Assistant Director: Costume and Wigs (Technical, Production & Costume Department) – WC2E 9DD
Permanent ContractCompetitive SalaryFull time (42.5 hours per week) based at ROH Covent Garden but with travel to our other sites in Thurrock and Aberdare as required
Prior to commencing your application, please review our application guide here.
The Royal Ballet and Opera continues to lead the way in opera, ballet, music and dance both live on stage and through multiple digital platforms, from live streaming to worldwide cinema screenings. Our Covent Garden theatre has been at the heart of London and British cultural life for three centuries. We are home to two world-class Companies:The Royal BalletandThe Royal Opera.
Our Technical, Production and Costume Department plays a leading role in ensuring our performances are of the highest quality by delivering excellence for every performance, rehearsal and event. We are now seeking to appoint an Assistant Director for Costume and Wigs to join our senior management team, working with the Director of Technical, Production and Costume, Deputy Director (Production and Planning) and Assistant Director (Technical) to collectively lead, motivate and develop over 300 permanent staff, along with a pool of skilled casuals and freelancers.
This is a strategic role, working across a large department and having overall responsibility for the management and delivery of all costume, wigs & make-up functions in all RBO locations. As the head of the Costume Department, you will have ultimate accountability for budgets, future strategy, relationships with creatives and the successful operation of the department and development of its staff.
To be successful in this role, you will need to have a track record in a major producing venue or organisation, operating at a senior management level and being able to speak to how you influence and lead a varied workforce. A demonstrable understanding of the costume production process is key alongside a strong working knowledge of the operations of a large costume department.
Our ideal candidate will thrive in a complex and multi-faceted environment offering both the leadership skills required to inspire and develop a department alongside the project, resource and budget management experience that will ensure robust and effective operational management and reporting. A positive, proactive leadership style and the drive to foster an inclusive work environment is essential. Proven experience of managing a large scale, complex operation and being able to effectively advocate cross functionally for the work of your department is key to this appointment.
In summary, you will be able to demonstrate:
- A proven track record in a relevant senior management role with a major producing venue or organisation.
- Experience in operating strategically at a high level, contributing to the ambitions and vision of a senior team.
- Excellent understanding of the costume production process and the work and operations of all aspects of a large costume department
- An understanding of artistic aims and objectives and the needs of creative teams in a producing venue environment.
- Highly developed costume technical skills and able to support staff in interpreting and realising design requirements.
- Proven experience of managing a large-scale, complex operation and of leading multiple teams.
- The ability to work effectively and build good relations with artistic teams.
The Royal Ballet and Opera is one of the UKs leading arts organisations and our aim is to inspire imagination, ignite emotion and make the extraordinary for everyone. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion underpin all that we do. We want our people to be representative of the diversity in the UK. We understand the creativity and innovation that diversity can bring and strive to create an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.
We encourage applications from people with a wide range of backgrounds, experiences and skills to join our teams. We particularly welcome applications from those who arefrom a global majority background and/or those who aredisabled,as they are under-represented within our organisation.
We are a Disability Confident Employer, which means that we are actively working to ensure that candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions feel supported, engaged and able to fulfil their potential in the workplace. We will endeavour to offer an interview to candidates who tell us they wish to participate in the scheme and who demonstrate in their application that they meet the essential criteria for the role, though sometimes due to the volume of qualified candidates with declarations this is not possible.
The RBO is also committed to safeguarding and protecting all children, young people, and adults and we implement robust safer recruitment practices. Due to our safeguarding promise, certain roles will be subject to a DBS check before commencing employment with us, which will be indicated in the advertising.
A full job description can be found here.
For more information about working with the Royal Ballet and Opera, please review the info pack here.
For a list of potential reasonable adjustments, please review this guidance document. If you have any access requirements for your application, please contact the RBO Recruitment Team onhr.recruitment@roh.org.uk
If you are applying as an internal candidate, you might find this guidance document helpful.
Closing date for applications: 11:59pm, Sunday 15th November 2026.
To ensure a fair process, late applications will not be considered under any circumstances.
Applicants must have work authorisation for the UK. No agencies.
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