Assistant Director, Production Management & Operations

PBS • Arlington, VA

7d • $65,000 - $70,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Production Management & Operations (“PMO”) works alongside internal stakeholders and with PBS member stations and producers to facilitate the creation of multiplatform content. The group operates within two prime areas of focus: Production Operations and Production Management.

Production Operations functions as an organizational linchpin with a broad reach across business units, including PBS and PBS KIDS Programming, Digital Studios, Digital, Marketing, Communications, Programming Engagement, Learning Media, Distribution, Business Affairs & Legal, and Finance. Externally, the group interfaces with key funding partner organizations, including the PBS Foundation, PBS producing stations, and independent producers and their financiers.

Production Management partners with in-house content teams, PBS stations, and the domestic and international production community. The group oversees production logistics and PBS’s financial investments for all content in active negotiation, development, production, delivery, and project reconciliation.

Working on assigned projects and with producers, the Assistant Director, Production Management & Operations supports the group’s objectives by providing service and support to internal stakeholders and the production community. This role sits at the center of how PBS content gets made and feeds directly into how audiences connect with it. It offers end-to-end exposure to development, contracting, and oversight of production and production finance, alongside cross-departmental operational strategy. Department Assistant Directors partner closely on the decisions that progress the national slate, building the judgment, a network, and a track record that fuels growth within PMO, across PBS, and into the public media system.

The Assistant Director drives effective, 360-degree communication and relationship-building — partnering with the department’s Directors to keep information flowing to all stakeholders, while supporting the Vice President, Production Management & Business Operations. This is a self-starter role that requires the ability to prioritize multiple concurrent assignments in a dynamic environment while consulting and aligning efforts with management.

Requirements

• Minimum 3–4 years of experience as a Production Coordinator, Financial Coordinator, or Junior Production Manager/Unit Manager — or an equivalent tenure in broadcast operations and/or broadcast production management, including direct-to-digital.
• BS/BA in Film/TV/Digital Production, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of and experience with content production logistics, production scheduling, and production payroll practices.
• Proficient with Microsoft 365, with high proficiency in Excel; of using AI tools to improve productivity, streamline workflows, and support high-quality work outcomes.
• Experience with data management, analysis, and reporting; data visualization.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both verbal and written, are essential.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail; critical thinker, team player, and problem solver.
• Ability to work with and maintain confidential information.

Nice To Haves

• Ideal candidate has experience with the project management tool, Monday.com.
• Previous experience working within the public television system or non-profit organization is helpful, but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Assists to ensure producer proposals align with department expectations and effectively represent value. Assists the Directors of PMO in determining project scope across internal business units.
• Consults and collaborates with partner organizations, working through requirements and managing relationships effectively.
• Partners to move assigned projects through cross-department meetings and systems toward contracting; consults with internal constituents to tailor project requirements.
• Supports workflow assessments to identify business needs, opportunities to improve efficiency, and reduce bottlenecks and points of friction. Assists with the implementation of process improvements.
• Develops and maintains reports, dashboards, and presentations to support leadership decision-making. Tracks, analyzes, and communicates progress against key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Partners with Technology and Operations teams to support the evaluation, implementation, maintenance, and continuous improvement of operational tools and workflows.
• Supports the implementation, coordination, and ongoing maintenance and operational initiatives, ensuring timely execution and follow-through.
• Supports PMO Directors in consulting with appropriate business units on timelines for contract renewals.
• Assists with analysis of producer assumptions, production budgets, funding plans, staffing and production schedules, and cash flows.
• Creates payment schedules and content deliverable documents in line with agreed editorial proposals.
• Identifies, tracks, and communicates all funder sources.
• Assists with formal contract adjustments and production breakages/overages.
• Consults with internal stakeholders to ensure appropriate technical delivery for contracting of all project materials.
• Prepares and finalizes negotiated, internally approved exhibits for contract and manages new vendor initiation.
• Manages a slate of production R&D titles and content to be licensed, as assigned.
• In collaboration with Programming, organizes project kickoff and status meetings with internal and external partners.
• Tracks production logistics, schedules, and project financial health across commissions, co-productions, and licensed deals — engaging from development through delivery and acceptance, and problem-solving as needed.
• Works with producers, external fundraising teams, and PBS departments to coordinate on-air and online funder acknowledgments and change requests.
• Manages funder financial revenue data, generates reports, and coordinates funder requirements between producers and multiple PBS departments; records all activity in PBS systems.
• Consults across PBS on satisfaction of editorial milestones, and related items, elevating to managers as necessary; manages producer materials delivered directly to the department.
• Owns and initiates payment authorizations up to the Vice President, shepherding approval documentation and supporting materials.
• Implements “Payment Ahead of Milestone” and “Out of Cycle” payment requests, as requested by management.
• Oversees budget compliance and production cash flow requirements via producer financial reporting; assists with reconciliation of final financial reporting against contract terms and captures revenue disbursement calculations for compliant project closeout.
• Assists with development and maintenance of PMO’s third-party vendor relationships, as applicable, ensuring availability to producers via the PBS Producer’s Handbook; manages deal processing within internal systems.
• Supports specialty assignments, including collaborating with Finance on historical analysis of production expenditure and strategic cash flow forecasting.
• Helps build and maintain funder reporting capacity, including regular data sharing and project-by-project analyses such as quarterly financial and annual carriage reporting.

Benefits

• eligibility for discretionary bonuses
• various insurance options, including medical, dental, vision, hearing, life, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance
• identity protection program
• employee assistance program
• financial and retirement savings benefits including the PBS Retirement Plan 403(b)
• paid time off (17 days per year)
• paid sick time benefits (12 days per year)
• paid parental leave (60 days / 12 weeks )
• paid holidays (12 days per year)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree