Managing Producer - NTP

Departmental Summary:

The Non-Traditional Productions team is responsible for over 29,000 live event productions across dozens of packaging entities and over 290 school production facilities annually. The team was formed in 2014 as the School Control Room team to support the launch of the SEC Network and the SEC’s 14 member institutions. Today, the team has grown to partner with over 27 Conference Partners and over 290 school production teams across multiple major NCAA conferences to support both linear school productions, digital school productions, and packager services. The Non-Traditional Productions team collaborates with many internal departments at ESPN, such as Programming, Operations, and individual Sport Production teams, as well as providing feedback and assistance directly to our school partners.

Position Summary:

The ESPN NTP– Managing Producer will play a key support role in the development and development strategy of their assigned conference partners. They will support the executive NTP leadership team in upholding content quality, talent development, and scheduling of sports and events in the SCR space. They will play a key role in planning and developing the SCR teams to maximize linear and digital productions out of those facilities. The Managing Producer will help execute the overall development strategy of the executive leadership team on their assigned conference.

Responsibilities:

• Reports directly to the Coordinating Producer of the Non-Traditional Productions team.
• Act as a liaison between the linear School Production facilities and ESPN to ensure that both sides are exchanging content and always maximizing the resources available. 
• Develop and implement plans for increased use of university production facilities in order to support an efficient business model on the linear and digital networks.
• Evaluate the logistical and technical needs of each university production facility and provide feedback to ESPN management on the growth and development at each school.
• Develop and grow production standards for digital and linear event productions at each school to create uniformity in quality across the network.
• Set expectations for editorial content across university productions that will meet the needs of the network but will also cater to the strength of each schools facility and personnel.
• Observe and provide on-site feedback to the individual production teams in an effort to improve their digital product in order to grow the scope of our linear productions.
• Review productions and provide feedback to the production leads at the AAC, ACC, Big 12, and SEC schools on a regular basis.
• Recruit, evaluate, and cultivate talent at the AAC, ACC, Big 12, and SEC schools to create depth on both the linear and digital broadcasts, and create a talent pipeline to ESPN.
• Interfaces as required with leagues/teams/schools/coaches
• Manages assigned production staff including Talent throughout the entire production (lead-up, on-site, post)
• Oversees other Producers, the ISO Producer and or Graphics/Playback Producer in the moment to moment editorial direction of the telecast including changing storylines, replay angles, graphic content and announcer/commentator information
• Provides direct feedback on the performance of assigned production crews and Talent on a regular basis
• Produces assigned sports telecasts independently.
• Manages the development of concepts and content for assigned telecast to reach viewers and to increase ESPN’s market penetration, ratings, and viewership.
• Uses mastery of sports knowledge and news judgment to determine the agenda, concepts and content of assigned remote telecasts

Qualifications:

• Typically has 6+ years of progressively complex related remote or related sports production experience.
• Has experience working in school production facilities, or facilities with similar equipment and workflows. 
• Ability to create and produce compelling remote sports telecasts; generates and executes assigned remote productions, from concept to execution.
• Has mastery of the sports production processes and the ability to produce assigned telecasts
• Has knowledge of real-time sporting event production, graphics and video editing
• Has and applies knowledge of what story ideas and concepts to use for assigned events
• Has a strong appreciation of popular culture, e.g., “what’s cool” and assists with defining the tastes of ESPN’s viewers
• Has an in-depth understanding of ESPN’s market positioning and strategies
• Has an in-depth knowledge of sports and sports history and keeps current on changes and trends in the sports and television industry
• Global understanding of live sports production execution, and the ability to impart that experience and wisdom on others in a positive and constructive way.
• Knowledge and experience in school production facilities preferred.
• Must be adaptable to changing work locations and facilities
• Frequent and sometimes lengthy travel required
• Must have prior personnel management experience

Required Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalent degree

Preferred Education

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, Media, Journalism, or related fields.

Additional Information: (i.e. physical requirements, holiday, nights, weekend shifts, etc.)

• Frequent and sometimes lengthy travel required