Field Audio Production Manager

The University of Texas at Austin • Austin, UT

6d • $65,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Liberal Arts Instructional Technology Services (LAITS) is seeking a highly skilled and experience professional to help run a dynamic Audio Department that handles hundreds of events a year, to promote and support the College of Liberal Arts and The University of Texas. Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship. UT Austin offers a competitive benefits package ( https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective ) that includes: 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage for employee Optional medical insurance for employee’s dependents - up to 50% employer-paid Optional dental, vision, and term life insurance for employees and dependents Paid holiday time off each year; state legislature determines the number of holidays 12 days of paid vacation time off per year for new employees 12 days of paid sick leave per year Employer contribution to Teacher Retirement System (TRS) Staff Tuition Assistance Program Access to Recreation & Health Facilities Purpose This position will be responsible for planning and directing on-site audio productions, including overseeing crew, gear setup, troubleshooting, and ensuring that expected production standards are met. They need to be a detailed oriented, problem-solver that can work well with crew and client under stressful conditions. They will work with Studio leadership to ensure proper staff mentoring and that resources required to complete work in an efficient and creative way are available. They will be responsible for ensuring that projects adhere to budgets and that income expectations are met. They will advise on ways to improve the overall production experience and outcomes for both clients and staff.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Experience in audio recording, live sound for events or venues, or audio studios.
• 2+ years of work experience in a supervisory capacity.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Strong client communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, mature judgment, and diplomacy required to interact effectively with and provide customer service to a broad audience.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to adapt equipment setup and provide alternative workarounds if necessary.
• Ability to demonstrate a strong team-oriented approach, fostering collaboration and effective communication with colleagues across various departments
• Working knowledge of industry trends and best practices related to event production and production-related equipment.
• Proficiency in collaborative technical tools, including Microsoft Office suite, Google Workspace, and Zoom
• Strong managerial and coaching skills, fluent at providing feedback and mentoring.
• Ability to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.
• Strong computer skills.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree related to the audio/video field.
• Proven ability to lead and mentor a team.
• Proven track record of working with VIP clients in fluctuating, high stress and fast-paced event situations.
• 5+ years of work experience in audio recording, live sound for events or venues, or audio studios.
• 5+ years working with professional sound equipment, in particular Shure, Allen & Heath, Yamaha, Lectrosonics, Sound Devices, and JBL equipment or comparable brands.
• 5+ years working with Dante networks involving hundreds of channels for inputs, outputs, and crew comms.
• 5+ years overseeing a large, varied inventory.
• 5+ years of record-keeping, playing close attention to detail to ensure accurate timekeeping and accounting for and condition of equipment across multiple locations.
• 5+ years creating estimates and invoicing.
• 5+ years creating crew schedules.
• Familiarity with equipment ranging 40+ year old legacy equipment up to state-of-the-art digital infrastructure.
• Proven ability to setup sound systems, signal flows and recording plans with minimal information and with backup options as plans change.
• Strong understanding of microphone styles and use cases for recording and sound amplification (dynamic, condenser, boundary, lavalier, shotgun, etc.)
• Strong understanding of variety of sound amplification equipment and use cases for each (active loudspeakers, passive systems, bi-amping, subwoofers, output zones, etc.)
• Familiarity with Black Magic Design equipment for streaming and switching.
• Experience spec’ing out equipment to integrate into existing infrastructure, working with vendors, assessing demo units, and making equipment purchase recommendations.
• Ability to inspect, clean, and perform minor repairs on gear.
• Working knowledge of Slack, Harvest, and Teams.
• Experience using AirTable.
• Strong client communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to adapt equipment setup and provide alternative workarounds if necessary.
• Strong understanding of current industry standards.
• Operational understanding of post-production editing and mixing with Pro Tools.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to work independently and effectively in a collaborative team environment.
• Experience working in a university setting.
• Professional experience managing and mentoring a team of student employees.
• Production experience with the University of Texas at Austin or other state agencies.

Responsibilities

• Perform audio engineering in the field for high profile and complex events, requiring up to 16 microphones, live streaming, sound amplification, multi-track recording, and hybrid 2-way events and conferences. Coordinate needs between audio and video field production teams as well as house AV teams.
• Point of contact for both client-side communication in planning of event, as well team lead for LAITS audio engineers performing work. Intake client requests, generate estimates, schedules, calendars, and pack lists, and communicate effectively with LAITS AV crew to ensure all productions are performed to the highest standards.
• Ensure all equipment is maintained and performing at professional quality. Fix or coordinate repair of equipment needing servicing. Research and develop equipment for locations and field packs to allow for new capabilities and to match industry standards.
• Train and supervise junior staff members, including full-time staff with limited years of experience, and part-time student staff. Ensure all crew members are trained and able to perform events and productions on which they are booked and provide supervision for events as needed. Provide constructive feedback to assist with the development of staff. Assist Director of Studio Operations with understanding areas where staffing needs are required.
• Assist with Audio Department needs outside of the field to cover for staff members as availability, bandwidth, and special projects arise.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid basic medical coverage for employee
• Optional medical insurance for employee’s dependents - up to 50% employer-paid
• Optional dental, vision, and term life insurance for employees and dependents
• Paid holiday time off each year; state legislature determines the number of holidays
• 12 days of paid vacation time off per year for new employees
• 12 days of paid sick leave per year
• Employer contribution to Teacher Retirement System (TRS)
• Staff Tuition Assistance Program
• Access to Recreation & Health Facilities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees