Event Technical Support Manager

Title: Event Technical Support Manager

Department: Media Services/Principia College

Position Type: Full-time, 12-month

Summary

The Event Support Manager provides technical support for a wide range of campus events from official ceremonies and high-profile guest speakers to individual student capstone presentations. The person in this position must have the technical knowledge, professional experience, and managerial skills to run the extensive and varied event support operation at the college. This includes knowing how to select, set up, operate, normalize, maintain, transport, store, retire, and upgrade the department’s million-dollar-plus inventory of audio, video presentation, streaming, performance lighting, and associated equipment. It includes hiring, training, scheduling, supervising, and managing others in the performance of those tasks. It includes being a resource for students, staff, and faculty who need this kind of technical assistance in their individual or departmental operations. The Event Support Manager also coordinates event support staffing, develops training and operational procedures for student employees, and helps ensure the successful execution of campus events through effective planning, communication, and technical leadership.

Who We Are

At our award-winning Early Childhood through grade 12 Principia School in St. Louis, Missouri, and top-ranked Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, Principia faculty and staff make up a close-knit community of educators, coaches, and professionals taking a distinct approach to education—blending academic excellence with Christian Science-based character education. Principia’s team of over 500 employees supports not only Principia School and Principia College, but also a worldwide network of Alumni & Friends. 

At Principia College, our globally-focused curriculum honors diverse perspectives and develops creative changemakers who use their academic skills for good in service to themselves, their communities, and the world. In-depth study meets real-world experience through study abroad programs, internships, capstone projects, and a robust slate of student activities, including a world-renowned mediation team, top-ranked solar car team, and the nation’s oldest student-run public affairs conference.

Principia employees are part of an engaging academic community preparing students to be tomorrow’s leaders, thinkers, and changemakers. We strive to create a collaborative and inclusive environment where everyone feels they belong and are valued.

Primary Responsibilities

• Supports campus events with primary responsibility for the proper selection and placement of lights and mics, audio equalization and testing of the setup, and video projection/audio console/recording equipment operation during events 
• Coordinates with the Video Production Manager to integrate zoom and streaming hardware and programming into various campus venue operations, incorporating, at times, two-way communication and other conferencing technologies 
• Provides technical assistance to the Music and Theatre & Dance Departments as needed for the McVay Center for the Performing Arts venue 
• Manages the student Tech Crew supporting campus events; trains student workers in MSC policies and procedures and in the technical aspects of providing high quality audio/video/lighting support; and develops and maintains training materials and operational procedures – training can be one-on-one or in small groups, and training can be on-the-job, in the Media Services Center, or in MSC venues when no event is in progress; supervises student workers during rehearsals, set-ups, performances, and clean-ups after a performance 
• Responsible for hiring, training, scheduling, coordinating, approving payroll and timecards, and evaluating performance of the Student Tech Crew 
• Provides ongoing coaching, mentoring, and leadership development opportunities for student crew members and student leads
• Meets weekly with MSC staff to plan and allocate MSC personnel and equipment to support upcoming events; meets regularly with the student Tech Crew to make work assignments, coordinate scheduling, and evaluate past work performance 
• Communicates with personnel from other departments as needed to obtain the information required to provide proper MSC support for upcoming major productions; participates in planning meetings to determine event support requirements, staffing needs, and technical resources
• Develops event support plans, run-of-show documentation, and techni