Documentary Producer

Documentary Producer - 6 month fixed term contract

About Independent Media

Independent Media comprises The Independent, Standard Digital, Bulletin, BuzzFeed UK, HuffPost UK, Tasty UK, Seasoned, IndyBest and indy100.

Harnessing market-leading innovation and excellence across its portfolio of pioneering brands, Independent Media has unrivalled scale, integrity and authority via its sites, apps, video, audio, experiential, newsletters and social media.

While each Independent Media brand speaks in an authentic, unique voice to a loyal and distinct audience, they stand together in their commitment to positivity, inclusivity, and quality journalism and content.

Independent Media’s network reaches 650 million users each month, with 1.1 billion content views across its brands and platforms, including web, apps, social media, podcasts, email, YouTube, syndication partners and print.

The role

We're looking for a talented and experienced Documentary Producer to join our growing video team. This is a hands-on, editorially driven role at the heart of our documentary output, working closely with journalist-directors - including Sam Kiley and Bel Trew - and stakeholders to develop, produce and deliver impactful films across a range of subjects and formats.

You'll be involved across the full production lifecycle: from story development and contributor sourcing, through to editorial input, scheduling, and post-production. You'll also play a key role in how our films reach audiences, feeding into social and distribution strategy and helping to build the pipeline of talent, partners and formats that will shape The Independent's documentary offer.

Please note that this role is a 6 month fixed term contract.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

Production & Editorial

• Work alongside journalist-directors to develop and shape documentary films from pitch to delivery
• Be the lead edit producer giving clear and constructive editorial feedback
• Drive the editorial quality and journalistic integrity of all projects
• Source and develop compelling stories, characters and contributors
• Manage assets, rushes and deliverables across multiple productions
• Maintain schedules and keep productions on track and on budget

Stakeholder Management

• Act as a key point of contact between internal editorial teams and external partners
• Manage relationships with commissioners, NGOs, broadcasters, platforms and co-production partners
• Communicate clearly with senior stakeholders on editorial direction, timelines and delivery

Talent & Partnerships

• Build and maintain relationships with PDs, directors, editors and other freelance talent
• Support the development of on-screen talent - identifying, nurturing and working with contributors and presenters
• Identify and develop relationships with channel partners and distribution outlets

Format & Strategy Development

• Contribute to the development of new documentary formats and series ideas
• Feed into social and distribution strategy to maximise the reach and impact of films
• Support impact campaigns and engagement strategies where relevant

Essential skills and experience

• Proven experience as a documentary producer in factual or news-led production
• Strong editorial instincts with a track record of working on impactful, character-led films
• Experience working with journalists or in a news-adjacent production environment
• Excellent contributor and talent management skills
• Strong understanding of the digital video landscape — YouTube, social platforms and streaming
• Confident in managing multiple productions simultaneously with strong organisational skills
• Experience managing internal and external stakeholders at a senior level

Desirable

• Experience in impact-led documentary or campaign filmmaking
• Existing relationships with NGOs, broadcasters or channel partners
• Experience developing on-screen talent or presenter-led formats
• Familiarity with distribution strategy and social video

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

• Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.
• Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.
• Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.