling, and production strategy. Experience working directly with senior university leadership, donors, faculty leaders, advancement partners, campus executives, or other executive-level stakeholders. Proven experience developing technical production strategies, vendor scopes, staffing models, run-of-show documents, cue sheets, equipment plans, contingency plans, and scalable production standards for complex events. Familiarity with state and university procurement policies, vendor contracting, risk management, safety considerations, and compliance requirements for event production. Strong executive-level problem-solving skills and the ability to adapt to evolving event requirements while maintaining a high standard of technical reliability, service, and professionalism. Working Conditions This is an on-site position, based in Austin, Texas, and the schedule will vary based on university and department schedules, and with the types of events scheduled and operational functions. Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on-site work is the standard expectation for this position. May work additional hours (mornings, evenings, weekends) for scheduled events during peak periods and special events, with time exceeding 40 hours per week. May work in all weather conditions. Must be eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University Development Office does not sponsor work visas for this position. Works in standard office conditions, in a shared office environment, with repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation. Regular and consistent attendance is required in this job. This position has an end date of 8/31/2027, but may be renewable based upon availability of funding, work performance, and progress toward goals. Funding is expected to continue. Required Materials Resume/CV Three work references with contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor Letter of Interest Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes. Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above. ---- Employment Eligibility: Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval. ---- Retirement Plan Eligibility: The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. ---- Background Checks: A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position. ---- Equal Opportunity Employer: The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer , complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. ---- Pay Transparency: The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. ---- Employment Eligibility Verification: If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university. ---- E-Verify: The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following: E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF] Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF] Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF] ---- Compliance: Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031 . The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.