OVERVIEW:

The Head of Documentaries for the Vice Studios Documentary Department is responsible for developing new documentary projects and managing the sales and marketing process for all greenlit documentary projects. We are looking for a seasoned executive with extensive experience in documentary development, production and financing, who can excel in the interfacing with talent and their representatives and also documentary financiers and distributors, especially HBO, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon. The ideal candidate is extremely organized and detail oriented, has a tenacious work ethic and does not shy away from challenging tasks or conversations, all while acting as a leader of this department and shaping its internal and externally-facing culture.

DUTIES:

• Establish a documentary slate to meet revenue projections for 5-year plan
• Responsible for overall P&L and profitability for the group
• Guide continued growth of documentary slate that adheres to VICE brand's creative vision
• Support the production of greenlit projects
• Managing the staff of the documentary division, including the Head of Physical Production and any development executives
  • Read & give notes on outlines
  • Supervise the staffing of producers and directors
  • Watch dailies and rough cuts, and giving notes
  • On-set coverage of productions when necessary
  • Manage the marketing and branding of the projects with VICE’s marketing departments
  • Collaborate with other Vice Studio departments on various issues as needed (Business Affairs, S&P, PR, Digital Media, etc.).
• Execute and refine a content development strategy
  • Oversee the development budget and work closely with finance
  • Manage and push projects through the development pipeline
  • Solicit new material and review submitted ideas
  • Build and foster relationships with the global creative community to stay on top of latest trends, talent, etc.
  • Collaborate with Production, Post-Production and Marketing to see projects through to completion
  • Help develop process and best practices for Development
• Manage relationships with financiers and distributors in the domestic and global marketplace
  • Advise on selling strategy for documentary slate
  • Analyze current slate and create sales strategy that both maximizes profitability and generates maximum exposure for documentary content
• Manage relationships with documentary filmmakers and producers
  • Use VICE Media's global reach to identify and establish external network of like-minded producers with strong local market influence and global pre-awareness
  • Retain and cultivate talent using VICE Media "ecosystem"
  • Create strategy to identify already established key talent relationships across VICE Media and integrate them into appropriate VICE Studios Documentary projects

EXPERIENCE / EDUCATION: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Film or Business
• 7–10 years of experience as a studio executive, with at least 3-5 years working in documentaries
• Ability to simultaneously supervise several projects in various phases of production (from development to production to sales and marketing)
• Familiarity with, and a willingness to stay up to date on, current and up-and-coming documentary filmmakers, marketing techniques and sales processes.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to manage a team with a commitment to creating a healthy working environment
• Finesse in juggling competing demands from creative executives and business executives
• Ability to think outside of the box to derive innovative solutions to complex problems ranging from business negotiations to PR crises
• Ability to liaise with third party producers, talent agents, and distributors to create long-standing working relationships
• Willingness to respond after hours for important matters
• Ability to maintain confidential information

If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application and selection process, please let us know. We will work together to best meet your needs.

Disclaimers:

Equal Employment Opportunities: VICE is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that strives to create and maintain a workplace that celebrates inclusion and diversity. At VICE, we understand that inclusion and diversity is a major benefit to our employees, our readers and viewers, and our company culture. We treat all applicants and employees fairly without regard to age, alienage or citizenship status, color, disability, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status and partnership status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion/creed, sexual orientation, arrest or conviction record, caregiver status, credit history, unemployment status, salary history, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, status as a veteran or active military service member, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

VICE requires that all employees have proper authorization to work in the U.S. Should an applicant require employment sponsorship, VICE will determine, in its sole discretion, whether such sponsorship will be provided.

Qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, or other applicable law.

 *Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily, with or without a reasonable accommodation. The requirements and essential functions described above are not an exhaustive list and instead are meant to describe the general nature and level of work required of the job. VICE reserves the right to modify the essential functions of this position where a legitimate business exists.

To all recruitment agencies: Unless otherwise indicated, VICE does not accept agency resumes and is not responsible for any fees or expenses related to such unsolicited resumes.