Assistant Director, Arts Production

Wesleyan University, founded in 1831, is a diverse, energetic liberal arts community where critical thinking and practical idealism go hand in hand.

Position Details
Wesleyan University is known for its global and experimental perspective on the arts and its innovative integration of the arts into the curriculum and the core of campus life. It seeks to serve as a cultural center for Middletown and the surrounding region, by working in tandem with faculty, students, community members, and artists to elevate the arts as a means of understanding the world. The university’s Arts Production department supports the technical and production needs of the departments of dance, music, theater, and art and art history, student groups, and Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts ( CFA ) which focuses on artistic process and the incubation of original creative work.

Reporting to the Producing Director for the Arts, the Assistant Director is the Arts Production department’s primary position responsible for the execution of arts events in CFA spaces.
This public-facing positionprovides a strong foundation for the varied creative practice housed within the CFA and ensures that the planning and execution of arts events is done in a way that creates a sense of welcoming and belonging for all constituencies.
Responsibilities include:

• Manage relationships with artists from concept to execution for curricular and student arts events.
• Use discretion to implement artistic vision within means of Arts Production and CFA venues.
• Educate students and other on-campus stakeholders about producing practices and venue capability within CFA spaces.
• Determine scope, feasibility, technical needs, budget, and calendar placement for CFA event requests.
• Resolve any logistical ambiguity in advance of events by managing communications between the Event Producer, Arts Production, and other stakeholders.
• Execute event needs through partnerships with internal and external university service providers.
• Manage CFA’s master calendar including internal departmental calendars, public-facing calendars, and university scheduling software.
• Hire, train, and manage student staff that provides onsite event support.
• Manage and provide onsite Front of House ( FOH ) and stage management support for events when required, typically during weekend and evening events.
• Ensure successful execution of events including best practices are followed while responding to emergency situations.
• Analyze event request trends to evaluate the efficiency of current scheduling practices and implement improvements where necessary.
• Consult on, and support, CFA /Arts Production/Arts Department events outside of CFA as needed.
• Other projects as assigned.

This position is required to work on campus.

(Relocation assistance to CT is available for those who qualify).


Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of at least three years of professional experience in arts event management, venue management, stage management, production management, or other administrative, production, or producer roles at an arts organization or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Experience in managing an art event from the concept phase through completion.
Ability to work through ambiguity collaboratively during a planning process with stakeholders.
Enthusiasm for creative experimentation, empathy for artistic process, and a passion for collaborative producerial practices.
Experience creating and/or implementing production schedules for performing arts events.
Computer fluency at a level that allows for ease of learning the university scheduling system.
Proficiency in MS Office and Google.
Strong organizational skills that allow for the management of complex calendars and working on a variety of multifaceted projects simultaneously.
Demonstrated experience in working independently and as part of a team.
Demonstrated commitment to work within a diverse environment and work collegially with individuals of different backgrounds.
Strong Communication skills.
Availability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings and weekends, especially during peak times for campus events around the end of the Fall and Spring semesters.
Preferred Qualifications
Familiarity with a variety of artistic disciplines.
Previous experience with EMS or other scheduling software.
Previous calendar management experience at an arts organization.
Prior experience working with technical staff.


Special Instructions to Applicants
Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by July 14, 2023 when first review of applications will begin.
Additional Information
All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of apre-employment background check screeningto the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, marital status, ancestry, present or past history of mental disorder, learning disability or physical disability, political belief, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or non-position-related criminal record. We welcome applications from women and historically underrepresented minority groups. Inquiries regarding Title IX, Section 504 or any other non-discrimination policies should be directed to Vice President for Equity and Inclusion, Title IX and ADA/504 Coordinator. Wesleyan University complies with the Clery Act and maintains records of campus crime statistics and security policies. Copies of Wesleyan University?s Clery Act Report are available on request and online at http://www.wesleyan.edu/publicsafety/compliance.html.