Costume Shop Foreman

Job Highlights 

Manages the daily operations of the costume shop, overseeing costume construction, alterations, labor coordination, equipment maintenance, inventory organization, and workplace safety. Ensures costume builds are completed on schedule, within budget, and to the artistic and technical standards of the production.

Join Us!

We are looking for talented, passionate, and dedicated people who are eager to make contributions to our community and our mission. If you are excited about this position but your experience does not align perfectly, we encourage you to apply! You may be just the right candidate for this position or another role at HGO.

About the Houston Grand Opera

The mission of HGO is to enrich our diverse community through the art of opera. We do so by creating, curating, exploring, and producing outstanding experiences centered around the human voice. HGO has received a Tony Award, three Grammy Awards, and three Emmy Awards – we are the only opera company in the world to win all three honors.

Our strategic focus is two-fold: creating profoundly enriching experiences for our diverse audiences and clearly defining and positively promoting the HGO brand. We believe every team member enriches our organization by exposing a broad range of ways to understand and engage our community and discover, design, and deliver enriching experiences.

Compensation and Benefits

We offer robust benefits to full-time employees, including:

• Comprehensive and affordable health benefits.
• Generous paid time off.
• 403b retirement plan with employer match.
• Flexible work schedule.
• Professional development fund and opportunities.
• Discounted parking in the Theater District garage and nearby lots, plus easy access to Metro transportation.
• Free tickets to our mainstage and community productions and events.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversees daily operations and labor of the costume shop.
• Acts as Safety Coordinator for the Costume Shop and ensures compliance with all workplace safety standards and procedures.
• Oversees costume shop staff, freelance crew, and artisans during all phases of production.
• Tracks fabrics, trims, notions, stock supplies, and shop materials as approved within production budgets.
• Maintains organization and inventory of fabrics, notions, supplies, tools, and costume stock.
• Manages costume shop equipment and coordinates maintenance and repairs of all shop machinery and tools.
• Assist with the coordination of workflow and production priorities to meet fitting and production deadlines.
• Participate in hiring costume shop crew in conjunction with the Costume Director and Associate Costume Director.
• Assist with staff with any HR documentation or time sheets, PTO, etc.
• Tracks costume fittings, alterations, and notes implementation.
• Maintains costume build records, shop paperwork, and production tracking.
• Coordinates shop safety training and safe use of equipment and materials.
• Assists with load-ins, load-outs, packing, and transportation preparation as needed.
• Works cooperatively with wardrobe, wigs/makeup, stage management, and other production departments.
• Assists the Associate Costume director in training and mentoring drapers, stitchers, apprentices, and interns.
• Oversees dyeing, crafts, millinery, or specialty costume techniques as applicable.
• Maintains shop calendars and daily work schedules.
• Implement quality-control procedures for all costume builds and alterations.
• Maintains OSHA compliance documentation and incident reporting.
• Maintains the fabric stock organization at the warehouse.
• Coordinates warehouse operations and costume inventory management in conjunction with the Costume Coordinators.
• Works closely with the Costume Director and Production Manager regarding safety protocols.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Costume Technology, Theatre Production, or equivalent professional experience. Minimum 3–5 years of professional costume shop experience, including supervisory responsibilities. Advanced knowledge of costume construction, tailoring, draping, patterning, alterations, and fitting techniques. Demonstrated ability to supervise and organize costume shop labor and production workflows. Experience estimating labor hours, materials, and construction timelines for productions. Strong knowledge of costume shop equipment, maintenance, and safe operating procedures. Experience purchasing fabrics, notions, and costume shop supplies within budget guidelines. Excellent organizational and time-management skills with the ability to prioritize multiple deadlines. Ability to interpret costume renderings and collaborate effectively with costume designers and production staff. Working knowledge of theatrical safety practices and OSHA standards. Strong communication and leadership skills. Ability to work extended and flexible hours during production periods.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in opera or repertory costume production environments. Specialized skills in crafts, dyeing, millinery, or period construction techniques. Experience training apprentices, interns, or overhire stitchers.

Special Characteristics

Operating and basic repair knowledge of sewing machines and other applicable machinery and devices required. Knowledge of costume alterations and costume construction. Knowledge of fabric characteristics, dyeing, distressing, fitting, costume rigging, patterning and draping.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those we consider important for an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this job: extended periods of sitting and performing tasks such as typing and using a computer mouse, with strong visual and auditory focus, occasional lifting (not exceeding 20 pounds), reaching for items, effective communication skills, and fine motor abilities, being mobile within the office for activities like attending performances, events, and meetings. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Equal Opportunity

Houston Grand Opera is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at HGO are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV Status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws or regulations. HGO will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. HGO encourages applicants of all ages.