Festival Labor Manager (Contract)
Description
At Danny Wimmer Presents, we don’t just put on festivals—we create unforgettable experiences where music, fans, and brands come together in epic ways! SoHo is the food and beverage powerhouse behind DWP’s events, delivering incredible onsite service, innovative menus, and seamless operations that elevate the fan experience. From staffing hundreds of workers per festival to managing vendor relationships and budget tracking, the SoHo team ensures the show runs smoothly from the inside out.
The Festival Labor Manager serves as a central point of contact between DWP production, contracted local labor providers, union labor, and payroll partners to ensure labor is properly staffed, efficiently deployed, and supported throughout festival operations. The ideal candidate has experience managing large-scale live events, festivals, or concert production; understands the complexities of festival labor logistics; and can proactively identify efficiencies while maintaining clear communication and accountability across multiple teams.
Key Responsibilities
Prepare labor estimates, evaluate staffing requirements, and recommend opportunities to improve labor efficiency and cost management.
Track daily labor counts and ensure all assigned personnel are accounted for throughout each shift.
Confirm that labor crews and forklift operators have the necessary equipment, tools, and resources at the start of their calls.
Coordinate crew assignments and develop efficient plans for getting labor personnel to their designated stages and work areas.
Track labor meal schedules, coordinate break timing, and arrange supplemental meal service when required.
Communicate anticipated meal breaks and headcounts to catering teams to ensure timely and appropriately sized meal service.
Work directly with DWP, local labor companies, unions, and payroll providers to support staffing, scheduling, and operational needs.
Collect labor call fulfillment information at least 72 hours before scheduled calls and union staffing lists at least 48 hours before calls, coordinating with the appropriate labor providers.
Communicate parking instructions, credentials, passes, reporting locations, and other logistical information to labor personnel.
Provide daily labor reports, staffing updates, fulfillment status, and documentation of operational issues, shortages, or other concerns.
Identify potential labor challenges proactively and communicate staffing gaps, equipment needs, scheduling conflicts, and other issues to the appropriate DWP contacts.
Qualifications
Previous experience managing labor operations for festivals, concerts, touring productions, or other large-scale live events.
Strong understanding of union and non-union labor coordination and local labor provider relationships.
Experience with labor forecasting, staffing estimates, scheduling, and cost-conscious resource allocation.
Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, high-pressure production environment.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate labor tracking and reporting.
Ability to coordinate effectively with production management, labor providers, payroll teams, catering, and other festival departments.
Flexibility to work on-site during festival load-in, event operations, and load-out as required.
Engagement Details
Position Type: Independent Contractor
Engagement Basis: Individual festival contracts
Location: On-site at assigned DWP festival locations
Schedule: Event-dependent, including advance coordination and on-site work as required
Candidates should be comfortable working in a dynamic live-event environment and traveling to assigned festival locations as needed.