Event Production Team Lead

Building a Brand Starts with a Story

FIRST is a leading global brand experience agency providing Content, Creative, Digital Technology, Management & Delivery, and Data & Insights services. Operating as a full-service agency partner or through embedding specialist talent into client teams, FIRST brings brands and people together through creative, connected experiences.

FIRST works with clients across various industries, including financial services, technology, new & traditional media, aerospace, healthcare, and professional services. FIRST has received numerous accolades, including being named one of the Top 150 Event Organizers & Agencies in the USA by Eventex, being listed among the "200 Top Marketing Agencies" in 2023, 2022 & 2021 by Chief Marketer, being recognized as one of the "50 Top Event Companies" by Special Events, being included in the Top 100 "Best Places to Work in NYC" by Crain's New York Business, and being listed as one of the "1000 Companies to Inspire Britain" by The London Stock Exchange Group.

FIRST also understands that businesses worldwide, including us, need to adopt more sustainable and socially responsible practices. Our vision of sustainability at FIRST is about fostering a People centric, Purpose driven & Planet conscious culture.

Learn more at www.firstagency.com

Our story started over 25 years ago growing through collaboration, innovation, strong culture, and a focus on people, specifically our people. Our people inspired, developed, and grew FIRST into the incredible brand experience creator it is today. And our hope is that you become the next page of our story in developing how our agency connects more people beyond what they thought was possible.

A welcoming, creative and ambitious workplace that offers personal and professional growth for all individuals. 

At FIRST, you'll find

• A welcoming workplace that fosters diversity and belonging with a focus on team members feeling valued, respected, and supported. 
• An experiential organization that cares about the development and career experience of each employee, focusing on excellence and flexibility with the right balance of structure to thrive.
• Creative teams that enjoy challenging work with an ability to make an impact on those around them.

In this capacity, the ideal candidate would represent the FIRST brand as an implanted team member for one of our Solutions accounts in a well-known technology company and assume the role of Event Production Team Lead. This position is ideal for someone with strong technical production experience in the event industry who can assume a management role within an organization. This role will be responsible for leading the technical production elements for high-profile events in addition to directly managing team members on the account to ensure delivery of high quality events. You’ll liaise with FIRST teams and our client on a daily basis.

For events, the goal is to provide a seamless technology experience to all attendees, press and partners, as well as create a more efficient and reliable technical environment for event staff and vendors. This role will report into the Regional Lead.

Your Contributions

• Lead on all aspects of on-site service delivery which includes developing processes, maintaining client relationships, and driving innovations and efficiencies
• Generate detailed reporting to provide insight on the health of studios, space utilization, finances, staffing, and client satisfaction
• Partner with Production leadership to ensure SOP’s are executed to the desired standards, and that all risk is identified in a timely manner
• Manage FIRST team members which could include; specialists, technicians, production coordinators, and freelancers at this facility
• Partner with Production Leadership to ensure all technically complex and high profile events are executed flawlessly
• Coordinate with stakeholders across teams and service lines to ensure the seamless execution of events
• Coordinate with the Experiential AV and Multimedia team to ensure the flawless delivery of content on experiential displays
• Provide technical, operational and production support to a number of on-site meeting spaces
• Work closely with clients to establish A/V and staging layouts as well as budgets for events
• Staff, administer and maintain event calendar for FIRST team members
• Oversee workload of team ensuring day-to-day understanding of capacity/pressure points and assisting/offering guidance on team’s events where required
• Manage vacation schedules, coordinate team presence in office to ensure ample coverage, and review all T&E reports
• Liaise with Regional Lead & other Team Leads to schedule and execute monthly meetings with the FIRST team on the account
• Partner with FIRST People & Culture and the Head of Production on all company initiatives, recruiting, and employee relations matters
• Oversee the on-boarding & training/off-boarding process for all employees on the account
• Liaise between FIRST internal departments, Site Leads, clients, and the implanted FIRST team
• Provide technical solutions and support to the wider team and assist in the hands-on delivery of all events
• Manage client expectations on production issues
• Liaise across different levels within the immediate team, the client’s organization, and third-party vendors
• Advise on best options and set up for venues
• Participate in creative team brainstorming sessions
• Identify new and alternative ways of approaching FIRST’s technical production offering to clients by collecting feedback, identifying trends and implementing changes
• Ensure team adheres to standard operating procedures and compliance processes
• Actively discuss technical errors and ensure that they will be rectified/escalated accordingly
• Maintain comprehensive event files and keep precise records for the client
• Provide input/feedback on big picture opportunities, issues, and challenges within the organization
• Manage and promote communications to all team members to ensure maximum efficiency
• Manage process requests and projects to/from FIRST Main Office
• Ensure the team maintains positive relationships with client
• Lead and motivate the team to work efficiently
• Ensure the team is providing value for money to clients and seeking value adds where possible
• Encourage and motivate the team to be knowledgeable of best practices, new suppliers, services, and venues and to be proactive with ideas and creative solutions
• Develop, mentor, and provide feedback to team members on an on-going basis

What We Are Looking For

• Please be aware that we know experience does not always look like we describe it. If you believe you would be an excellent fit for this role, please apply - we would love to see how you could fit at First.
• 8+ years’ professional experience within the technical event production/broadcast industry/Live event industry
• 3-5+ years’ experience leading technical production teams is preferred
• Strong people management skills with the ability to lead by example is essential
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience preferred
• Expert/in-depth understanding of the latest Audio/Visual technology and advancements including lighting, audio/video, rigging and power
• High level of proficiency in the technical delivery of high-quality events
• Video output experience with expert technical understanding of systems
• Extensive experience operating event production systems
• Excellent communication and customer service skills are a must to build and maintain relationships
• Ability to prioritize while adhering to critical project timelines in a fast-paced environment
• Expert knowledge of 2D and 3D CAD (Vectorworks) preferred
• Experience managing day-to-day changes at every level of detail
• Willingness to travel within the United States as needed
• Familiarity with labor union rules (applicable only to USA and certain parts of EMEA)
• Ability to manage many projects at once with varying levels of production complexity
• Excellent supplier/vendor knowledge, contract negotiation skills and knowledge of market pricing
• Must be fluent in English
• Ability to work onsite
• This role will be assigned to a primary location but will require flexibility to be deployed to support across the campus as required

Administrative and General

• Assume responsibility for own environment, ensuring adherence to health and safety policies while having clean smart surroundings
• Work intelligently and ensure that team management is aware of problems or issues which negatively affect productivity
• Build excellent relations with the team, clients, vendors, and key venues through positive communications
• Ensure knowledge is shared within the team to enable them to work smarter
• Work on ad hoc requests as required, typically during quiet times

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