POSITION DESCRIPTION: LIGHTING DESIGNER AND HEAD ELECTRICIAN, VILAR & GRFA

The Vail Valley Foundation (VVF) is looking for a talented, motivated and experienced Lighting Designer and Head Electrician to provide creative, artistic and technical leadership for lighting at the Vilar Performing Arts Center and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater.

This role is a critical piece of the Vilar and GRFA teams to provide an exceptional experience to the audiences, artists, performers and guest production staff presented at the Vilar Performing Arts Center and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater. This role requires exceptional artistic judgment, creative interpretation, advanced lighting design skill, strong production leadership and the ability to translate artist, designer, client, and venue needs into compelling lighting environments that enhance the audience and artist experience.

The Vilar & GRFA Lighting Designer and Head Electrician works with the Vilar & GRFA Production Teams to execute all events and performances and reports to the Vilar & GRFA Technical Director. Hours are variable: early mornings, late nights and long hours will be required depending on the production schedule, and will vary day-to-day, week-to-week, and season-to-season.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Serve as the venue lighting designer and head electrician for the Vilar and GRFA, providing creative, artistic and technical leadership for lighting across performances, rentals, festivals and special events, including serving as Production Team lead on select performances as assigned.
• Design, program, and execute lighting designs for a wide variety of performance types and events using the Vilar & GRFA’s repertory lighting plots.
• Lead part-time stage crew to execute light hangs, focuses and restores in a safe and efficient manner to adapt lighting designs to fit tour specifications and/or restrictions.
• Oversee and support Touring Lighting Designers and/or Head Electricians as primary point of contact during load-in, run of show and load-out, including tying in to Vilar system and providing support/troubleshooting as needed.
• Maintain all Vilar and GRFA lighting-related infrastructure, gear, systems and peripherals, and help manage other Vilar production/technical infrastructure, gear, systems and peripherals.
• Advise Vilar & GRFA Production Management with ongoing and off-season projects, major capital projects and improvements.
• Oversee installation of Lighting equipment, Hanging, focusing, and wiring of fixtures.
• Manage power distribution and maintain safety compliance for our equipment as well as touring lighting power needs.

• Ad hoc projects as assigned.

Other Responsibilities:

• Supervise part-time, seasonal and overhire crew, including assigning work, directing priorities, monitoring performance, ensuring safe work practices and providing technical guidance.
• Assist with hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, evaluating and retaining part-time and seasonal lighting and stage crew, including technical arts apprentices.
• Provide input regarding crew performance, continued employment, advancement, disciplinary issues, future hiring needs, labor allocation and staffing plans.
• Review, verify, and approve lighting-related crew schedules, labor allocations, time entries and timecard submissions as assigned.
• Establish and maintain lighting department standards for programming, cueing, paperwork, power distribution, data distribution, equipment handling, safety practices, maintenance, inventory and venue restore procedures.
• Perform other production leadership, administrative, technical planning, supervisory and venue-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience:

 A successful candidate should possess:

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent, or a minimum of 3-5 years working in a Production Related Field.
• Must be detail-oriented and possess strong initiative, resourcefulness, professionalism, and creativity.
• Proficiency with ETC EOS Entertainment and/or GrandMA control systems.
• Strong technical lighting skills, understanding of theatrical lighting theory, and relevant electrical knowledge, including lighting controls and wiring, dimmers, rigging and automated fixtures.
• General stagehand skills.
• Capacity to work independently as part of a strong team.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent management and organizational skills, ability to work on multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously with flexibility, and the capacity to generate innovative solutions and strategies.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and be able to successfully pass a Motor Vehicle background check.
• Ability to stand for extended periods of time and lift objects up to 50lbs.
• Eagerness to provide support to the greater Vail Valley Foundation staff as available and necessary.
• Experience with or capacity to learn Microsoft Office Suite, and other systems.

About Vilar Performing Arts Center

Founded in 1981, the Vail Valley Foundation (VVF) was created to enhance the quality of life in the Vail Valley through athletic, cultural, and educational programs and events. Today, the VVF operates with an average annual budget of approximately $33 million and a full-time staff of 74 employees. In the arts: We operate two performing arts centers, the Vilar Performing Arts Center (The Vilar) and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (The Amp), and we host the annual Vail Dance Festival. We also encourage exposure to the performing arts through programs like STARS at The Vilar and Community Arts Access, Dancing in the Streets, and Master Classes during the Vail Dance Festival. We are also the organization behind Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free summer concerts. In athletics: Each December we host the Stifel Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races and the summer Mountain Games (known as the GoPro Mountain Games) each June in Vail. Historically, we have hosted three Alpine World Ski Championships (1989, 1999 and 2015) and major cycling, mountain biking, snowboarding and other international sporting events. In education: Youth Power is the education initiative of the V...ail Valley Foundation. Our programs serve children from preschool age to career and college. The organization operates in virtually every school in Eagle County and helps youth reach their full potential. We serve thousands of youth every year, and we are with them every step of the way. In community support: The Vail Valley Foundation has a vision of an extraordinary mountain community with quality of life for all. Under our Community Support pillar, we are working hard to address the childcare crisis in the Eagle River Valley. Our first project is a new state-of-the-art early childhood education and development center in Avon called Lettuce Patch Early Learning Center that will serve approximately 165 children ages 0-5.

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Connections working at Vilar Performing Arts Center