Managing Director, Strategy and Partnerships

WGBH•Boston, MA

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

GBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives. At GBH, we believe in the advantages of coming together to build community, mentor and learn from colleagues, and connect more deeply with our mission. As a result, the majority of our staff are hybrid and work both from home and onsite. Our current hybrid approach requires staff to work onsite a minimum of two days each week, every Tuesday and Wednesday, Hybrid staff are also welcome to come in additional days each week or may be asked to come in on other days by their manager. DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW GBH’s Documentaries Unit is dedicated to creating long-form non-fiction content for national broadcast and digital platforms. We are committed to upholding the core public media values of accuracy, integrity, and fairness while producing impactful documentaries that inform, challenge, and inspire the public. The Documentaries Unit consists of GBH’s flagship brands: FRONTLINE, NOVA, and American Experience . Our mission is to produce exceptional, journalistically sound documentaries that illuminate critical issues, foster civic dialogue, and serve as an essential resource for education and a well-informed community. FRONTLINE is investigative journalism that questions, explains, and changes our world. We’ve been American television’s top long-form news and current affairs series since 1983, and we’ve won every major journalism and broadcasting award available. As PBS’s flagship investigative documentary series, we seek both to foster a work environment and to produce journalism that values inclusiveness and reflects the broad perspectives of the American public. NOVA is the most popular primetime science series on American television, demystifying the scientific and technological concepts that shape and define our lives, our planet, and our universe. Our work is regularly recognized with the industry’s most prestigious awards. In addition, science educators across the country rely on NOVA for resources used in the classroom as well as in museums, libraries, and after-school programs. American Experience i s PBS' flagship historical documentary film series. The duPont, Emmy, and Peabody Award-winning series is the go-to source for smart, relevant, and insightful history. The rigor, precision, and journalistic integrity we bring to each story we tell serve as the foundation for one of the most exciting ways for anyone to engage with American history. JOB OVERVIEW We are seeking a dynamic and entrepreneurial leader to lead and drive GBH’s Documentary Unit’s strategic objectives to expand our impact, secure sustainable funding, and build partnerships to support our mission-driven content that informs, inspires, and engages audiences. As the Managing Director, you will be a high-visibility leader responsible for driving the ideation around strategies, planning, and partnerships, and most importantly, responsible for ensuring the timely execution of the tactics needed to bring those strategies to bear. This senior leadership position will work closely with the Executive Producer & Editor-in-Chief for FRONTLINE and Documentaries on strategic planning, relationships, and entrepreneurial ventures. The Managing Director will also oversee those leading communications and engagement with a dotted line to business and operations functions for FRONTLINE, in addition to setting priorities and deadlines for the programming and the varied content we produce across platforms. We are looking for someone with a strong track record and a passion for documentaries, journalism, reaching diverse audiences, delving into data, and thinking outside of the box. They will serve as a key growth architect — sourcing and securing new prospects while deepening existing relationships that drive measurable results. This role requires equal parts business developer and relationship manager, with a strong bias toward execution and innovation.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience in developing and directing entrepreneurial strategies within complex organizations.
Ability to identify areas for growth, experimentation, and innovation.
A successful track record in securing funding from philanthropic foundations, major donors, government agencies, film associations, and corporate sponsors with established contacts within each sector.
An accomplished negotiator who can broker deals that focus on the long-term relationship cultivated with co-production partners, funders, etc. Ability to present the series position on deal terms, to hold ground when necessary, and to mediate an equitable outcome for all parties.
A natural convener and organizer that can work across internal units and within GBH and PBS to gather information and advice as needed to complete assignments, initiate new ventures, and solve problems.
A perceptive, energetic individual who can effect change in a rapidly evolving and responsive environment.
A self-starter with an entrepreneurial mindset that can deliver results.
An agile leader with strong project management skills, able to operate at all levels and manage by influence; ability to earn trust within the organization, at all levels, from senior leaders to direct reports.
A creative thinker who is not confined to a traditional approach, willing to explore new and/or unconventional strategies.
Inspirational leader with strong collaboration skills and proven ability to work cross-functionally with diverse teams.
Effective communicator, able to convey complex ideas in a clear, concise manner both verbally and in writing.
Proven progressive leadership experience, with an emphasis on people leadership, building and engaging teams.
Comfort with delegating assignments and voicing expectations for quality, timeliness, and accuracy.
Demonstrates a commitment and an established history towards inclusion.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and confidently make recommendations and decisions with limited information.
Person of conviction/passion/intensity with a strong moral and ethical compass.
The ability to listen attentively, observe, and offer advice and workable solutions.
A person who exhibits flexibility, resilience, perspective, a healthy sense of humor, and a touch of human kindness.
Knowledge of changing media landscape and industry trends; voracious news consumer.
Strong bias toward action can break down complex problems into actionable and understandable steps.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
A seasoned leader with at least 15 years of experience in business development, fundraising, or strategic partnerships within the media, entertainment, or non-profit sector.
Proven track record of securing funding for creative or impact-driven projects.
Strong understanding of the documentary landscape, including distribution channels and funding ecosystems.
Minimum of 10 years of management experience.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with public media a plus.

Responsibilities

In partnership with the Executive Producer & Editor-in-Chief for FRONTLINE and Documentaries, the Managing Director will be responsible for developing a vision and strategy for our documentary division by identifying, recommending, and executing on initiatives that meet our growth objectives.
Acting as a trusted partner, assume a key leadership role working closely and effectively with people across many departments and organizations, fostering good business relations with co-production partners and editorial collaborators – building relationships is at the heart of the job.
Work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to analyze issues and develop solutions to improve how we innovate, scale, build, and deliver on a unified strategy.
Ideate and implement a strategy, setting priorities, and oversee execution, all while fostering a collaborative culture by creating the necessary materials and communication to ensure wider adoption of the strategy.
Develop and execute comprehensive business strategies for documentary and media projects, including distribution, monetization, and partnership models.
Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with broadcasters, streaming platforms, production companies, and philanthropic organizations.
Conduct market analysis to inform content development and positioning strategies, providing insights and recommendations.
Act as an internal champion for growth initiatives, ensuring they are prioritized and supported across teams.
Serve as key partner to GBH’s development team to secure funding from philanthropic foundations, major donors, and corporations; push and oversee fundraising efforts, including grant writing, donor engagement, sponsorship acquisition, and impact investment strategies.
Build and maintain relationships with foundations, NGOs, corporate sponsors, and individual donors aligned with the mission and themes of our content.
Create compelling pitch decks, proposals, and fundraising collateral tailored to diverse funding audiences.
Work closely with creative, editorial, and production teams to align business goals with storytelling vision.
Support marketing and audience development strategies to maximize reach and impact.
Help the documentary series execute on their short, medium, and long-term plans, taking key priorities and translating them into actionable and quantitative plans.
Lead collaborative editorial and promotional partnerships for FRONTLINE with national newspapers, magazines, broadcasters, public media organizations, including NY Times, Washington Post, ProPublica, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Univision, among others.
Supervise and strategize with the executive producer on the scheduling for FRONTLINE programming in collaboration with PBS; drafting station advisories, compiling monthly program listings, analyzing program competition and rating trends, and assigning consumer research through an external marketing research firm.
Negotiate license and co-production deals for FRONTLINE with foreign broadcasters; work collaboratively with PBS Distribution to seek pre-sale opportunities and coordinate on packaging elements and marketing materials, including mounting online interactive screenings as a sales tool.
Manage, coach, and mentor the communications and audience impact leads for FRONTLINE. Set clear goals, provide regular feedback, and support professional growth and performance.
Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and mission-aligned team.