Senior Director of Programming & Production

Job Description

Job Description:\n\n Senior Director of Programming & Production Tennessee Theatre | Knoxville, TNFull-Time | Exempt Leadership Role JOB SUMMARY Reporting to the Executive Director, the Senior Director of Programming & Production (SDPP) is a key member of the senior leadership team which works collectively to achieve the strategic and visionary goals of the Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation (HTTF), a nonprofit organization. The Senior Director of Programming & Production provides leadership and clear direction to guide the booking, planning, and advance production of all events within the Theatre and the adjoining spaces at 612 Gay Street. This pivotal leadership role demands seamless collaboration with other senior leaders and across all departments to ensure both daily event operations and long-term initiatives are executed effectively. The SDPP serves as the primary representative of the Theatre in interactions with its exclusive talent buyer, Live Nation (LN), and is a key representative with artists, rental clients, and other stakeholders. The SDPP leads and mentors a team of event staff with highly specific technical, logistical, and planning/management roles. Professionalism and a service-oriented approach, aligned with the mission of the Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation, are essential to achieving organizational goals while maintaining a focus on financial sustainability. This is a full-time, exempt salaried position. ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES Primary Liaison with Live Nation (LN) Communicates daily with talent buyers at LN and reviews, analyzes, amends, and approves touring artist offers prepared by LN.Collaborates with LN on touring calendar holds to ensure clear communication of date needs between the LN talent buyers and Theatre staff.Advises ED on financially risky offers or those with conditions meriting deliberation or denial (politically or socially charged show content, calendar conflicts, etc.)Represents and advocates for the Theatre’s interests in booking meetings and ongoing discussions (written and verbal) with LN representatives and/or artist representatives.Informs ED on overall performance of LN, facilitating communication and clarifying expectations, resolving conflicts, and addressing systemic or repetitive issues that could detract from the successful partnership with the Theatre and/or the financial viability of touring events.Initiates and coordinates quarterly strategic meetings with the Executive Director and LN leadership to ensure excellent communication, collaboration, and a mutually beneficial relationship. Calendar Oversight Oversees the event calendar of the entire Theatre organization, both the main stage and the bookable spaces in the adjoining 612 Building, in collaboration with senior leadership and with support from staff.Ensures adherence to established booking priorities and hierarchies to align with the Theatre’s programmatic, financial, and mission-driven objectives, and minimizing and resolving scheduling conflicts. Understands and employs timelines for confirming touring Broadway, local arts partners, nationally touring artists, mission-driven internal programming, and external rental clients.Consults with ED on decisions that involve significant compromises and/or denials of booking confirmations.Develops new booking policies for spaces in 612 that align with the needs of touring, local, internal, and third-party uses. Event Preparation and Coordination Ensures exceptional event preparation and execution by leading and engaging with a team of independent and dedicated full-time and part-time BOH staff directly responsible for: entry and management of holds and confirmed events on the calendar; amending/executing contracts, lease agreements, and riders;coordinating advance logistics/preparation of all events; coordinating advance theatrical and technical needs for all events; serving as production/promoter-presenter reps or event technical staff; andcompleting settlements and documenting payables/receivables for all events.Occasionally performs event prep and coordination duties during busy stretches and/or to cover OOO staff, such as amending contracts & riders, advancing shows, repping and settling shows, and completing post-show paperwork.Leads weekly Production Meeting that reviews upcoming events and addresses outstanding questions.Actively uses Momentus (event management software) to thoroughly document and coordinate event details for cross-departmental efficiency and ensures team- and organization-wide participation in utilizing this tool.Develops and maintains strong, positive relationships with third party vendors and service providers that contribute to successful events and general Theatre operations. Fosters and maintains strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, including executive leadership of the Symphony, Opera, Jazz Orchestra, and Big Ears Festival; neighboring property owners; municipal representatives, civic & community leaders; and other influential members of the community, all to enhance the Theatre’s presence and influence within the city and region. Cross-Departmental Leadership & Collaboration Serves as an integral and equal member of the Senior Director leadership team, working closely with peers in Audience Services, Facilities, and Advancement to execute both immediate and long-term organizational objectives under the guidance of the Executive Director.Demonstrates effective and proactive communication while fostering collaboration across departments to identify and implement solutions, ensuring all actions and decisions align with the Theatre’s overarching strategic goals and best interests. Specific examples of collaboration include: With the Senior Director of Audience Services, ensuring ticketing for all touring bookings and rentals are meticulously understood and communicated, or creating a seamless integration of logistics between advance production and day-of execution for both FOH & BOH teams, resulting in an exceptional artist and audience experience at every event.With the Senior Director of Advancement, prioritizing and facilitating events both in the Theatre building and in the 612 building, such as low-cost or free programming; mission-driven educational, family, or community outreach initiatives; or donor and sponsor engagements.With the Senior Director of Facilities, communicating physical plant needs (R&M, procurement of equipment, capital expenditures, etc.) and timely communication of needs of event set-up and strike duties performed by the Facilities team. Employee Development Leads and engages a diverse team with role-specific needs and a wide variety of experience levels, working to build cohesion, exceptional communication standards, and depth of institutional knowledge.Oversees the implementation of work plans and delegates responsibilities in a manner that ensures thorough training, support, and development of direct reports, team- and organization-wide efficiency, and promotes both sustainable workloads and work/personal life balance.Partners with Human Resources (HR) to develop and maintain detailed job descriptions for direct reports, while evaluating and refining the departmental structure to capitalize on strengths, address challenges, and foster opportunities for professional growth. Budgeting Develops an annual departmental budget with a focus on earned revenue streams, including touring events, rental events, and other program revenues, while carefully assessing profit margins and identifying opportunities for growth and diversification.Conducts thorough reviews of monthly financial reports to assess comparative income statements, analyze cash positions and cash flow, and evaluate departmental budget performance for strategic improvements. Stakeholder Engagement At the direction of the Executive Director, actively represent the Theatre at external meetings and events, ensuring the organization maintains a strong presence in critical community discussions and decision-making forums. Exercises diplomacy and collaboration while steadfastly advancing the Theatre’s strategic objectives. KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES Industry Expertise: In-depth knowledge of and hands-on experience in the live entertainment venue and national touring industry, including trends, challenges, regulations, and best practices. Demonstrated familiarity and skill with artist, agent, and tour manager relations; contract negotiations, touring advances, event management logistics, and night-of-show settlements. Mission-Driven Mindset: Ability to approach planning and execution of all events, regardless of revenue potential, as equal and essential to the overall nonprofit mission. Insists on excellence and professionalism, resulting in a superior experience for all performers, clients, and audiences. Leadership: Ability to train, lead, and inspire teams, manage conflicts, and drive performance. Lead collaboratively with peers and under direction from the ED.Decision-Making: Ability to make multiple informed, timely decisions under pressure and within deadline while considering the global implications of each decision.Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for interacting with theatre leadership, staff, artists, vendors, and key stakeholders. Ability to effectively and diplomatically de-escalate intense or agitated situations.Risk Management: Ability to identify and mitigate risks related to safety, security, and logistics.Team Development: Ability to nurture talent, foster teamwork, and promote a positive, inclusive, and rewarding work environment.Market Insight: Understanding the local and broader industry/market dynamics impacting event attendance and revenue. COMPETENCIES Adaptability: Flexibility to handle dynamic event schedules, non-traditional work weeks, unexpected issues, and changing priorities.Strategic Thinking: Aligning event programming and production with organizational goals.Collaboration: Working effectively with peer leadership, cross-departmental teams, the Executive Director, and key external stakeholders.Attention to Detail: Ensuring exceptional documentation, reporting, and data collection to evaluate and improve execution of events.Financial Management: Efficiently allocating resources within budget constraints. PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS Hours: Ability to work flexible, potentially extended non-traditional schedule. Frequent evening and weekend work required. Occasional work on some holidays is likely.Standing and Walking: Ability to manage extended periods of standing and walking. Lifting and Carrying: Ability to lift and carry equipment or other materials. Physical Endurance: Ability to withstand long events, especially during setup, execution, and strike. Stamina is essential to handle the demands of extended work hours. Ability to lift 50 lbs.Mobility and Dexterity: Employee is regularly required to stand; walk, use hands and fingers to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. Ability to enter text or data into a computer or other machine by means of a traditional keyboard.Hearing: Ability to hear clearly in different environments, including in person, by phone, and over other sounds to understand, and distinguish speech and/or other sounds. Vision: Clarity of vision at approximately 20 inches or less, including use of computers.EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE Associate degree or bachelor's degree in business administration, technical fields, or management preferred. High School Diploma or GED required.Minimum of 6 - 8 years' experience, specifically with booking touring events and/or in live entertainment or performance venue management, and related responsibilities.A minimum of 2 - 4 years of successful supervisory experience is preferred. ABOUT THE TENNESSEE THEATRE The Tennessee Theatre is an ornate, 1600-seat historic movie palace fully renovated into a multi-purpose performing arts venue. With over 220 booked days, it hosts more than 175 events annually, ranging from touring concerts, comedy, and Broadway; resident symphony, opera, and jazz performances; classic movies; children and family events; patron events; and private rental events. It is a treasured architectural landmark, a cultural cornerstone of the region, and an entertainment destination beloved by generations of audiences. The HTTF mission is to preserve, maintain, and operate the Official State Theatre of Tennessee as an arts and entertainment cornerstone for the cultural enrichment and enjoyment of all. The Theatre has recently acquired and renovated a neighboring building (24,000 sf spread over seven levels) that is physically connected to the Theatre building and used primarily to enhance and expand Theatre programming (pre- and post-show receptions, private intermission lounges, rehearsal and educational spaces, and more) as well as additional private rental use. The new spaces are complete, and full activation of this building is expected in 4Q 2026. The Historic Tennessee Theatre Foundation is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all individuals. We celebrate diversity and are dedicated to fostering an atmosphere free from discrimination. We believe this enriches our organization and enhances our ability to fulfill our mission. Discrimination in any form is not tolerated, and we encourage all qualified individuals to apply for opportunities with us. DISCLAIMER: This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice. This job description does not in any way constitute a contract or guarantee of employment.