Senior Vice President, Unscripted Studio - Production

Fox Corporation•Los Angeles, CA

61d•$275,000 - $350,000•Onsite

About The Position

With a strong pipeline of returning franchises and bold new formats coming down the line, Fox Entertainment Studios is in search of a Senior Vice President, Unscripted Studio - Production to shepherd its unscripted slate to air, ensuring the delivery of shows with the highest levels of entertainment and production value — on budget and on schedule. We are looking for a leader who can take a complicated concept and simplify the process, working closely with creators and colleagues to champion shows and bring them to life. This executive will have deep knowledge of the unscripted production process from bottom to top — casting and field production through story, post and delivery — and the instincts to balance the creative ambition of each show against the financial resources available to produce it. The Senior Vice President will join an innovative leadership team that isn't afraid to take calculated risks and experiment with content and production models. This is an untapped opportunity to be nimble, thoughtful, and innovative about how the content the studio creates comes to life and reaches audiences across platforms domestically and abroad. Regular, on-site attendance at the workplace for a minimum of four (4) days per week is an essential function of the position. The selected candidate must be able to reliably meet this requirement.

Requirements

15+ years of progressive production experience culminating in a senior executive role (SVP/EVP/Head of Production level) at a major unscripted studio, production group or group of networks, with responsibility for a high-volume slate
Demonstrated knowledge of production from bottom to top: field production, postproduction, story structure, and staff management
A track record of delivering marquee, tentpole formats and returning multi- season franchises — competition and game shows, culinary and lifestyle, celebrity-reality, docuseries, talk and live/event — at the highest quality yet cost-effectively, including re-engineering and refreshing recurring seasons to keep long-running brands strong
Direct experience on large-scale competition and culinary franchises of the kind that anchor Fox's slate is a distinct advantage.
Progressive, executive-level experience producing a wide variety of high-quality, boundary-pushing content that breaks through. Able to skillfully produce high quality yet cost-effective productions that are creatively synonymous with Fox Entertainment content.
Able to innovate new production models and partnerships that speak to the reality of today’s business models
Proven history of applying seasoned business judgment in creative decision- making strategies
Combination of right brain/left brain thinking. Someone who can speak the language of creatives and can also manage the business and bring discipline and process to the operation.
Process-driven; functions tactically and with great detail within the production/postproduction process
Significant experience in contract negotiation, staffing agreements, licensing, rights and clearances, and state/international tax incentives.
Proven builder of teams — has recruited, developed, and led a bench of production executives, line producers, EICs and production managers, not merely staffed individual shows.
Effective communicator who can ensure seamless communication with other departments to ensure quality control, timely delivery of shows, higher reliability, etc.
Strong, established relationships with key players in the entertainment industry including talent, agents, production companies, producers, etc.
Ability to manage outside producers, build credibility and strong working relationships with other internal executives, and generate commitment to goals
Track record and reputation for conducting business with the highest standards of integrity and ethics.
Comfortable with ambiguity; able to manage multiple priorities, personalities, agendas, deadlines, and rapidly changing circumstances
Leverage ideas, people, and resources for maximum results
Able to balance strategy formulation with execution; great attention to detail and follow-through
Track record of tenacity in the face of obstacles, with the ability to adapt and be resourceful in unanticipated situations
Able to identify crucial priorities and develop the plans and resource allocations to achieve them
Organized and Dependable: Highly organized with a sharp eye and a passion for nailing the details from casting to field to post
Can be depended on to deliver projects on schedule and without errors, and to take ownership
Strong work ethic and multitasking skills
Live equally in the creative and the tactical spheres
Has the focus, drive and execution skills to guide a show to its highest potential while managing disparate stakeholders, teams and personalities — and, above all, can execute
Able to work in a fast-paced, changing environment on multiple projects in various stages of production simultaneously; performs under pressure and balances strategy formulation with execution
Reaches out to peers and cooperates with talent, colleagues, and partners to build a collegial and collaborative working environment
Understands that great ideas can come from anywhere; has a constrained ego, follows through on commitments, and often solicits feedback
Can-do attitude with demonstrated tenacity and willingness to go the distance. Highly driven and energetic; exhibits genuine passion and excitement for the work
Loves the business of entertainment; an avid TV watcher with a strong point of view on where television and content are

Nice To Haves

Craft credibility that commands the respect of top talent, showrunners and crews - Emmy-caliber recognition or comparable standing in the unscripted community

Responsibilities

Oversee all aspects of physical production across a high-volume portfolio of concurrent unscripted series, returning multi-season franchises and paid development
Oversee integration and product placement deals on shows, vetting network and platform approval on all terms
Oversee productions made with external production companies and partners — assessing and approving each partner's production plan, budget, schedule and staffing, and holding them to Fox's creative, technical, legal, cost and delivery standards from greenlight through final delivery
Oversee risk management and insurance for both corporate and production
Provide insight and guidance to efficiently resolve creative, production and post-production hurdles, successfully balancing the creative needs of the shows with the financial resources available to produce them
Work closely with showrunners, executive producers, line producers and key department heads to ensure shows are produced at the highest quality within the constraints of budget and schedule
Innovate new unscripted production models and partnerships that speak to today's business realities — including domestic and international productions and co-productions — to protect margin without compromising on screen
Build the production plan, budgets, calendars, and assumptions for every project
Manage and oversee all line producers to ensure they are hitting milestones, on budget and on schedule
Negotiate budgets with network and platform production executives. Partner with development and current teams to build budgets for new shows and paid development
Supervise series physical production and delivery schedules and cost reports in accordance with each network's and platform's deliverable requirements. Track costs and create cost reporting for the development and finance teams
Hire, supervise, and mentor a team of production executives, line producers, EICs, production managers, and freelancers; build credibility and strong working relationships across the organization
Collaborate across departments to strategize, develop systems, problem-solve, and ensure company resources are maximized across the full slate
Partner with Finance to ensure proper cash flow, funding, and cost reporting on all projects
Partner with Business & Legal Affairs to negotiate network and platform deals, talent and producer contracts, staffing agreements and access agreements as needed
Partner with Production Legal to anticipate and manage legal and clearance issues
Partner with Current Programming to ensure a smooth handoff at greenlight and maintain brand and format integrity throughout the production lifecycle
Run and continually optimize the studio's production and post-production operation — studio and stage space, edit bays, equipment and gear — that serves the full slate, maximizing utilization, revenue and margin across shows
Supervise, secure, track, and manage all state and international tax incentive programs on eligible shows, including financial reporting and auditing
Lead international co-productions and the physical production of FAE-owned global formats across territories — partnering with local producers and broadcasters (e.g., TF1, ProSieben) to deliver Fox-owned IP to spec, on budget in every market
Identify production challenges and risks and work with the appropriate teams to resolve issues, streamline processes, and foster innovation
Stay on top of key industry trends and identify opportunities. In concert with senior leadership, evaluate opportunities for increasing revenue and margin across the studio
Drive operational excellence — ensuring systems are in place to direct and control costs, measure key financial and performance metrics, and identify opportunities for optimization
Participate in the analysis and development of new ideas, formats, and pitches, bringing a producer's lens to what each concept will take to execute