This is an exciting opportunity to join the Technical & Production team at Soho Theatre on Dean Street. Our Dean Street venue presents a busy year-round programme of theatre, comedy and cabaret across three performance spaces, often involving multiple visiting companies and quick turnarounds between productions.
The Production Coordinator will play a central role in ensuring that this activity is effectively planned and advanced. You will work closely with visiting companies and Soho Theatre teams to gather and communicate production information, coordinate schedules and logistics, maintain accurate documentation and ensure everyone has the information they need to deliver the programme successfully.
You will be highly organised, proactive and comfortable managing multiple priorities at the same time. You’ll enjoy working with a wide range of people and will understand the importance of clear communication in a busy live-performance environment.
This is primarily a production coordination role rather than a hands-on technical position, although an understanding of technical theatre and live performance will be important.
Duties & Responsibilities
Programme & Production Coordination and Administration
- Coordinate the advance of productions, visiting shows and events, acting as a key contact for visiting companies, producers and creative teams.
- Gather and share technical information, schedules, plans and risk assessments, following up outstanding requirements.
- Work with the Technical & Production Manager and technical team to coordinate staffing, equipment, access and schedules for get-ins, rehearsals, performances, turnarounds and get-outs.
- Coordinate production spaces, transport, couriers, equipment hires and other production logistics.
- Maintain an overview of upcoming activity, ensure effective communication between departments and escalate potential issues promptly.
- Attend programming, diary and production meetings; coordinate departmental meetings and circulate notes and actions as required.
- Maintain accurate production schedules, contacts, resource records and shared documentation, ensuring appropriate storage and archiving.
- Provide administrative support to the Technical & Production team, including freelance personnel, contracts, purchase orders and training.
Health & Safety
- Support the Technical & Production Manager in maintaining high standards of health and safety across production activity.
- Ensure visiting companies provide appropriate risk assessments and other required production documentation.
- Maintain accurate records of production Health & Safety documentation.
- Highlight missing, incomplete or inadequate documentation to the Technical & Production Manager.
- Promote safe working practices and Soho Theatre’s Health & Safety policies and procedures.
- Act as Duty Technician when required, including leading the evacuation of the building in the event of an emergency, compiling of Duty Technician reports and flagging building issues to the Building & Facilities Manager
- Be appointed first aider, fire marshal and key holder for the building
Finance
- Support the Technical & Production Manager with monitoring production expenditure and commitments.
- Process and track production invoices, purchase orders and expenditure as required.
- Assist with identifying additional staffing, equipment, hire and other production costs.
- Support the accurate recording of costs that may need to be recharged to visiting companies.
- Ensure relevant financial documentation and receipts are processed promptly and accurately.
- Work within agreed budgets and Soho Theatre’s financial procedures.
- Deputise for the Technical and Production Manager when needed, to ensure weekly and monthly payroll is completed in line with HR, Finance and contractual expectations
Culture and Staff Engagement
- Help create a welcoming, inclusive and respectful working environment.
- Gather staff feedback, identify recurring themes and recommend practical improvements.
- Promote staff wellbeing, awareness of benefits and access to support.
- Embed Soho Theatre’s values in recruitment, induction, management and development.
General
- Assist the Technical & Production Manager with contracted staff recruitment, inductions and ongoing management
- Support the aims and objectives of Soho Theatre, both internally and externally.
- Build positive working relationships across departments and contribute to effective communication across the organisation.
- Uphold Soho Theatre’s policies, including those relating to equality, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, Health & Safety and safeguarding.
- Maintain appropriate confidentiality and comply with Soho Theatre’s data protection requirements.
- Be fully aware of Soho Theatre’s programme and activities.
- Undertake any other duties appropriate to the nature and level of the post.
Sustainability
- Support Soho Theatre’s environmental and sustainability objectives across production activity.
- Encourage sustainable approaches to production and visiting-company activity.
- Support the reuse, recycling and responsible disposal of scenery, props and production materials where appropriate.
- Contribute to Soho Theatre’s implementation of Theatre Green Book principles.
This job description is a guide to the nature of the work required. It is not wholly comprehensive or restrictive and may be reviewed with the postholder as the role and organisation develop.
Person Specification
Essential Experience & Skills
- Experience of production coordination, production administration or a similar role within theatre, live performance, events or the cultural sector.
- Experience coordinating multiple productions, projects or events simultaneously.
- Has completed an IOSH or NEBOSH certification.
- Strong administrative and organisational skills.
- Experience communicating with visiting companies, artists, producers, production managers, technicians or freelance teams.
- Ability to gather, organise and communicate detailed production information accurately.
- Strong IT skills, including Microsoft Office and shared digital systems.
- Good numeracy skills and confidence working with invoices, purchase orders and financial information.
- An understanding of Health & Safety within theatre, events or live performance.
- Ability to prioritise effectively and respond to changing requirements.
Qualities
- Highly organised, proactive and self-motivated.
- Calm and effective when working in a busy, fast-moving environment.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Friendly, approachable and confident working with a wide range of people.
- Strong communicator who understands the importance of sharing information clearly and promptly.
- Collaborative and comfortable working across different teams and disciplines.
- A practical, positive and solution-focused approach to problems.
- Able to work independently and use initiative.
- Flexible in approach to working hours, with some evening and weekend work required.
- An interest in and enthusiasm for theatre, comedy, cabaret and live performance.
Desirable Skills & Experience
- Experience working within a producing or receiving theatre.
- Experience advancing visiting productions.
- Understanding of technical theatre terminology and production processes.
- Experience working with production budgets and expenditure.
- Knowledge of relevant theatre Health & Safety requirements and risk assessment processes.
- Knowledge of UK Theatre/Equity and/or UK Theatre/BECTU agreements.
- Knowledge of the Theatre Green Book and sustainable theatre-making practices.