Audio and Lighting Technician at Safa Community School

POST: Audio and Lighting Technician at Safa Community School, Dubai

In 2019 the school was awarded the title of ‘Best New School in the UAE’ and 2021 shortlisted as a finalist for ‘Most loved’, ‘Happiest’ and won the award for ‘Best Value Added’ for schools in 2021-2022 across the UAE. The school has one of the best staff retention rates in Dubai and was voted one of the 15 Best Schools in the UAE by the Schoolscompared.com survey. 

Safa Community School is an all-through UK curriculum school, from FS1 to Year 13, with 2,200 on roll. (@safa_scs and Safa Community School Youtube. We pride ourselves on our high standards across all aspects of school life. This includes high academic progress and a wide variety of extra-curricular success.

Safa Community School is seeking to appoint an outstanding, highly motivated, highly qualified and personable Audio and Lighting Technician. The successful ideal candidate will be experienced in working in the international school setting.

Please see the attached document for more detailed information.

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Management

Assist the Music and Performing Arts teams to ensure productions, maintenance and equipment / consumables purchases are controlled within budgetary parameters.

Technical Support

•  Manage the day-to-day running of the School’s Drama and Auditorium facilities including all the technical requirement.
• Provide first-line support to all users of the School’s Drama and Performing Arts resources.
• Maintain all equipment and other technical resources in the Drama / Music department recommending improvements and upgrades where necessary.
• Provide technical support for wider school events if required e.g. Spring Fayre’s, Movie Nights, Iftar etc.

Classroom Support

Assist the Head of Academic Drama with: -

• Preparing and giving classroom presentations and practical workshops on introductory aspects of technical theatre, such as lighting, sound, stage management, stage layouts, set design, etc.
• Organisation of materials and equipment needed for lessons, such as performance lighting, sound systems, and some basic first-line AV support in the classroom.
• Enthuse students to ensure that their interest in technical theatre is developed
• Offering one-to-one tutorial support to students choosing the ‘Performance Support’ route at A-Level.
• Design, realise and operate all technical elements for exam performances.

Cocurricular support

Utilise students to design and operate all technical aspects for School / Drama / Music productions:

• set/staging, props, costume, lighting, sound, video, stage management, any other tasks required for the production.
• Production manage for all school productions.
• Run Technical Theatre Clubs for interested pupils, allowing pupils to take an active and major role in the preparation and running of productions (within all legal and safety considerations).

Maintenance

• Provide first-line maintenance support for all technical equipment, machines, furniture, fixtures and fittings within the Department. Liaise with the School’s Maintenance Department or arrange external suppliers/contractors for repairs and maintenance including researching into any new equipment for the school.
• Monitor and maintain stock items (lamps, gels, gobos, tape, screws, timber, etc.) and all stores and general day-to-day equipment.
• Order and obtain supplies (within budgetary parameters).
• Maintain an inventory of all equipment and materials held and used.
• Maintain awareness of developments within technical theatre and undertake training as deemed necessary.

Health and Safety

• Responsibility for managing, reviewing, and overseeing compliance with health and safety policies and working practices within the department spaces.
• Compiling and maintaining all necessary risk assessments for rooms, venues, activities, events and productions.
• Ensure all Health & Safety requirements are met for daily use of the performance spaces.
• Implement the School and/or Theatre’s Heath & Safely policy and ensure that any directives issued on Health & Safety matters are strictly applied at all times.
• Maintain an up to date first aid qualification and other relevant professional qualifications.

Qualifications and knowledge

Excellent technical theatre skills, with up-to-date knowledge of theatre systems including but not limited to:

• Detailed knowledge of lighting systems, lighting control apparatus, lighting equipment and its maintenance, refurbishment and use.
• Knowledge of audio equipment and its use as it relates to both live, recorded and playback techniques, its maintenance and refurbishment.
• Knowledge of set building techniques and their application.

Experience

• Lighting design experience.
• Experience working in a technical theatre department.
• Understanding of safeguarding requirements in a school environment.
• Experience of working with groups of secondary school aged children (desirable).

Skills

• Technical theatre skills including rigging, focusing and programming lighting, use of microphones and Q Lab and set building.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Excellent written and spoken English; the ability to articulate and communicate clearly in a professional manner.
• Ability to effectively plan, resource, and organise projects / tasks, using IT resources where appropriate.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to prioritise and use initiative in challenging situations.
• Working knowledge of IT including projector set-up and using Q Lab for video in performance (desirable).

Application Process

Closing date for applications is Friday, 16th June 2023 at 10h00 UAE time.

The application process is: 

• All applications can be submitted on the TES Portal.
• Submit a full resume / CV.   
• Submit a covering letter of no more than two A4 pages.   
• Provide at least three referees’ names, telephone numbers (with international dialling codes), and email addresses. One must be a current employer.   
• The closing date for all applications is Friday, 16th June 2023 at 10h00 UAE time. However, applications will be processed as received, and initial interviews will be arranged for successful candidates as applications are received.   
• Once initial interviews are concluded, arrangements will be made individually with those candidates who will proceed to the second round of interviews.

Upon request, feedback will only be provided to candidates who progress to the interview stages.

Important Note: 

Safa Community School is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all of its students. Applicants will be required to submit a current police criminal clearance check or equivalent from their home country or current country of residence prior to appointment.