James Madison University is hiring: Audio Engineer / Sound Designer in Harrisonb
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, United States, 22802
Working Title: Audio Engineer / Sound Designer
State Role Title: N/A
Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)
Position Status: Full-Time
FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime
College/Division: College of Visual and Performing Arts
Department: 100551 - College of Visual and Performing Arts
Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience
Specify Range or Amount:
Is this a JMU only position? No
Is this a grant-funded position? No
Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No
Beginning Review Date: 03/30/2025
About JMU:
Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.
Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.
Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.
JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.
General Information:
The Forbes Center for the Performing Arts is the premier performing arts destination in the Shenandoah Valley presenting world-class theatre, dance and music entertainment. The Center houses five performance venues - a 600-seat Concert Hall, a 450-seat Mainstage Theatre, a 200-seat Recital Hall, a 200-seat Earlynn J. Miller Dance Theatre and a flexible seating Studio Theatre Black Box. The Center presents an Encore Season every year featuring up to 16 internationally recognized professional artists / ensembles. Over 300 ticketed and non-ticketed performances a year are presented including guest artists, renowned faculty members and emerging young talent from JMU's School of Theatre and Dance and School of Music. The Forbes Center attracts over 45,000 patrons per year.
The position of Audio-Engineer / Sound Designer is a full-time 12-month Administrative and Professional Faculty position within the College of Visual and Performing Arts, reporting to the Associate Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts. The position works under the guidance of the Associate Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts and the Executive Director of the Forbes Center for the Performing Arts.
We are seeking a dynamic and well qualified sound professional with the capacity to engage and support a complex performing arts center season and a College of Visual and Performing Arts. The ideal candidate will have the capacity and drive to support teaching and learning in sound design classes taught in our schools, as well as, by mentoring interns and independent studies.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Serve as primary audio engineer for all professional guest artists and School of Music performances. Liaise with touring companies to ensure that all sound requirements are met according to the Artist's rider.
Set up sound enhancement equipment (monitors, speakers, cabling, microphones), manage sound checks and provide live sound mixing for performances.
Supervise and manage all audio recording of School of Music ensemble performances, faculty recitals, and DMA recitals to meet national accreditation standards.
Oversee streaming operations including managing technology and training of streaming operators (8 to 10 students) for School of Music performances.
Manage maintenance and updates for all recording/sound equipment in Concert Hall and Recital Hall.
Support the Forbes Center in audio-technical needs / maintenance/upgrades across all five performance venues in the Forbes Center and in Wilson Auditorium.
Support sound design curriculum by providing supplemental lectures and by providing internship experiences. Supervise part time student sound/streaming staff (8 to 10 students), providing them with experiential learning in this area.
Manage the sound budget and purchasing of sound equipment.
Qualifications:
Required:
Significant professional experience in the areas of audio engineering, live mix, and sound design.
Ability to work a varied weekly schedule, which may include some early mornings, nights, and weekends.
Demonstrated ability to do audio mixing, sound design and show control experience specific to classical, band, jazz and other live entertainment performances.
Ability to live mix FOH and monitor consoles, live performers and recorded playback tracks.
Ability to tune a sound system in multiple venues.
Knowledge of wireless microphone systems used for musical theatre, vocal ensembles and soloists.
Ability to calibrate and maintain production / sound equipment.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and to troubleshoot problems effectively during performance and rehearsals.
Experience working with varied sound consoles and audio software like Vectorworks or AutoCAD, Yamaha M7 and CL5 consoles, Dante, Pro Tools and QLab and/or other similar systems.
Preferred:
A bachelor's degree in a related field
Q-Sys experience
Sound recording experience specifically for jazz, classical and other small and large musical ensembles.
Supervisory experience
Additional Posting Information:
Candidates should provide a CV, a cover letter, and a recording that they have mixed for the search committee to review; candidates should upload a document (under "Other Document #1") that contains the link to their recording.
JMU's Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.
Conditions of Employment:
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.
E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.
EEO Statement:
James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.
We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.
Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.
Reasonable Accommodation:
If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.