Justin Jain in Cherry Orchard.Photo by Johanna Austin

Now Hiring: Head Electrician

The Wilma Theater seeks a Head Electrician.  

The Wilma Theater creates living, adventurous art, presenting bold, original, well-crafted, thought-provoking productions that represent a range of voices, viewpoints, and styles. The Wilma’s organizational values were developed through conversations with Wilma staff, board, and HotHouse Company members. Our organizational values are curiosity, courage, care, rigor, joy, collaboration, and liberation.  

The Head Electrician will contribute meaningfully to the organizational culture of the Wilma and will advocate to advance our values on an organizational, local, and national scale. This person will take part in cross-departmental work, company-wide EDI work and anti-bias training as we further our commitment to being an inclusive, anti-racist organization. 

Position Summary 

The Head Electrician reports to the Production Manager and Technical Director.  

The Head Electrician is responsible for implementing the lighting designs of all Wilma Theater productions. This role must manage, maintain, and operate the Theater’s performance-related lighting systems and equipment, ensuring high quality results for all performances and special events. This role reports to the Production Manager and the Technical Director and collaborates closely with all facets of the production department, directors, designers, and other theater staff as necessary. While this is an I.A.T.S.E. position, candidates would not be required to be an I.A.T.S.E. member to accept the position.  Candidates would, however, be required to join and remain a member I.A.T.S.E. within a year of the first day of employment in the position in order to maintain employment. 

 Responsibilities 

  • Maintaining all equipment and instruments both prior to and throughout our season of shows and special events, as well as maintaining clean and organized workspaces storage areas.  
  • Working with show designers in the design phase and beyond to manage lighting load-ins, focus, scenic integrations and support budget management    . 
  • Loading in and maintaining lighting equipment according to designers’ specifications and preferences for each Wilma production. 
  • Running work-calls of I.A.T.S.E crew membership. Being familiar with and diligently adhering to the guidelines dictated in our collective bargaining agreement with I.A.T.S.E. 
  • Coordinating with the Technical Director for timing, construction and installation of all lighting position rigging and integration of scenic practicals.  
  • Familiarity with Eos/Gio programming a plus.    
  • Proficiency with moving lights/DMX strongly valued. 
  • Familiarity with Vectorworks, Lightwright and Concert preferred. 
  • Programming the lighting board during some of the technical rehearsal process and right of first refusal for running the board through all performances of Wilma productions. 
  • Supervising the purchasing of any lamps, gels, consumables or practicals as needed. 
  • Striking and restoring lighting systems and designs in anticipation of the next production, special event, or other Wilma projects. 
  • Coordinating with the Production Manager and the Technical Director to determine equipment needs and rentals. 
  • Running the lightboard for special engagements as needed. 
  • Attending all production meetings. 

This role will work nights and weekends, according to the Theatre’s performance schedule. 

Physical Demands of the Role 

The Head Electrician is required to engage in physical activity commensurate with the hanging, cabling and focusing of instruments and the rigging of booms and LX positions. The head electrician position requires frequent lifting of heavy objects, working with an array of tools and working at height.  A full range of body motion and physical agility is required to meet the needs of the Wilma’s production schedule.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Location Requirements 

Limited travel between the Wilma Theater on 265 S. Broad Street, our storage facility and the rehearsal studio space, all within the Philadelphia city limits. 

Compensation and Benefits 

This is a full-time, hourly role with compensation of $24.50/hour per the I.A.T.S.E Collective Bargaining Agreement 

Benefits include holiday pay, accrued paid sick leave and additional Wilma employee benefits such as access to the employee assistance program, complimentary tickets to Wilma productions, parking discount, and employee discounts at Good Karma Cafe. 

Hybrid Work Environment  

Due to Covid-19, much of the Wilma administrative staff is conducted in a hybrid environment of remote and in-person work, dependent upon role function and responsibilities.  In consultation with your supervisor, it may be determined that some administrative aspects of your role may be performed remotely.   

COVID-19 Vaccine Policy 

The Wilma Theater strongly recommends all employees, whose work requires their physical presence on-site at spaces managed and operated by The Wilma Theater, to be fully vaccinated and up to date with the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna (bivalent) vaccine. Being “fully vaccinated” and “up to date” as defined by the CDC, is more than 14 calendar days following receipt of a final dose of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or World Health Organization (WHO) authorized vaccine.   

Applications and Inquiries 

Applications will be open until February 19, 2024, with the desired start time of March 4, 2024.  

Please send a resume and letter of interest as a single PDF attachment with your name and subject line “Head Electrician candidate” to hr@wilmatheater.org  

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement 

The Wilma Theater is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, sex, gender, age, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or public assistance status in the recruitment, hiring, training, compensation, promotion, transfer, layoff, recall and termination of employees. The Wilma is committed to building a diverse, inclusive and equitable work environment. Those who identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other members of underrepresented communities are encouraged to apply.