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Head of Props

Reports to:Production Director
Location:Shaw Festival, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Position Summary

We are seeking a creative and highly skilled Head of Props to lead the Properties Department in delivering the objects, details, and textures that bring our productions to life.

This is a senior leadership role for a collaborative maker and problem-solver who thrives in a fast-paced production environment. From handcrafted hero props to sourced period details, you and your team will realize the artistic vision of each production while balancing timelines, budgets, and resources.

Working closely with Designers, Directors, Stage Management, and Production leadership, you will guide a team of artisans and technicians, ensuring exceptional quality, strong organization, and a safe, supportive workplace.

Start Date:Early November 2026

Key Responsibilities

Artistic Leadership & Show Realization
• Interpret scripts, design drawings, and production meetings to determine prop needs and execution strategies.
• Lead the creation, sourcing, adaptation, and procurement of props, set dressing, and specialty items.
• Produce prototypes, mock-ups, and rehearsal-safe versions of props as required.
• Oversee craftsmanship across woodworking, sewing, upholstery, metalwork, casting, scenic art integration, and finishing.
• Ensure all props meet artistic intent from rehearsal through performance and strike.

Show Leadership & Production Collaboration
• Serve as Show Lead on assigned productions (minimum 4 per season).
• Collaborate closely with Designers, Directors, Stage Management, and Technical Departments.
• Ensure rehearsal props are prepared, tracked, and maintained throughout the rehearsal process.
• Respond efficiently to rehearsal and performance notes with clear communication and follow-through.
• Participate in production meetings, technical rehearsals, previews, and strikes.

Departmental Leadership & Crew Management
• Supervise Assistant Head of Props, Props Coordinators, artisans, technicians, and seasonal staff.
• Work collaboratively with Show Leads to distribute workload across the season.
• Support hiring, onboarding, training, and professional development of team members.
• Foster a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative shop culture.
• Resolve workplace issues with professionalism, clarity, and fairness.

Operations, Budgeting & Planning
• Lead departmental planning for the full production season in coordination with Production leadership.
• Prepare, manage, and track departmental budgets, labour allocations, and material costs.
• Oversee purchasing, inventory control, and vendor relationships.
• Maintain accurate records of expenditures, petty cash, and cost tracking.
• Participate in shared operational responsibilities including accounting coordination, health & safety compliance, and shop stewardship alongside other departmental leads.

Shop Operations, Safety & Infrastructure
• Maintain a safe, organized, and efficient Props Shop and storage facilities.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations (including WHMIS and Working at Heights).
• Oversee use, maintenance, and accountability of tools, equipment, and shop resources.
• Promote environmentally responsible sourcing, construction, reuse, and disposal practices.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of workflows, materials, and production techniques.

Seasonal Lifecycle Management
• Manage props from initial concept through build, rehearsal, performance, strike, and archival storage.
• Ensure continuity and tracking of props across repertory rotations and transfers between productions.
• Oversee strike, restoration, and storage systems at season end.

Required Qualifications
• 6+ years of professional theatre experience in props or prop management, including supervisory responsibility.
• Strong hands-on expertise across multiple fabrication disciplines (woodworking, sewing, upholstery, metalwork, casting, finishing, etc.).
• Proven ability to lead teams in a fast-paced, multi-production environment.
• Strong ability to read and interpret design drawings, technical documents, and production paperwork.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, schedules, and competing priorities.
• Excellent communication, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Valid driver’s licence with clean driving record.
• Current First Aid certification.
• Working knowledge of health and safety practices (WHMIS, Working at Heights).

Preferred Qualifications
• Post-secondary training in technical theatre, production, or related field.
• Experience in repertory theatre or high-volume production environments.
• Familiarity with Vectorworks and or CAD , Photoshop, and digital tools is an asset.
• Experience with historical research and period sourcing.
• Knowledge of stage effects and specialty prop construction.
• Experience working in a unionized environment.

Working Conditions

This role is physically demanding and requires regular lifting (up to approx. 50 lbs), use of ladders and shop equipment, and time spent in rehearsal halls, shops, and stage environments.

The standard schedule is Monday–Friday daytime hours; however, evenings, weekends, and overtime will be required based on production schedules and rehearsal demands.

Contract Details and Compensation

The Shaw Festival is committed to fair compensation and providing a structured environment that supports professional growth and work-life balance.

• Annual Salary Range: $85,000 – 90,000 Annually
• Work Schedule: This is a full-time position. Hours are typically 8-5pm but hours can and will vary during the season to align with production scheduling
• Vacation: three weeks’ vacation annually prorated for 2026.
• Benefits and RSP (3 month waiting period)

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume by 5:00pm, June 26, 2026.

Attention: Director Human Resources
Email:dlg@shawfest.com (Please include the position you are applying for in the subject line.)

We thank all applicants in advance for their interest, however, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.

Thank you for your interest in the Shaw Festival

Discover more about working at the Shaw Festival by visiting our Welcome Website at welcome.shawfest.com

As one of the world’s leading theatre companies and Niagara’s 20 largest employers, The Shaw is dedicated to an ongoing process of increasing diversity and inclusion in our audiences, our programs, and in all of our hiring for staff, artists, and in the recruiting of board members. The Shaw is committed to a future when our theatres joyously draw on and include all peoples, fully reflective of the world around us. As such, the Shaw Festival is an equal opportunity employer committed to a barrier-free recruitment and selection process. We encourage and invite applications from applicants who identify as Indigenous, Black or as persons of colour (IBPOC), the LGBTQ2+ communities and those identifying as gender fluid. In accordance with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and in keeping with our wish to ensure a fully inclusive environment, please advise Human Resources if you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process. We will be happy to assist.

We acknowledge and honour the land upon which we gather as the historic and traditional territory of First Nations peoples. In particular we recognize and thank the Neutral Nation, the Mississauga and the Haudenosaunee for their stewardship of these lands over millennia.