Production Manager, BBC Audio (Bristol)

BAND: D

CONTRACT TYPE: Fixed term contract / Attachment, full-time (6-months parental leave cover)

DEPARTMENT: BBC Audio Wales & West of England

LOCATION: Bristol (office based at least 3 days/week)

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £42,000 - £45,000 depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience.

Purpose of the Role

The BBC Audio Wales and West of England Unit is the place to work if you’re making audio content for the BBC. Bringing together well‑established, award‑winning and innovative network radio teams in Bristol and Cardiff, staff have opportunities for collaborating, developing ideas and their careers and access to a wide range of output across science, factual, rural affairs, food, documentaries, music and drama for all BBC UK Radio networks, the World Service and BBC Sounds.

The Production Manager for Bristol will work in a small team made up of a Unit Manager and one other Production Manager. They all report to a Production Executive, and they manage a team of 8 Production Coordinators working across the Bristol and Cardiff sites. It’s an exciting opportunity for someone to work on multiple budgets all at once, with teams made up of all different skills and experiences in creative production.

Key Responsibilities and Impact

• Assists the Production Executive and Unit Manager to manage the financial, environmental and operational performance of the production(s), based on specialist knowledge and accurate financial information.
• Responsible for scheduling, budgeting and managing the production(s) process through to delivery in line with divisional requirements, and for identifying and sourcing crew and resources.
• Ensures compliance with BBC policies, guidelines, legislative and regulatory requirements, in order to minimise the BBC’s exposure to risk and to deliver value for money through effective and efficient management of people and resources.
• Responsible for preparing, managing and monitoring production budgets, and for forecasting and reporting progress in line with best practice.
• Contributing to and assessing financial viability of content ideas that may arise during the commissioning process and during production.
• Identifies training and development needs of direct reports and ensures performance management arrangements are in place.
• Proactively looks for ways of improving efficiency within production, promotes diversity and advocates the rationale for new ways of working and/or for adopting new production related technology.
• Responsible for asset management and IT requirements both in the office and on location, and ensuring that those who are joining, moving or leaving the department are equipped appropriately with the correct IT.

Skills and Experience

Essential Criteria

• You will have the ability to demonstrate a good understanding of, and interest in, the output and workflows of audio production.
• You need to be able to work to a high level of detail in a fast‑paced environment, be adaptable, work to challenging deadlines with a can‑do attitude, and cope well under pressure while producing work to a high standard.
• You will have experience of managing budgets with the ability to adapt, change and adjust priorities to meet financial targets.
• You will have experience in supervising or leading individuals or teams, and delivering a portfolio of projects alongside the ability to juggle the demands of day to day priorities against longer term projects.
• You will be able to demonstrate strong organisational and planning skills and will, proactively, be able to devise new ideas for working more efficiently and have excellent communication skills and the ability to influence staff at all levels.

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio‑economic background, religion and/or belief.