Location: Global / Flexible — Belgium HQ (La Louvière) with international travel
Contract: Full-time (Permanent)
Department: Production & Creative Development
Reports to: Executive Producer/Managing Director
Seniority: Executive/Senior Leadership
Language: English Required – French and/or other languages an asset
About Dragone
Dragone is a world-renowned creative company specialized in the creation, the design and the production of immersive, large-scale live shows. Founded by Franco Dragone, former Artistic Director for Cirque du Soleil, the Group has created iconic shows, A New Day for Celine Dion, Le Rêve in Las Vegas, the House of Dancing Water in Macao, and La Perle in Dubai.
Today, Dragone is entering a new phase of structuration and international development, reinforcing its operational excellence to support the next generation of projects worldwide.
Position Summary
The Production Director is one of the most senior positions within the Dragone Group, sitting at the summit of the operational and technical pyramid. As the direct counterpart to the Artistic Director, they hold supreme operational authority, ensuring that Dragone's artistic ambitions, at whatever scale, can physically, technically and financially be realized.
Working in strategic parity with the Artistic Director and Creative Director, the Production Director is responsible for the feasibility, integrity and operational excellence of a production in its entirety, from the first concept meeting through to opening night and throughout the run. They translate Dragone's signature creative vision into concrete reality, simultaneously driving the budgetary, technical, human, contractual and logistical dimensions of world-class productions.
This is not simply a management role, it is the role of the person who makes the impossible possible, without sacrificing the soul of the work.
Core Responsibilities
Production Strategy & Master Planning
- Define and drive the overall production strategy: phases, milestones, resources and risk management
- Establish and control the full production budget, from concept through closing in direct coordination with the Executive Producer and investors
- Build and own the master production schedule, articulating all phases: concept, pre- production, technical build, rehearsals, opening and run
- Anticipate technical, financial and logistical constraints from the earliest creative phases, steering decisions toward feasible and excellent solutions
Technical Direction & Infrastructure
- Supervise all technical departments: scenography, automation, rigging, sound, lighting, video, special effects, costumes and props
- Validate technical choices and engineering solutions proposed by Heads of Department
- Ensure all installations comply with safety standards, local regulations and international professional norms
- Oversee the design, fabrication and installation of all scenic and technical elements
- Drive relationships with manufacturers, scenic builders, technical systems suppliers and specialist contractors
Creative-Operational Interface
- Act as the primary bridge between the artistic vision and the execution teams, fluent in both creative and technical languages
- Participate actively in creative development meetings to assess feasibility of ideas in real time
- Propose creative technical alternatives when an original idea meets constraints, without compromising the artistic intention
- Protect the integrity of Dragone's creative vision under budget and schedule pressure
- Maintain a constant, trust-based dialogue with the Artistic Director and Creative Director throughout the full production lifecycle
Team Leadership & Organizational Management
- Recruit and build the full production team: Line Producer, Production Stage Manager, Heads of Department and production coordinators
- Define roles, responsibilities and reporting lines within the production structure
- Create the conditions for effective, high-performance collaboration between artistic and technical teams
- Manage inter-departmental tensions and arbitrate conflicts with authority and judgment
- Develop talent and build long-term production capacity within the Group
Contract Management & External Partnerships
- Negotiate and supervise all major production contracts: technical suppliers, manufacturers, venues, subcontractors
- Manage relationships with venues, theatres, host spaces and local promoters (for touring and residency productions)
- Coordinate with legal, insurance and regulatory bodies across all relevant jurisdictions
- Represent Dragone's operational interests in all partnerships and co-production agreements
Safety, Compliance & Long-Run Operations
- Bear ultimate responsibility for the safety of all persons involved in the production: artists, technicians and audiences
- Establish and oversee all stage safety protocols, particularly for productions integrating acrobatic, pyrotechnic, hydraulic or complex mechanical elements
- Ensure full regulatory compliance across all countries and territories where the production is presented
- Establish operational structures for the long-term run: maintenance, technical replacements, show evolutions
Your Profile
- Minimum 10 years of confirmed experience in Production Director or equivalent senior operational roles in large-scale live entertainment, touring shows, permanent productions, or major live events
- Proven track record of delivering complex, large-scale productions on time and on budget, from concept through opening night
- Deep technical expertise in at least one or two key disciplines (scenography, automation, sound, lighting) and solid working knowledge across all production departments
- Demonstrated ability to lead large, multidisciplinary teams in high-pressure, internationally diverse environments
- Strong financial acumen: experience managing multi-million-euro production budgets with full accountability
- High-level negotiation and contract management skills with major suppliers, venues and institutional partners
- Absolute composure under pressure; decisive in crisis situations with the ability to make rapid, high-stakes decisions
- Deep knowledge of international live entertainment safety standards and regulatory frameworks
- Sufficient artistic culture to engage as a peer with Artistic Directors and Creative Directors
- Exceptional communication skills, able to translate complex technical realities for creative audiences and present operational challenges to executive stakeholders
- Full international mobility, Dragone productions are presented worldwide
- Fluency in English required; French and/or additional languages are a significant asset
What We Offer
- A defining senior leadership role in one of the world's most renowned live entertainment companies
- The opportunity to shape Dragone's next generation of iconic shows and productions at a scale few organizations in the world can offer
- A genuinely collaborative and multicultural creative environment, working alongside extraordinary artistic and technical talent from around the world
- Competitive executive compensation, with performance-based incentives
