About Us:
George P. Johnson (GPJ) is the World’s Leading Event And Experiential Marketing Agency. For over a century we’ve been partnering with the world’s top brands to deliver creative solutions that make a real difference.
Our strategic thinking and creativity breathes life into brands. Our ideas create impact, inspire audiences and grow business. It’s what turns our goals, and those of our clients, into results.
We’re happy working wherever the brief takes us. At home or abroad. On the huge, or the hugely important. Our scalability enables us to answer briefs of all shapes and sizes - effectively and efficiently.
Job Purpose
As Technical Director you’ll be quickly embedded as a senior lead within our agile and dynamic Integrated Production team. Our inclusive team culture is one where better never stops. We always aspire to deliver the flawless execution of our live events, at pace, often within ambiguity and within evolving scope.
Reporting to the Head of Integrated Production, you will have overall responsibility for the successful technical delivery of the portfolio of events by the Integrated Production team.
Working in close collaboration with the Executive and Senior Producers, our creative and account teams, and external technical partners, you will be responsible for ensuring seamless technical delivery across all projects.
Key Responsibilities
Operational Delivery
- Lead the technical delivery of GPJ’s largest and more complex projects, including onsite delivery
- Lead on defining GPJ’s technical approach and solutions across all projects
- Oversee the successful technical delivery of all projects, ensuring the right technical team is in place across each project. Onsite presence where required across all projects
- Consult and advise across projects and between departments
- Consult and advise our senior client stakeholders in conjunction with the Producers.
- Work closely with the Head of Integrated Production to resource projects with appropriately skilled technical production managers.
- Ensure the technical production managers (both full time and freelancers ) diligently deliver their assigned projects to time, cost and quality
- Collaborate well & build internal and external relationships
- Relationship lead on technical supply chain, continually evolving the list as our portfolio expands
- Responsible for the health & safety plans for all events. Ensuring the technical team deliver safety and compliance by creating risk assessments, method statements and event safety plans
- Create, support and refine internal processes to increase the quality and efficiency of our output
- Be an active participant in the agency’s diversity, inclusivity and sustainability objectives
New Business Development
- Identify opportunities, through a production lens, to innovate and inspire
- Understand the vision and strategy of GPJ and spot opportunities to support commercial growth
- Provide pitch support including technical innovation, ideation & budgeting where needed
Talent Management
- Ability to source, nurture, grow and develop a team of direct reports (both full time and freelance)
- Impart your knowledge to the entire Integrated Production team; advising and building knowledge within the department among the ‘non-technical’ producers
Finance
Direct budget management of all technical aspects for the projects you are responsible for
- Oversight of all technical budgets within the department
- Ensuring status of all budgets is effectively communicated by Technical Production managers to Project Leads
About you
- You can hold yourself responsible and accountable for the effect your influence has on the Integrated Production team and the organisation as a whole
- You have the experience to constantly question, innovate and be open to and identify new ways of working
- You can inspire your team and peers to learn, grow and be curious
- You have solid experience of working with new technologies in relation to content creation and broadcast
- You challenge clients and suppliers in order to get to a better result/outcome; be confident in our abilities/position within the industry
- You demonstrate empathy, adaptability and organisational awareness
- You have a passion for live events and a curiosity for innovation and design
- You have the ability to adapt your working style and practices quickly to respond to different projects in terms of scale, content, complexity
- You have experience of being senior in a team and are able to communicate at all levels of experience
- You are an expert in your discipline; fostering confidence, collaboration and trust amongst your colleagues in all departments of the agency
Your Background, Skills & Experience
- A minimum of 10 years experience providing technical solutions for complex event projects
- An effective and open communicator who is honest, clear and constructive with your communications
- Active listening skills and can remain open-minded in all situations
- Expert understanding of audio-visual and lighting technologies, transport and logistics, fabrication, finishes, materials & print techniques
- Excellent financial acumen, numeracy and negotiation skills
- Experience of managing complex budgets of varying sizes
- Vast experience within both physical and virtual event disciplines
- Vast experience of responding and delivering to clients with digital, social media or tech solutions
- You are a collaborative, consultative team player with enthusiasm, passion and drive
- You are able to manage and execute on multiple projects effectively within deadlines and manage time and priorities effectively within a fast-paced environment
