Senior Technician (Stage, Lighting & Sound) CoSTAR

Full time (35 hours a week), salary up to £50,000 per annum, depending on experience

Fixed term basis, until 31st March 2029

The National Film and Television School (NFTS)

Location: Pinewood Studios, Iver and the National Film and Television School (NFTS), Beaconsfield.

First established in 1971, the National Film and Television School (NFTS) has evolved to become a leading global institution, developing some of Britain and the world's top creative talent in film, television and games. It is widely acknowledged to be the top school of its kind in the UK and one of the best internationally, being named as one of The Hollywood Reporter's top international film schools for over a decade. The NFTS is a registered charity (313429).

What is the CoSTAR Stage?

The CoSTAR Stage at Pinewood Studios will be a state-of-the-art Converged Media Production Stage, purpose-built as a flexible and reconfigurable R&D environment at the heart of the UK's globally recognised centre for screen production. At its heart is a studio with an LED and projection display system, motorised rigging, integrated spatial audio, camera and motion tracking, a next-generation ST-2110 IP media network and advanced AI compute. The stage will provide an industry-leading environment for experimentation, prototyping and demonstration across film, television, live performance, immersive media and gaming.

What is the CoSTAR National Lab?

CoSTAR (Convergent Screen Technologies and Performance in Realtime) is a £75.6 million investment from the UKRI Infrastructure Fund, delivered by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). CoSTAR establishes the UK's first national network of research and development (R&D) Labs for the Creative Industries, forming part of the UK's long-term research infrastructure to support innovation-led growth in some of the country's most economically and culturally significant sectors.

About the team

We are building a team to operate and maintain the stage and its systems day-to-day, supporting users from the creative industries and academia to carry out ground-breaking research and development projects. We expect the team members to come with the skills and experience needed to work effectively with our core systems and to have the flexibility to thrive in a constantly changing R&D environment. They'll need the interpersonal skills to work closely with people from a wide range of industries, with varying levels of studio experience: supporting users new to the environment one day and learning from world-leading experts the next.

We are now recruiting for a Senior Technician to join the team, operating and maintaining the stage and its systems day to day, as well as supporting users from the creative industries and academia to carry out ground-breaking research and development projects.

The ideal candidate will have the skills and experience to work with our core systems and the flexibility to thrive in a constantly changing R&D environment. You will have strong interpersonal skills to work closely with people from a wide range of industries, supporting users new to the environment one day and learning from world-leading experts the next. You will be hands-on, technically capable and comfortable working across multiple systems.

For further information about this role and information on how to apply via our website via the button below.

The closing date for applications will be Sunday 14th June 2026.

Please note that we are unable to sponsor candidates for this role, so we are only able to accept applications from candidates who are able to demonstrate their right to live and work in the UK. If you do not have the right to work in the UK, we will not be able to progress your application.

At the NFTS, people are at the heart of what we do. We're an inclusive employer and are committed to equality of opportunity, and building a culturally diverse workforce. We are committed to being an anti-racist organization and to increasing our representation of staff from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. We strongly encourage applications from all backgrounds.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Reporting to: CoSTAR Studio Manager

Purpose of role:

The role will be primarily responsible for the setup, operation and maintenance of physical studio systems, including lighting, sound, rigging and associated infrastructure, ensuring a safe, reliable and well-prepared working environment. The successful candidate will have a strong practical understanding of stagecraft and health and safety, alongside a working familiarity with virtual production.

This is a hands-on technical role requiring strong attention to detail, problem-solving ability and the confidence to work within complex, multi-system environments. While members of the team may have individual specialisms, everyone will be expected to work collaboratively, supporting different roles as required by each production.

Core responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Stage Lighting & Sound:

• Set up, operate and maintain studio lighting and sound systems in line with production and R&D activity
• Prepare the studio for R&D and production activity, including equipment checks, system configuration and ensuring a safe working environment
• Rig, reposition and test lighting fixtures and audio equipment
• Perform audio setup and operation, including microphones, playback systems, signal routing and audio mixing, where required for smaller projects
• Set-up and operate the lighting desk, if required, for smaller projects
• Support external lighting and / or audio experts with the set-up and operation of complex productions or R+D
• Ensure all equipment is stored, maintained and documented correctly, reporting any faults or damage
• Support load-ins, load-outs and reconfiguration of the space between projects
• Assist visiting teams and clients with practical setup and operation of studio systems

Virtual Integration:

• Work with the technical team to integrate physical studio systems with virtual production workflows, including lighting consistency and integration
• DMX and Dante integration

Maintenance and Troubleshooting:

• Carry out routine maintenance, fault finding and troubleshooting across studio equipment and infrastructure
• Maintain a clean, organised and efficient working environment

Compliance and Improvement:

• Monitor and uphold health and safety standards, including safe rigging practices and compliance with studio procedures (eg PUWER, LOLER, etc)
• Follow established operational procedures and checklists for system setup, reset and shutdown
• Contribute to continuous improvement and R+D by documenting workflows, issues and solutions

Skills and Experience

Experience - Essential:

• Demonstrable experience working in a technical production environment such as a studio, theatre or live events
• Experience in the setup, operation and maintenance of studio lighting systems, including rigging, patching and basic control
• Working knowledge of audio systems, including signal flow, microphones and playback equipment
• Practical experience of rigging and safe installation of studio equipment
• Detailed understanding of health and safety requirements in technical production environments
• Experience preparing and resetting technical spaces to support a range of users and activities
• Ability to identify and resolve routine technical faults across lighting, audio and studio systems
• Experience of working collaboratively within a studio team to deliver activities in a dynamic environment
• Good organisational skills, with the ability to maintain equipment, documentation and a safe, orderly workspace

Experience - Desirable:

• Experience of working in, or supporting, virtual production environments, including an understanding of how physical studio systems integrate with real-time technologies (e.g. LED displays, camera tracking)
• Experience supporting hybrid physical/digital production workflows
• Awareness of networked media systems (e.g. SMPTE 2110)
• Experience of show control, timecode or system synchronisation
• Familiarity with media servers or playback systems (e.g. Disguise)
• Experience working with external stakeholders, such as creative practitioners, researchers or production teams
• Interest in emerging technologies such as AI, immersive media, interactive systems or robotics