Audio Visual General Manager

The General Manager, AV (AV) will lead the Shepard AV branch as a profit center and holds full accountability for its operations, staffing, customer experience, and financial performance. This role will own the branch Profit and Loss (P&L), direct production management and warehouse operations, and serve as the lead Production Manager for the branch’s largest local events. The General Manager, AV will also establish standardized processes and standard operation procedures (SOPs), drive sales growth, and cultivate local industry and labor relationships.

Key Contributions of the Role

• Manage all branch operations, including office, warehouse, and facility maintenance.
• Recruit, train, and develop branch personnel and foster engagement through clear communication and associate events.
• Own the branch P&L by approving event budgets and ensure gross-profit targets are met.
• Lead the 30-day budget and planning meetings and ensure timely follow-through on action items to meet internal and external customer needs.
• Direct the Senior Production Managers, Production Managers, Warehouse Managers, and administrative and support staff to ensure timely completion of all tasks.
• Serve as lead Production Manager on the branch’s largest events while meeting company standards for quality, service, safety, and financial performance.
• Develop and improve branch SOPs and partner with the Shepard Exposition Services (SES) General Manager, Vice President of AV Operations, and AV Technical Director to ensure nationwide consistency.
• Negotiate and manage union contracts and maintain current knowledge of local labor practices.
• Partner with the Payroll Department and follow payroll SOPs to ensure accurate labor tracking.
• Approve and track event travel against approved budgets.
• Collaborate with the AV and SES Sales Department, as needed, to support growth initiatives and strengthen customer experience.
• Own the branch customer experience and continue to grow it using the organizer and customer survey results to drive service improvements.
• Build and maintain vendor, facility, venue, and industry relationships in the local market.
• Manage the employment life cycle of direct reports and provides timely performance feedback.
• Enforce Shepard policies, procedures, safety standards, and operational best practices.

Requirements

• Minimum of five years of progressive audio visual operations experience, including leading large-scale events as a Production Manager, and at least three years of people-management experience.
• Ability to budget for location branches and able to interpret P&L statements, financial reports, labor reports, and KPIs to deliver measurable results.
• Advanced knowledge of audio visual production, show-site execution, warehouse operations, and union labor practices.
• Ability to build, document, implement, and audit SOPs across office, warehouse, and show-site operations.
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, interpersonal, organization, prioritization, and deadline-management skills.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills that will effectively transfer across several different departments within AV and SES.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, operations, event management, or related field; or relevant experience may be substituted for formal education.

Aligning With Our Values for Success

• Demonstrate Core Values of Caring, Commitment, Integrity, Spirit, Responsiveness, Inclusivity, and Teamwork.
• Ability to perform as a responsible ESOP owner, by making daily decisions to benefit the client and the company.
• Treat all internal and external customers with courtesy and respect, as outlined in our Blue Diamond Customer Service Program.

Please note that the roles and responsibilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and may be subject to change. Additional tasks may be assigned as needed to meet the evolving needs of the company.

Shepard is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, age, color, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, medical condition, genetic information, military status, veteran status, non‑disqualifying physical or mental disability, or any other non‑merit factor. All employment decisions are made based on business need, job requirements, individual qualifications, and merit.