Overview
Flys (Automation) Senior Technician – WC2E 9DD
Permanent contract
Full time; 42.5 hours per week
£44,714.88 [Grade D] per annum
Based in: Covent Garden, London
The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies: The Royal Ballet and The Royal Opera.
The Royal Opera House describes the place we work, not who we are. The whole is always more than the sum of its parts – we may be a House, but three quarters of our audiences experience what we do outside this building. While our Covent Garden theatre is the nerve centre, the impact and influence of the organisation can be felt in every corner of the country, and around the world.
The role:
Our Technical, Production and Costume Department plays a leading part in ensuring our performances are of the highest quality by delivering technical excellence for every performance, rehearsal, and event. We are seeking to recruit a Senior Technician to join our Flys team. The roles involve working as part of the Flys Team to ensure the operational and production requirements of rehearsals and performances are carried out to the highest possible standard of safety, efficiency, and quality.
As part of our recent upgrade programme, the RBO has worked with Tait to Develop and Launch the EpiQ Automation Control system, ensuring the RBO as an industry leader in Automated Flying. The RBO has a fully automated Flys system whilst still applying the principals of Manual Flying in our work. As such, whilst we will provide training in the specifics of our system, we do require some automation experience as a foundation.
What you’ll bring:
This role will suit a team player with a collaborative approach to working and strong communication skills. You will be able to illustrate an ability to work unsupervised and show initiative in dealing with day-to-day problems, as well as a willingness to learn new skills and help train others. You will also be able to demonstrate:
- An excellent track record in technical theatre. Current experience is essential.
- Excellent record as a trained and safe operator of an automated flying system (RBO or equivalent).
- Ability to assess production needs for Flys operations in a repertory house.
- An appreciation of technical aspects of performance, with an understanding of the broader technical needs of other departments.
- Good understanding of AutoCAD.
- Good Knowledge of Health and Safety relevant to the safe operation of a flying system or automation more broadly.
To submit your application, please provide a supporting statement that outlines how your skills and experience match the essential criteria listed above. We recommend drafting your response in a separate document and then copying the final version into the application form.
The Royal Ballet and Opera is one of the UK’s leading arts organisations and our aim is to inspire imagination, ignite emotion and make the extraordinary for everyone. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.
We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who are from a global majority background and/or those who are disabled, as they are under-represented within our organisation.
We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.
The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.
A full job description can be found here
For more information about working with the Royal Ballet and Opera, please review the info pack here.
For a list of potential reasonable adjustments, please review this guidance document. If you have any access requirements for your application, please contact the RBO Recruitment Team on hr.recruitment@roh.org.uk
Closing date for applications: Midnight, Tuesday 25th November 2025.
Interviews will be held the week of 1st December 2025.
Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK. No agencies.
