Senior Producer - Fixed Term Contract in London

Made Thought (part of AKQA and WPP) is a global creative office based in London and New York, driven by an obsession with intelligent creativity. Built on the belief that design has the power to propel companies and culture forward, we see creativity and compassion as essential tools in building a world we want to be a part of. As a collective of thinkers and makers, we use these tools to give intelligent ideas their most compelling form, building worlds that give both leaders, owners and operators a new way to be seen, and a new way to see themselves. Made Thought collaborates with cutting-edge and leading brands of tomorrow, from Adidas, Feeld, MoMa, Pinterest, to Stella McCartney and Chandon. Our core purpose is to use the currency of creativity to deliver change for brands and the world in which they operate.

As a Senior Producer, you are responsible for the effective management and delivery of projects, ensuring the best creative solutions across a designated portfolio of clients are achieved in the most efficient, profitable and imaginable way for the Studio while managing client expectations accordingly. You will be expected to lead production projects and delivery at Made Thought, as the go-to in the team for Production led projects. You will play a vital role in building and nurturing relations with key industry players, alongside lead creative, producing large productions on time and on budget. You must be creatively minded, and understand how to carefully balance the flexibility required of a business with creativity at its core, alongside the rigour and strong organisational skills which some of our clients can expect.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work collaboratively with the Creative team to actively ensure the best creative solutions are delivered against each client brief. You will have the ability to motivate people around you; both colleagues and clients, earning their trust and confidence.
• Run and manage a number of projects in the studio totalling circa £1-£1.5M per annum (including third party productions costs). You will be responsible for the allocation, planning and forecasting of all projects within your portfolio, ensuring they are set up for success from the outset.
• Be the key point of contact from Made Thought for all third parties related to the production process.
• Create a presence within the industry to ensure talent are keen to work with Made Thought and be actively seen as the escalation point for production queries or issues within Made Thought.
• Be accountable for production project budgets and timings, ensuring the project is delivered on time to budget maintaining an agreed project margin.
• Utilising previous experience to think creatively and fluidly when providing solutions, escalating issues to Account Director or Client Services when needed.
• Project dependent, support the Account Director (project lead) on larger / more complex projects to ensure all aspects of the day-to-day are executed efficiently and effectively.
• Work with the Resource and Creative team to ensure the right team and timeline are in place. You will approach this sensitively and intelligently to allow for profitability whilst protecting the creative process.
• Be accountable for your project commercials, with the ability to accurately scope, plan and deliver your projects on time, working closely with the Finance Team to ensure projects are delivered on budget.
• Set and manage production budgets, to then provide weekly project status and cost reporting to the Finance and Client Services Director.
• Forecasting production workflow for the upcoming quarter for your projects, highlighting any potential overruns before they occur and proactively working with the team to reduce them.
• Conduct project wash-ups, sharing relevant findings with the wider team, and owning any improved ways of working identified.
• Build strong and lasting relationships with our clients, maintaining regular contact to keep them updated on overall project progress, highlighting any potential delays or scope for overspend. You will respond with speed and assurance to their requests.
• Support new business on writing proposals and casting a team to suit your projects. You will also be accountable for creating proposals from scratch (dependent on project size), seeking approval from Account Director where required.
• Safeguard internal processes that protect Made Thought’s unique culture and creative output, while consistently looking for and contributing towards improved processes and ways of working for the team.
• Research, suggest and inform the project team of which third parties should be used for the concept and will creatively challenge in alignment with Made Thought’s creative ambition and budget / usage guidelines.
• Be accountable for ensuring usage rights are agreed and flagging when a touch point is approaching the end of a usage period, negotiating extended usage accordingly.
• Use comprehensive knowledge of copyrights legislation on usage rights, and seek updated rules that govern usages to ensure the company’s practices meet these standards.
• Oversee image checks, crediting, picture quality, repro for online and offline formats.
• Source new talent and production partners, build, update and maintain a MT production bank (including photographers, directors, models, locations, studios, glam and set teams, and suppliers).
• Build strong relationships between Made Thought and shoot production industry (i.e. Agents, production companies, photographers, set designers and stylists).
• Manage and arrange commissioning of pre-existing assets from stock imagery to music, negotiating and agreeing usage as necessary.
• Collaborate with internal creative team (AD / DD) to present relevant AD decks to clients throughout the production process – ensuring creative expectations are in line / within client budget and overall scope of production.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

• A rich portfolio of client relationships across multiple sectors, with proven experience of successfully nurturing and growing client relationships.
• The ability to work seamlessly with others, leading by example and getting stuck in where needed.
• Bring demonstrable experience in developing and motivating teams, supporting people to reach their potential.
• Be able to balance the big picture with the detail, being able to think ahead and prioritise the workload for both yourself and the team.
• Be a strong problem solver who does so with diplomacy and charm, and who considers the best outcomes for both client & agency.
• Have the ability to build trust within teams and inspire others.
• Exceptional standard of written and oral communication.

NOTE: This role is within Made Thought, an AKQA Group company and part of WPP. We believe great work happens when we're together, fostering creativity, collaboration, and connection. That's why we’ve adopted a hybrid approach including required in-office days. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process. AKQA is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.

About WPP

WPP is the trusted growth partner for the world’s leading brands. We unite cutting-edge media intelligence and data solutions, world-class creativity, next-generation production, transformative enterprise solutions and expert strategic counsel in a single company – powered by exceptional talent and our agentic marketing platform, WPP Open, to help our clients navigate change, capture opportunity and deliver transformational growth. For more information, visit WPP.com.