Lead Technician – Lighting

About the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust

Established in 1973, Adelaide Festival Centre is South Australia’s principal performing arts venue and a leading Asia Pacific cultural centre. Adelaide Festival Centre produces a bold, exciting and extensive program of festivals, events and performances all year round, to inspire educate and entertain audiences from a variety of ages and cultures.

Adelaide Festival Centre prides itself on providing support and development and maintaining a positive work environment for all employees.  As the home of performing arts in South Australia, we aim to uphold exceptional customer service to external organisations and patrons.

Adelaide Festival Centre operates four theatres in the Adelaide CBD – the Festival Theatre, Dunstan Playhouse, Space Theatre and Her Majesty’s Theatre.

About the vacancy

As we prepare for our relaunch following redevelopment, Adelaide Festival Centre is looking for an enthusiastic Lead Technician to join the Lighting Department.

The position plays a key part in providing proactive assistance to the Head of Department and Deputy Head of Department in achieving administrative and production outcomes and leads and manages Lighting crew to ensure all policies and procedures around employee entitlements and WHS and Risk are adhered to.

The Lead Technician is expected to model respectful behaviour to the team, lead by example in both performance and attitude, and adhere to all applicable Adelaide Festival Centre and State Government of South Australia policies, procedures and work methods.

The successful candidate will have extensive Lighting Technician experience in the performing arts.

If you are proactive, solution based and have a passion for the performing arts – we want to hear from you!

Accountabilities

• Lead and manage the pre-production preparation of venues, bump-ins and outs, rehearsals and performances held in Adelaide Festival Centre venues

• Independently set up and operate a wide range of lighting equipment, working within Adelaide Festival Centre operational guidelines

• Coordinate and participate in the rehearsal and performance of technical changes and cues

• Liaise and interpret client requirements for a production and instigate actions that will achieve stated objectives and where appropriate provide solutions

• Identify training needs in the department and provide advice and guidance.

• Assist the HoD Lighting to manage, mentor and develop staff and to identify avenues for continuous skill development striving towards high levels of customer service

• Prepare, modify, apply and interpret technical paperwork without supervision or direction

• Write, modify, apply and interpret cue sheets

• Assist the Production Coordinators with technical advice for both internal and external customers

• Communicate with Production Coordinators and other department Lead Technicians to ensure effective outcomes are achieved

Key Competencies

• Suitable technical qualifications from a tertiary institution or equivalent knowledge and experience

• Completion of appropriate Certificate III or Certificate IV tertiary qualifications or commensurate skill and experience

• Comprehensive knowledge of work health and safety

• Successfully completed basic courses relating to Work Health Safety & Welfare 

• Elevated Work Platform current certificate

• Class C Drivers Licence

• Successfully complete company Pre-Employment Medical Assessment

• Possess a thorough understanding of the entertainment industry, its terminology, traditions and protocol

• Possess a genuine interest in the arts or entertainment industry with a view to a sustained career within the industry

• Intermediate CAD drawing skills using AutoCAD, WYSIWYG, Vectorworks or similar computer drawing software (highly desirable)

• Forklift Licence (HRW Class LF) (desirable)

• Dogman / Rigger (desirable)

Benefits and Culture

Adelaide Festival Centre employs over 350 people in Lighting, Sound, Staging, Wardrobe, Production Management, Patron Services, Hospitality, Merchandise, Marketing, Programming, Education, Sponsorship, Philanthropy and Corporate Services.

Joining our team means sharing our ambition to be the arts and entertainment heart of the festival state, to entertain, engage, educate and inspire, and to be a national and international cultural leader and collaborator.

At Adelaide Festival Centre, we value our employees and offer a range of benefits which include:

• Access to $15 staff tickets to performances in all our venues

• Access to 10% staff discount in all our food and beverage outlets

• Taking advantage of our voluntary, flexible working arrangements

• Having a free annual flu vaccination

• Accessing our free Employee Assistance Program

• Working in a breast-feeding friendly workplace

• Working in an approved Child Safe Environment

Adelaide Festival Centre is located on Kaurna Yarta. We respect First Nations people around Australia and acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide Plains. We honour their spiritual relationship with their country, and we do so in the spirit of reconciliation. Adelaide Festival Centre has an ambitious Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan in place approved by Reconciliation Australia and is committed to being an inclusive, supportive workplace and an employer of choice for First Nations people.

The public sector is diverse and desires to increase in diversity and to create opportunities for more South Australians. Adelaide Festival Centre is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion.

Applications

All applications will be treated in strict confidence and must include a cover letter stating your potential contribution to this role, the relevant skills and experience you can offer Adelaide Festival Centre, together with a current resume identifying relevant career, personal and educational achievements.

For more information about Adelaide Festival Centre and a copy of the position description, please visit the ‘employment page’ on our website: www.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au

Enquires can be directed to Martin Howard, Head of Department – Lighting via email to martin.howard@adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au

Please submit all applications via SEEK by 4:00pm Friday 30 January 2026