Senior Production Manager

Role Overview

The Senior Manager – Production will be responsible for managing the complete production lifecycle of events — from initial planning and costing through fabrication, technical execution, installation, event-day operations, and closure.

The ideal candidate should have strong experience in corporate events, exhibitions, conferences, experiential events, brand activations, MICE, fabrication, AV/technical production, and large-scale event execution.

The person should be commercially aware, solution-oriented, detail-driven, and capable of managing multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities1. Production Planning & Execution

• Lead end-to-end production planning and execution for events, exhibitions, conferences, and experiential projects.
• Convert creative concepts, designs, and event requirements into practical production plans.
• Review creative designs from a production feasibility, cost, safety, and execution perspective.
• Prepare detailed production schedules, execution plans, BOQs, timelines, and resource requirements.
• Ensure all production milestones are achieved within agreed timelines.
• Identify potential execution challenges early and develop practical solutions.

2. Vendor & Fabrication Management

• Identify, evaluate, onboard, and manage production vendors, fabricators, technical partners, suppliers, and freelancers.
• Negotiate commercial terms, timelines, quality standards, and deliverables with vendors.
• Ensure vendors meet agreed specifications, timelines, and quality expectations.
• Build and maintain a reliable vendor ecosystem across fabrication, AV, lighting, sound, staging, printing, décor, furniture, logistics, manpower, and technical services.
• Conduct vendor evaluations and maintain performance records.
• Ensure vendor payments and commercial documentation are aligned with project requirements.

3. Budget & Cost Management

• Prepare and manage production budgets and project BOQs.
• Obtain and compare vendor quotations to ensure commercial competitiveness.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation without compromising creative intent or execution quality.
• Monitor production expenses against approved budgets.
• Control additional costs, wastage, rework, and last-minute expenses.
• Work closely with the Event, Client Servicing, and Finance teams for commercial approvals and project closures.

4. Technical & On-Ground Production

• Oversee fabrication, set construction, branding, stage production, AV, lighting, sound, LED, rigging, power, and other technical requirements.
• Coordinate venue inspections, site measurements, technical recce, production meetings, and rehearsals.
• Supervise installation, testing, commissioning, event-day execution, and dismantling.
• Ensure all production elements are installed as per approved drawings and specifications.
• Troubleshoot production and technical challenges during setup and live events.
• Ensure smooth coordination between production, technical, creative, operations, and venue teams.

5. Project & Team Management

• Lead production managers, project managers, coordinators, supervisors, and on-ground production teams.
• Allocate responsibilities and resources across multiple projects.
• Track team deliverables and ensure timely completion of assigned tasks.
• Conduct regular production meetings and project reviews.
• Mentor and develop the production team.
• Establish clear systems, checklists, workflows, and reporting structures for production execution.

6. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with Client Servicing, Business Development, Creative, Concept, Art, Operations, Production, and Finance teams.
• Participate in project kick-offs and provide production inputs during the concept development stage.
• Ensure seamless transition from creative approval to production execution.
• Communicate production feasibility, timelines, risks, and cost implications to internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate with clients and external stakeholders wherever required.

7. Quality, Safety & Compliance

• Ensure production quality meets Zero Design Studio and client standards.
• Ensure venue rules, safety requirements, technical guidelines, and statutory requirements are followed.
• Coordinate required permissions, documentation, certifications, and safety measures.
• Ensure appropriate safety protocols are followed during fabrication, installation, live events, and dismantling.
• Conduct production quality checks before event handover.
• Maintain proper documentation for project execution and closure.

8. Event-Day Leadership

• Take ownership of production execution on event day.
• Lead the production team and coordinate with vendors, venue teams, technical teams, and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure all setups are completed within venue timelines.
• Manage last-minute changes and unforeseen production challenges.
• Act as the key escalation point for production-related issues.
• Ensure smooth show flow from a production and technical execution perspective.
• Lead dismantling and ensure the venue is handed back as per agreed timelines.

9. Post-Event Closure

• Conduct post-event production reviews.
• Evaluate vendor performance and project execution.
• Review final production costs against approved budgets.
• Identify production gaps, learnings, and opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure all vendor bills, documentation, assets, and project closures are completed on time.

Key Deliverables

• Smooth and timely execution of events.
• Strong production quality and attention to detail.
• Effective control over production budgets and costs.
• Reliable and competitive vendor ecosystem.
• Timely completion of fabrication, installation, and dismantling.
• Efficient utilisation of manpower and production resources.
• Reduction of production-related errors, rework, and last-minute issues.
• Strong coordination between Creative, Client Servicing, Operations, and Production.
• Consistent adherence to safety and venue requirements.
• Successful delivery of multiple projects simultaneously.

Candidate Profile

• 8–12+ years of experience in event production, experiential marketing, exhibitions, corporate events, MICE, or related industries.
• Strong experience in managing end-to-end event production and execution.
• Experience handling large-scale corporate events, conferences, exhibitions, launches, activations, or experiential projects.
• Strong understanding of fabrication, AV, lighting, sound, staging, LED, printing, branding, décor, logistics, and technical production.
• Strong vendor management and negotiation skills.
• Strong commercial understanding and experience managing production budgets.
• Excellent project management and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously under tight deadlines.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Willingness to travel and work flexible hours based on project requirements.
• Ability to remain calm and solution-oriented in high-pressure event environments.

Preferred Skills

• Strong knowledge of event production processes and workflows.
• Understanding of production drawings, BOQs, layouts, technical riders, and fabrication specifications.
• Strong negotiation and vendor-management capabilities.
• Excellent understanding of event timelines and production dependencies.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Good financial and commercial acumen.
• Strong crisis-management and decision-making abilities.
• Ability to balance creative ambition, execution feasibility, timelines, and budgets.