Benefits:A/V Technician
FUMCAH — First United Methodist Church of Arlington Heights
Position Description
Reports To: Director of Communications
Status: Part-time, non-exempt
Time Commitment: 6–8 hours per week on average; hours expand seasonally around Ash Wednesday, Holy Week, Easter, Christmas Eve, weddings, funerals, and outside-group events
Position Summary
The A/V Technician owns the full sound, media, and worship technology function at FUMCAH: preparing content ahead of each service, operating equipment live, and serving as lead or sole technician for Sunday worship, special services, weddings, funerals, and outside groups using church space. This role combines proactive preparation with in-the-moment execution and may operate independently without a second technician present.
Essential Responsibilities & Standards
Sunday Worship Operation
• Set up, operate, and tear down A/V equipment for Sunday morning worship.
• Operate live sound mixing, applying critical listening skills to mix music and voices in real time.
• Operate slide/lyric software during the service.
• Troubleshoot equipment issues in real time without disrupting the flow of worship.
Slide & Content Preparation
• Input and prepare worship slides — lyrics, scripture, sermon content, announcements — in MediaShout ahead of each service, in coordination with worship planning.
Livestream & Camera Operation
• Manage camera switching and livestream output for services offered online, troubleshooting stream issues as they arise.
Special Services & Events
• Serve as lead or sole A/V technician for Ash Wednesday, Holy Week services, Easter (multiple services), Christmas Eve (multiple services), and other special worship services as scheduled.
• Provide A/V setup and operation for weddings, funerals, and other events as scheduled.
• Provide A/V setup and operation for outside groups sharing FUMCAH space, per the facility use calendar.
Equipment Maintenance
• Maintain and troubleshoot A/V equipment, including Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs) and Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall systems:
Sanctuary: audio, cameras, ALD, projector(s), and lighting systems.
Fellowship Hall: audio and projector.
• Operates and programs sanctuary lighting for worship services and events.
• Reports equipment issues beyond on-the-spot repair to the Director of Communications, with enough detail to act on.
Team Collaboration & Leadership
• Works as part of a team to produce and enhance worship services and special gatherings.
• When serving as lead or sole technician, takes ownership of the technical outcome of the service or event without direct backup.
Nature of the Role
The schedule is seasonal rather than flat: expect meaningfully more hours around major worship seasons and events than in an average week.
Schedule
• All Sunday mornings, unless explicitly excused by the Director of Communications.
• Additional weekday, evening, and weekend hours for special worship services, weddings, funerals, and outside-group events, scheduled in advance.
Qualifications
• Working proficiency with MediaShout or comparable slide/lyric software.
• Working knowledge of live sound mixing and signal flow.
• Basic video switching or livestream tools experience.
• Calm, steady troubleshooting under pressure, including when working without backup.
• Ability to plan and prepare content in advance, not only operate equipment live.
• Flexibility for weekday, evening, and holiday event scheduling.
• Competence across multiple operating systems and software (e.g., Office, Canva, Windows, Android, iPadOS).