Director Of Development, Comedy, Scripted Content (Hybrid)

The employer creates content that informs, entertains, and connects Canadians across multiple platforms. As a public organization, it is committed to protecting and handling audience personal information in the most transparent and ethical manner possible. The organization is seeking a Director of Development, Scripted Comedy, to play a pivotal creative role in shaping the future of its comedy programming.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Scripted Content, the Director of Development will work closely with leadership to select, guide, and shape the development of scripted comedy projects. This senior-level position is responsible for driving high standards of quality, originality, and diversity within the comedy development slate. The role requires analyzing market data and audience trends to ensure relevance and excellence.

The successful candidate will proactively engage with the independent production community, manage and inspire a team, and collaborate effectively within a large, complex organization. They will foster partnerships internally and externally to fulfill the organization’s creative ambitions. Strong industry relationships and a proven track record of taking ideas from early concept to completed development are essential.

Responsibilities include participating in pitch sessions, conferences, committee meetings, department planning meetings, and workshops; representing the organization on juries and panels; and contributing to workshops and seminars for film schools. The Director will stay informed about competing network programming, Canadian talent, and cultural, broadcasting, and current affairs issues.

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• Evaluates opportunities, pitches and proposals for new series and specials: their ability to draw wide audiences to our platforms; distinctiveness and diversity; their related cost factors; their potential creative risks and rewards.
• Oversees Development Executive, Comedy, and Development Manager, Scripted, in the assessment of competing proposals for development based on: comedic strengths; uniqueness; series design qualities; overall "doability" (producer, writers, cast, budget).
• Develops, with the Executive Director and the development team, new comedic series and specials from the concept proposal stage to final deliveries of scripts and series bibles ready for production.
• Advises on and contributes to project creative team building, including the selecting of writers and story editors and consultants for development projects.
• Reviews and recommends development budgets for ED approval. Works closely with the Business and Rights team.
• Participates in greenlight preparation meetings and process and advises ED and General Manager, EFS, of the strengths and merits of various projects vis a vis suitability for order.
• Works closely with Director, Current Production, Comedy and Production Planning to ensure the smooth transfer of projects successfully greenlit into production. Participates collaboratively in key creative decisions and feedback after greenlight.

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• University degree or equivalent.
• 10 years relevant experience.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of, and/or connection to Canada’s regions and underrepresented communities.
• Cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Senior level experience required in delivering written and verbal notes to shape, elevate and strengthen comedy series scripts and concepts – with sensitivity and clarity.
• Experience finding and developing new comedic voices, talent spotting
• High level development work – idea generation, knowledge on IP sourcing and creative team building.
• Managing and mentoring others.
• Maintaining a deep network of professional relationships.
• Production experience of high quality comedy series.
• Creative decision-making under rigorous timelines with multiple stakeholders, leading communication within groups of stakeholders.
  

Other knowledge required:

• Knowledge of Comedy Programming in Canada and around the world as well as films, books, etc.
• Canadian screenwriters and potential screenwriters (such as playwrights), actors, comedians, story editors, directors, producers, editors, etc.
• Network creative mandates and audience targets; in order to evaluate potential and ongoing projects.
• Network business parameters and practices: working with in-house departments in order to monitor cost related factors and possible legal issues in scripts (e.g. copyright issues, sponsorship).
• Canadian Television, Digital & Film industry; production companies and industry stakeholders; past and current Canadian television series, movies, short films; broadcast industry policy such as CRTC guidelines and broadcast license requirements; some familiarity with funding issues such as tax credits, etc.
• Marketing and promotions techniques and campaigns.
• Experience speaking at public functions such as press conferences, professional juries and seminars, etc.
• Must be able to communicate effectively and diplomatically with a very wide range of individuals such as producers, writers, directors, bearing in mind the sensitivity of creative issues, especially in the rushed and often stressful environment of television production.