Director (New York, NY)

Director

HumanSignal is looking for a Director in the Hoboken area to lead scripted recording sessions involving everyday interactions between people and smart-home voice assistants. You'll guide participants through rehearsals and filming, helping bring natural, believable conversations to life while ensuring each scene meets the project's quality standards.

This is a hands-on, creative role that could be a great fit for actors, improv performers, theater directors, acting coaches, or anyone with a strong instinct for natural conversation and a passion for bringing out the best in people.

What you’ll do

• Lead script pre-reads, rehearsals, and live recording sessions, helping participants understand their roles, actions, and intended conversational flow.
• Coach participants on natural delivery, improvisation, ad-libbing, back-channeling, pauses, interruptions, and the subtle conversational beats that make interactions feel authentic.
• Monitor dialogue timing, latency, speech overlaps, and turn-taking between user and assistant personas, identifying deviations and guiding corrections.
• Provide clear, constructive feedback in real time, helping participants improve performances across multiple takes.
• Balance spontaneous interactions with script requirements, ensuring scenes remain consistent with the intended objectives.
• Step in to demonstrate, redirect, or adjust performances when needed to maintain quality and conversational realism.
• Work closely with the Scene Coordinator and Tech Ops team to ensure scenes, props, participants, and equipment are ready for filming.
• Keep sessions moving efficiently and meet expected daily scene throughput targets without compromising quality.

Who you are

• You have experience in acting, directing, improv, theater, voice performance, or a similar performance-focused environment.
• You have a strong instinct for natural conversation, including timing, pacing, reactions, and interpersonal dynamics.
• You're comfortable coaching participants, giving actionable feedback, and adapting direction as scenes unfold.
• You can identify unnatural dialogue, missed cues, and performance inconsistencies quickly.
• You're organized, collaborative, and comfortable working toward daily production targets.
• Experience directing conversational performances, scripted dialogue, or on-camera talent is a plus.

Physical & field requirements

The following are essential functions of this field-based role and must be performed with or without reasonable accommodation:

• Stand and walk for extended periods throughout the workday.
• Carry approximately 20-30 pounds of field equipment between sets.

HumanSignal will consider reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the role.

Details

• Contract Duration: To be confirmed during the recruitment process
• Up to 40 hours per week
• $30 to $60 per hour, depending on relevant experience
• Occasional evening and weekend availability required
• In-person, studio-based role in Hoboken, NJ and surrounding areas