Project Manager

About Starlings

Starlings is an entertainment company creating immersive, story-driven experiences that turn cities into game boards and audiences into active participants.

Our first public offering, Field Quests, transforms San Francisco into a live mystery adventure where guests uncover hidden layers of the city, encounter performers and unexpected moments, and become part of a larger unfolding world. As guests face real challenges together, they must engage their own hero qualities and discover that the Quest’s conclusion is not always what is expected or planned for.

We’re looking for Project Manager to to support the development, production, testing, and launch of interactive, narrative-driven, outdoor mystery excursions in San Francisco..

Core Goals

Success in this role means providing:

• group leadership

• project organization

• budget governance

• team confidence and support

The Role

Project Oversight

• Lead end-to-end project management for the development and production of an outdoor ticketed, interactive, themed game excursion

• Maintain and monitor project timelines, milestones, and deliverables

• Manage and track budget and resource allocation

• Prepare and maintain project documentation, including schedules, reports, meeting notes, and operation manuals

Team Leadership

• Manage and support a 5-person internal creative team, ensuring alignment and communication across departments

• Organize and lead regular team meetings and ensure cross-functional communication

• Facilitate collaboration between design, technical, narrative, and production leads

• Provide positive spirits and exemplary patience throughout the leadership process 

Subcontractor & Vendor Management

• Negotiate and contract subcontractors for custom build, props, costumes, SFX, and other specialized services

• Manage partner locations and product providers

• Serve as point-of-contact for all third-party vendors, consultants, and partners

Operational Staffing

• Support the recruitment process for operational staff, including performers, and facilities personnel

• Lead the preparation for onboarding, training schedules, and workflow implementation
  

Scheduling & Handover

• Manage production and preview schedules, and launch timelines

• Ensure partners, venues, and team are fully prepared for public operations

• Produce a comprehensive handover package for the incoming operations team, including Standard Operating Procedures, vendor contacts, and performance schedules
  

Qualifications

• 3+ years of project management experience, ideally in theatre, immersive entertainment, film, and/or hospitality 

• Proven experience managing cross-disciplinary creative teams and subcontractors

• Strong working knowledge of project management software and tools

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Comfort working in a fast-paced, evolving environment with fixed deadlines

• Experience in budgeting, scheduling, staffing, and vendor negotiation

• Understanding of event operations, safety protocols, permitting, and audience flow

• Map the game if-than scenarios and all possible outcomes

• Help define character and player skills

• Accurately estimate engagement duration and player variables

Team & Collaboration

This creative space is welcoming and fun, but also fast-paced and results oriented. The position is a part of a larger collaborative group using storytelling, entertainment and play to inspire positive, joy-fueled civic and environmental engagement.

• Project Manager will work closely with and report to the Chief Creative Officer and CEO.

Who You Are

You are

• highly execution-oriented

• detail focused

• collaborative and fast-moving

• able to move projects from concept to reality

• hands-on

• positive and optimistic, and enjoys fast paced situations

• empathetic and encouraging
  

You care about

• live entertainment, unique experiences, challenges

• real nature, history, and culture

• the Bay Area with fondness and passion

Desired Experience

Desired Experience

Strong candidates may come with backgrounds including:

• Attraction, museum, experiential Project Management

• Interactive design, fabrication, and prototyping

• Theatre Stage Management

• Treasure hunt, mystery adventure, and/or live action rollplay development

• Collaborative small group dynamics

Logistics

• Project Manager is required to be based in the Bay Area 

• Project-based freelance contract 

• Hands-on participation and production will be expected