Rehearsal Department Director

SAN FRANCISCO OPERA ASSOCIATION•San Francisco, CA

4d•$130,000 - $140,000•Onsite

About The Position

PURPOSE: To manage the administration, publication and communication of all rehearsal and performance schedules; coordinate company scheduling for the mainstage season as well as scheduling of off-season activities, including the scheduling and coordination of artists’ rehearsals, coaching sessions, music rehearsals, and wardrobe and wig and makeup fittings within the provisions of union contracts. To provide front-line interaction with visiting artists and creative teams. To be a key member of the company’s artistic/music/production team involved in addressing and resolving issues of cross-departmental concern. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: Scheduling: Working within company guidelines, to oversee, create and communicate up-to-date rehearsal and performance schedules for a variety of constituents (principals, chorus, children’s chorus, studio teachers, wranglers, dancers, orchestra, crew heads, adult supers, child supers, Opera Center, & Merola) as well as maintaining master company schedules. Books outside rehearsal spaces as the schedule requires. Meets the scheduling needs of all relevant departments, e.g. costume fittings, wig and make-up calls, music coachings, etc. Utilizes the company’s resources wisely and efficiently within union regulations, ensuring compliance with all collective bargaining agreements and child labor laws. Updates Weekly Master schedule and distributes on a weekly cadence, cross referencing and including information from all company schedules and calendars including Music Operations, Production, Opera Center, Merola, War Memorial, All-Patron Listing, Program timelines Reviews and cross-references the War Memorial Bi-Weekly & Monthly Calendars (Opera House, Davies, Zellerbach, Herbst & Wilsey) and communicates any discrepancies Reviews and cross-references Orchestra, Chorus, and Dance Master & Bi-weekly calendars, and communicates any discrepancies Proofs the Daily Schedule prior to company distribution Manages the schedule of rehearsal, coaching and special meeting rooms for the Company, Opera Center & Merola; liaises with internal departments, the War Memorial, and external organizations as appropriate. Runs weekly schedule meetings with all production-specific assistant directors, stage managers, artistic, and music operations staff during the regular season; attends weekly Crew Heads meetings and bi-weekly Artistic/Music Operations/Production meetings. Point person for War Memorial venue rental requests. Process requests internally with leadership in artistic/music/production. Schedule and update as needed War Memorial booking requests for Company – Exclusive Use Periods, Zellerbach rentals, etc. Coordinates and communicates last-minute cast changes with all relevant company members (Managing Director: Artistic, Executive on Duty, Stage Management, Assistant Director, House Manager, Communications, Wardrobe, Wig & Make-up, Music Staff etc), creating curtain announcements as appropriate. Maintains accurate records regarding rehearsal hours, both planned and actual. Monitors and records artists’ free days and hours worked, liaising with the Artistic Department when overtime issues arise. Facilitates artists’ release requests with oversight of the Artistic Department, reviewing and tracking company releases, late arrivals, early departure dates, etc. Personnel Management: Recruits, manages and mentors new hires within the Rehearsal Department. Engages and supervises Rehearsal Department staff, Studio Teachers, Wranglers, and Supernumeraries; managing staffing schedules, assignment of duties and other personnel-related issues. Oversees the engagement of Adult and Child supers, working with directors and the costume shop to ensure casting meets necessary artistic and costume criteria. Manages the rehearsal/performance duty schedule to ensure that at least one member of the Rehearsal Department is on duty whenever any artist is involved in an opera-related activity to act as liaison between the artist and company (i.e. for all rehearsals and performances). Assists War Memorial and House Management staff with access and/or clearance for guests or unescorted opera patrons. Assists in backstage security by creating & managing backstage guest policies and access procedures – including the pre/post-show access modes. Department and Company Operations: Provides a welcoming and friendly environment for guest artists, company members, patrons, and volunteers Greet guest artists upon arrival to the WMOH and assists the Artistic Department with Artist Services. Oversees the completion of production paperwork and administrative duties; including overview schedules, contact sheets, meet & greet scripts, performance sign-in sheets, late night waivers, child work permits, incident reports, & approving department timesheets. Responsible for the Rehearsal Department budget creation and tracking. Oversees the budgeting, scheduling, and management of Adult & Child Supers, Children’s Chorus, Studio Teachers, and Wranglers. Coordinates the gathering and maintaining of general production information for current and future seasons as necessary in order to accurately produce/maintain the critical factors documents. Oversees the updating of the Critical Factors Drive as changes occur, including creating an archival document/folder for each production. Participates in the leadership Artistic/Music/Production meetings, working with colleagues to resolve rehearsal/performance issues that involve multiple departments and participates in calendar creation for future seasons, ensuring compliance with all collective bargaining agreements and child labor laws. Collaborates on facilities project management as needed, working with other SFO colleagues, War Memorial Engineers and Custodians to track and resolve ongoing and future projects as well as day-to-day maintenance tickets. Ensure that the company is prepared for performances by overseeing the morning wellness calls & contacting the proper parties should any problems arise. Generate a wellness report by 2pm the day of an evening performance & by noon the day of a matinee. Represents the Rehearsal Department & explains the Scheduling Process/Procedures at all Meet & Greets Maintains the Rehearsal Department Call Board by posting the current version of pertinent information Updates Sharepoint pages for SFO backstage, admin policies. Advise in union negotiations, as needed. Serves as backup point of contact for Front of House and security vendor, Treeline. Performs other job related duties as assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree from accredited college or university or equivalent work experience
Minimum of five years in arts management (stage, production and/or company), preferably in opera and large-scale repertory house or performing arts complex
Knowledge of opera repertoire is required and knowledge of foreign languages is desirable
Proficiency in MS Word, Excel and Outlook required with excellent proof-reading skills
Ability to anticipate and solve problems quickly is required, with an aptitude in crisis management essential, maintaining a professional demeanor under pressure and maintaining confidentiality
Ability to work collaboratively and diplomatically in a team and with others, to take initiative/work with confidence, and to establish effective working relationships while interacting with a wide range of personalities and working styles
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and to meet competing and complex deadlines
Ability to organize, prioritize and complete varied tasks quickly and accurately
Ability to work weekends, evenings, & split-shifts as necessary
Must be able to set priorities; coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, meet firm deadlines
Must maintain a high level of confidentiality
Outstanding communication, both written and verbal, and organizational skills
Ability to prioritize diverse and multiple tasks, maintaining flexibility and attention to detail
Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with a wide range of people
Must perform the functions of the position in a safe manner
Must be able to work at a computer for extended periods of time
Must have the ability to work in onstage conditions: to see clearly in low-light situations such as are common back stage and in the theatre; walk and stand on complex stage settings throughout day-to-day onstage activities

Nice To Haves

Experience in stage management, opera repertory scheduling, and artist services is preferred
Proficiency in QuickBase, Sharepoint, Adaptive and Asana, preferred
Knowledge of foreign languages is desirable

Responsibilities

Manage the administration, publication and communication of all rehearsal and performance schedules
Coordinate company scheduling for the mainstage season as well as scheduling of off-season activities
Coordinate artists’ rehearsals, coaching sessions, music rehearsals, and wardrobe and wig and makeup fittings within the provisions of union contracts
Provide front-line interaction with visiting artists and creative teams
Be a key member of the company’s artistic/music/production team involved in addressing and resolving issues of cross-departmental concern
Oversee, create and communicate up-to-date rehearsal and performance schedules for a variety of constituents
Maintain master company schedules
Book outside rehearsal spaces as the schedule requires
Meet the scheduling needs of all relevant departments, e.g. costume fittings, wig and make-up calls, music coachings, etc.
Utilize the company’s resources wisely and efficiently within union regulations, ensuring compliance with all collective bargaining agreements and child labor laws
Update Weekly Master schedule and distributes on a weekly cadence, cross referencing and including information from all company schedules and calendars including Music Operations, Production, Opera Center, Merola, War Memorial, All-Patron Listing, Program timelines
Review and cross-reference the War Memorial Bi-Weekly & Monthly Calendars (Opera House, Davies, Zellerbach, Herbst & Wilsey) and communicates any discrepancies
Review and cross-reference Orchestra, Chorus, and Dance Master & Bi-weekly calendars, and communicates any discrepancies
Proof the Daily Schedule prior to company distribution
Manage the schedule of rehearsal, coaching and special meeting rooms for the Company, Opera Center & Merola; liaises with internal departments, the War Memorial, and external organizations as appropriate
Run weekly schedule meetings with all production-specific assistant directors, stage managers, artistic, and music operations staff during the regular season; attends weekly Crew Heads meetings and bi-weekly Artistic/Music Operations/Production meetings
Point person for War Memorial venue rental requests
Process requests internally with leadership in artistic/music/production
Schedule and update as needed War Memorial booking requests for Company – Exclusive Use Periods, Zellerbach rentals, etc.
Coordinate and communicate last-minute cast changes with all relevant company members
Maintain accurate records regarding rehearsal hours, both planned and actual
Monitor and record artists’ free days and hours worked, liaising with the Artistic Department when overtime issues arise
Facilitate artists’ release requests with oversight of the Artistic Department, reviewing and tracking company releases, late arrivals, early departure dates, etc.
Recruit, manage and mentor new hires within the Rehearsal Department
Engage and supervise Rehearsal Department staff, Studio Teachers, Wranglers, and Supernumeraries; managing staffing schedules, assignment of duties and other personnel-related issues
Oversee the engagement of Adult and Child supers, working with directors and the costume shop to ensure casting meets necessary artistic and costume criteria
Manage the rehearsal/performance duty schedule to ensure that at least one member of the Rehearsal Department is on duty whenever any artist is involved in an opera-related activity to act as liaison between the artist and company
Assist War Memorial and House Management staff with access and/or clearance for guests or unescorted opera patrons
Assist in backstage security by creating & managing backstage guest policies and access procedures – including the pre/post-show access modes
Provide a welcoming and friendly environment for guest artists, company members, patrons, and volunteers
Greet guest artists upon arrival to the WMOH and assists the Artistic Department with Artist Services
Oversee the completion of production paperwork and administrative duties
Responsible for the Rehearsal Department budget creation and tracking
Oversee the budgeting, scheduling, and management of Adult & Child Supers, Children’s Chorus, Studio Teachers, and Wranglers
Coordinate the gathering and maintaining of general production information for current and future seasons as necessary in order to accurately produce/maintain the critical factors documents
Oversee the updating of the Critical Factors Drive as changes occur, including creating an archival document/folder for each production
Participate in the leadership Artistic/Music/Production meetings, working with colleagues to resolve rehearsal/performance issues that involve multiple departments and participates in calendar creation for future seasons, ensuring compliance with all collective bargaining agreements and child labor laws
Collaborate on facilities project management as needed, working with other SFO colleagues, War Memorial Engineers and Custodians to track and resolve ongoing and future projects as well as day-to-day maintenance tickets
Ensure that the company is prepared for performances by overseeing the morning wellness calls & contacting the proper parties should any problems arise
Generate a wellness report by 2pm the day of an evening performance & by noon the day of a matinee
Represent the Rehearsal Department & explains the Scheduling Process/Procedures at all Meet & Greets
Maintain the Rehearsal Department Call Board by posting the current version of pertinent information
Update Sharepoint pages for SFO backstage, admin policies
Advise in union negotiations, as needed
Serve as backup point of contact for Front of House and security vendor, Treeline
Perform other job related duties as assigned