Creative Team Lead / Theatre Lead Costumer Upper School

Reporting To: Theater Director/Theater Manager

Status: Part-Time, Stipend

Employment Period: August – March (8-Month Position)

Schedule: Variable Hours

Position Summary:

The Creative Team Lead / Theatre Lead Costumer oversees the procurement, creation (sewing, crafting, etc.), and coordination of costumes for three mainstage Upper School productions each year. This individual leads and organizes volunteers to bring the director's artistic vision to life while fostering a positive, collaborative, and Christ-centered community atmosphere.

In addition to costuming responsibilities, the Creative Team Lead supervises volunteer teams responsible for stage properties (props), hair, and makeup, ensuring all creative elements are completed on schedule and with excellence. The position also maintains costume and prop storage areas and workshop spaces, ensuring materials are organized and properly cared for.

Essential Responsibilities:

Creative Team Lead:

• Coordinate and lead volunteer teams responsible for costumes, props, hair, and makeup for all three Upper School productions.
• Collaborate with the director to execute the artistic vision of each production.
• Provide organization, communication, and support to volunteer teams, ensuring work is completed according to production timelines and deadlines.
• Foster a welcoming, encouraging, and community-oriented atmosphere among students, parents, and volunteers.

Lead Costumer:

• Analyze scripts to identify costume requirements, including quick changes, specialty costumes, and unique production needs.
• Research historical periods, styles, and design concepts that align with the director's vision.
• Source costumes through creation (sewing, crafting, etc.), reworking of current costumes, community partnerships, online vendors, local theaters, thrift stores, and other resources.
• Manage costume budgets across productions.
• Conduct costume fittings and coordinate alterations and adjustments as needed.
• Build and maintain relationships with vendors and community theater partners.
• Organize and maintain costume workshop and storage areas.
• Oversee student and volunteer hair and makeup teams and provide guidance and support as needed.

Props Oversight:

• Collaborate with the director to supervise volunteer teams responsible for sourcing, creating, and organizing stage properties.
• Maintain the organization and care of prop storage areas during and after each production.

Overall Qualifications:

• Strong leadership skills and the ability to direct teams of volunteers with varying experience levels.
• Excellent communication, multitasking, and organizational abilities.
• Comfort working within tight production deadlines.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience in costuming, props, hair, and/or makeup (preferred but not required; training available).
• Sewing skills
• Flexibility, creativity, and a collaborative spirit.
• Ease in working with students and supporting extracurricular activities.
• Willingness to embrace and support the mission and values of a Christian school community.

CHCA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will be considered.

Essential functions under the Americans with Disabilities Act may include any of the duties, knowledge and skills listed above. This list is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and duties performed by employees in this position. Regular attendance is an essential function of this job.

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl; talk or hear; and taste or smell. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

MENTAL FUNCTIONS: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to compare, analyze, communicate, copy, coordinate, instruct, compute, synthesize, evaluate, use interpersonal skills, compile and negotiate.