Head of Lighting & Sound – Sunderland Empire Theatre
Reports to: Technical & Buildings Manager
Reports: Deputy Chief LX, Senior Technician (s); Casual stage & LX crew
Annualised hours contract – 40 hours per week plus 160 premium hours per annum.
Join our Technical Department in a key leadership role supporting the Technical Manager while leading, managing, and developing the Lighting and Sound teams. You’ll play a central part in welcoming and coordinating visiting companies, overseeing their technical and staffing requirements, delivering productions and events to the highest standards of safety and compliance, and ensuring our venue’s equipment and infrastructure are maintained to an exceptional level.
This full‑time, permanent position offers the opportunity to contribute to a dynamic, collaborative technical team at the heart of our venue’s operations.
Key Responsibilities
1. Lead on the safe and efficient fit‑ups, load‑outs, and show operations in line with legislation and visiting company requirements.
2. Enforce safe working practices, ensuring trained and competent staff appropriate to the operational requirements.
3. Supporting the Technical Manager ensure that all activities, infrastructure and equipment meet regulations and ATG Policies Procedures and guidance.
4. Manage the safe operation, maintenance, testing and repair of all venue electrical and technical infrastructure and equipment.
5. Service, maintain, and install electrical equipment in accordance with current IEE regulations.
6. Monitor and coordinate external contractors, ensuring all work meets required standards and Health & Safety obligations.
7. Work with the city council and partner agencies to ensure compliance for visiting productions.
Operational Requirements
8. Schedule and resource technical staff through effective long‑term planning, costing, and compliance with working‑time and union agreements.
9. Work closely with visiting companies to meet technical needs economically and within contractual terms.
10. Communicate seat removals or layout changes to Box Office, Marketing, and Front of House.
11. Ensure all expenditure aligns with agreed budgets and ATG finance policies.
Technical
12. Lead all Lighting and Sound activity, ensuring productions and events are delivered to the highest standard.
13. Work with the Technical Manager and Head of Stage to ensure all production requirements are met efficiently.
14. Plan ahead and schedule technical staff effectively, producing and approving rosters in good time.
15. Provide excellent customer care to producers, touring companies, and production teams in partnership with Technical and Stage Door teams.
16. Act as a primary contact for visiting companies, responding promptly and professionally.
17. Assist with get‑ins/get‑outs and operate as duty technician or console operator when required.
18. Train and develop technical staff to meet business needs.
19. Maintain accurate records of equipment maintenance, inspections, and insurance checks.
20. Attend technical meetings and communicate company processes, updates, and goals.
Safety
21. Support the implementation and monitoring of Health & Safety procedures in line with legislation for staff and visiting companies.
22. Ensure backstage and technical operations comply with legislation and ATG policies, with all documentation completed to a high standard.
23. Carry out and regularly review Risk Assessments and Method Statements.
24. Action safety points raised through audits or meetings within agreed timescales.
Maintenance
25. Work with the Technical Manager and Head of Stage to ensure backstage and auditorium areas are presented to the highest standards and remain safe.
26. Develop, plan, and participate in maintenance, inspections, and testing of all technical infrastructure and equipment.
Staff Development, Training & Communication
27. Support the development of a skilled, cohesive, and motivated team through strong communication, training, and development.
28. Ensure all ATG HR policies and procedures are implemented.
29. Assist in recruiting, training, and managing staff to achieve departmental and business objectives.
30. Participate in company, venue, and departmental meetings to ensure clear and consistent communication.
Other Duties
31. Work at other ATG venues when required.
32. Undertake any reasonable duties and training as needed.
Your skills, qualities, and experience.
We welcome transferable skills from other industries. If you can demonstrate many of the essential skills, qualities
and experience we encourage you to apply. We are able to provide training where necessary.
Essential
33. Proven experience working on medium to large-scale touring productions, either from a receiving house or touring company perspective.
34. Demonstrable experience in both leading and contributing effectively within a collaborative team environment.
35. Proficient in the setup, operation, and live mixing of lighting for theatrical productions and live events.
36. Extensive experience in programming and operating lighting using ETC Eos-family consoles, with a high level of proficiency expected. Familiarity with the Apex 10 desk is desirable, with the ability to deliver complex lighting states accurately and efficiently under production conditions.
37. A versatile and experienced multi-skilled theatre technician, confident across a broad range of technical disciplines.
38. Practical experience and competence in the use of counterweight (single purchase) flying systems.
39. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to motivate colleagues and a strong commitment to both personal and team development.
40. A proactive, solution-focused approach to problem solving, with the ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.
41. Sound working knowledge of current health and safety legislation, including the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM), the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR), the Lifting.
42. Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), and the Provision and Use of Wok Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER), with the ability to apply these principles effectively within a practical theatre environment.
43. Willingness and ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and bank holidays, as required by the production schedule.
44. A genuine enthusiasm for live performance and a commitment to delivering high-quality technical support to artists, creatives, and audiences alike.
Desirable
45. Formal training in Manual Handling and Working at Height, with the ability to apply safe working practices in line with current legislation.
46. Current First Aid at Work certification.
47. Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) qualification, with the ability to conduct and document inspections in accordance with safety standards.
48. IOSH Managing Safely certificate or equivalent, demonstrating a proactive approach to maintaining a safe and legally compliant working environment.
49. Qualification or proven competency in the safe use and handling of stage pyrotechnics.
50. A working knowledge of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSAW), with the ability to support its practical application in a technical theatre setting.
51. Understanding of domestic electrical installation principles, with working knowledge of relevant regulations and best practices.
52. Certificates in BS 7909:2011 Code of Practice for Temporary Electrical Systems for Entertainment and related purposes and its implementation in live performance environments and BS 7671:2018 (IET Wiring Regulations), particularly in relation to theatre installations and temporary power systems.
53. General understanding of building maintenance requirements and the ability to identify and report issues appropriately.
54. Working knowledge of the BECTU/UK Theatre collective agreement, with an understanding of relevant working practices and conditions.
55. Experience in relighting touring or transferred productions, with sensitivity to both the artistic intent and practical constraints of the receiving venue.
About Us - Our values
ATG Entertainment’s values set the tone for how we work, how we treat one another, and the culture we continue to build across the UK and the wider organisation.
56. THRIVE doing what we love (with passion and dynamism)
57. CONNECT through every act (with collaboration and kindness)
58. DARE to do different (with curiosity and courage)
59. PERFORM at our best (with customer focus and ownership)
Our Corporate Social Responsibility pillars
Everyone at ATG Entertainment is expected to play their part in achieving our goals and upholding our Corporate Social Responsibility priorities:
60. Inclusion: Committing to creating and upholding a positive, inclusive culture that nurtures potential and supports well-being.
61. Sustainability: Playing your part in reducing our environmental impact and finding more sustainable ways of working.
62. Next Generations: Encouraging the next generation in live entertainment by contributing to our outreach and training programmes, including mentoring students and trainees, and supporting our Creative Learning and Community Partnerships work.
Our culture
You’ll help us uphold a positive culture around meeting our obligations, by having a positive attitude to health and safety, legal and insurance requirements and take care to understand our policies and procedures.
We are all expected to participate actively in the life of the company, and opportunities will arise for you to collaborate with others across the business. Everyone at ATG Entertainment is expected to be flexible and adapt as the needs of the business change, taking on new or different responsibilities as the need arises.
Our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access Mission Statement - A Stage for Everyone
Our stages are a platform for compelling stories – stories that are for all, by all, and of all. We shine our spotlight on our differences and believe that understanding and celebrating these differences makes us better global citizens. We are passionate about the pursuit of true diversity and equality. We strive to make our venues beacons of these ideals in our communities. Onstage and off, we hold ourselves accountable for nurturing an inclusive culture, one in which everyone can bring their authentic selves. At ATG entertainment, we provide a stage for everyone.
We recognise that we do not have all the answers; but we strive to listen, to learn and to change in order to ensure ATG Entertainment becomes a truly inclusive organisation. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from individuals from the widest possible range of backgrounds and particularly welcome applications from those currently underrepresented in our workforce.
We are a Disability Confident Committed Employer, which means that we are taking action to ensure that people with disabilities and long-term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will offer an interview or recruitment event to disabled candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they best meet the essential criteria for the role. Where we receive more applications than we are reasonably able to interview for any given role, we will retain applications for the next available interview opportunity wherever possible.