Head of Production
18 days ago
New York
HEAD OF PRODUCTION We are UNR — an award winning, tech-forward, full service creative production company that supports agencies, brands and distributors alike across all media, genres, channels and formats globally at scale. We are ambitious, growing and shaping the next era of integrated production. We bridge the gap between the entertainment and brand worlds, and are equally respected and acknowledged in both. We’re seeking a Head of Production to lead our global expansion, with a primary focus on North America. With studios in NYC, LA, DET & TOR, this person will lead our production teams, grow our revenue and represent UNR’s creative, strategic and cultural vision. This is the person responsible for ensuring UNR delivers world-class creative work across everything we make, operates effectively and efficiently with our external clients and our internal disciplines, and continues expanding our capabilities and reputation as a future forward, next generation production company. This is a leadership role for someone who thrives in a creatively driven, hybrid environment—part executive, part producer, part creative, part technologist and part culture-builder. ROLE OVERVIEW The Head of Production will oversee all production disciplines—Live Action, Photo, Post, AI, Experiential and Integrated Content—and serve as the primary executive steward for UNR’s creative output and production business. You will guide creative and strategic decision-making, manage senior client and agency relationships, build and optimize high-performing production teams, and drive commercial growth in each office. This role requires a solutions minded, creatively oriented, resourceful, practitioner who can operate within the work and the client meetings, not just above them. The ideal candidate brings diplomatic excellence, deep production and post production expertise, digital and generative technology knowledge, financial acumen and a highly collaborative leadership style. Our Unreasonable Head of Production will focus predominantly on always elevating Production & Post Production. This means a thorough understanding of the marketplace, interest and experience with well known production companies, best in class and emerging talent whether directors, DPs, editors, special effects talent, producers as well as the clients and their often complex needs in an ever evolving production environment. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Function Leadership • Provide overall production leadership for UNR — operationalising production capabilities, ensuring creative excellence and accuracy and diligence in delivery in all instances., • Serve as the senior-most representative in Production for UNR across all global clients, partners and agency collaborators., • Demonstrate thought leadership and practical implementation across AI and generative tech, video, post, social, photo, design and other emerging technologies., • Collaborate with global UNR leadership including Finance, Operations, Talent, etc. to align practice, culture and standards across all offices, clients and partners., • Serve as our public facing ambassador when it comes to clients, consultants, conferences, creative delivery and the community of production. 2. Oversight of Production & Post • Oversee production across all disciplines and formats—from brief, bidding, creative treatment, budgeting, shooting, editorial and finishing through execution and delivery—ensuring efficiency, profitability, and world-class quality and creative standards we are known for., • Provide management, guidance and oversight to Executive Producers, Integrated Producers and Post teams., • Create and uphold production frameworks, processes, project management and workflows using the latest tools, technology and software to their greatest effect. Demonstrate excellence in customization not just automation., • Maintain accountability for on-time, on-budget and on-scope delivery across the entire portfolio., • Drive the strategic adoption of Generative AI and machine-learning tools across the production lifecycle—from AI-assisted storyboarding and pre-visualization to automated rotoscoping, dialogue cleanup and "vanity" VFX in post—ensuring UNR remains at the frontier of production efficiency., • Move AI from "experimentation" to "standard operating procedure" by building robust guardrails for ethical AI use, IP protection, and quality control, ensuring that AI-enhanced outputs meet our world-class creative standards., • Be a leader in standardizing and optimizing the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem across all global hubs (NYC, LA, DET, TOR, LON), leveraging Adobe Creative Cloud, Workfront, AEM and Frame.io to ensure a Chase the Sun talent optimization, seamless asset sharing, real-time collaboration and version control across time zones., • Lead the ongoing evolution of our post-production stack, ensuring teams are trained on the latest Adobe features (such as Firefly-powered Generative Fill or AI-based audio enhancement) to reduce manual labor and maximize creative "maker" time. 3. Team Leadership, Development & Culture • Mentor and inspire all production personnel to produce the very best work across the entire production eco-system ensuring exceptional creative delivery and flawless execution., • Build the next wave of UNR talent: recruit, hire, coach, and develop producers, coordinators, creative production specialists and beyond., • Foster a proactive, highly creative, supportive, accurate and solutions-oriented environment. Build on our “maker’ mentality and craft culture., • Model leadership and mentorship at all times—setting the standard for how UNR shows up on set, with clients, and with each other., • Develop best-in-class client service and hospitality on behalf of UNR around productions, new studios, major industry events and conferences, etc. 4. Financial Management & Commercial Growth • Own the financial performance of production jobs including revenue forecasting, cost controls and profitability targets., • Partner closely with CEO, Finance & Operation to build regular business reports, revenue analysis and annual planning., • Create pricing models, rate cards, SOW frameworks, partnership agreements and scalable commercial systems., • Expand external client revenue within the Stagwell network; build relationships with brands, agencies and production partners to grow the UNR pipeline., • Adept at leveraging emerging production technologies to modernize workflows, reduce manual effort and elevate the quality and consistency of outputs. 5. Client & Agency Relationship Leadership • Serve as the senior point of production contact for key stakeholders at all Stagwell agencies, • Build long-term relationships with agency partners and external clients; ensure UNR is seen as an indispensable creative production partner., • Deliver executive oversight on pitches, treatments, creative decks, and major production approaches., • Champion a “find a way” mindset—warm, collaborative, fast and solutions-oriented. 6. Business Development & Brand Expansion • Showcase new talent, new projects, new technologies, new techniques that will help UNR develop new business., • Identify new revenue streams, new services, strategic partnerships and new categories where UNR can excel., • Attend industry events, festivals and emerging-tech environments on behalf of UNR, representing our capabilities and creative point of view. 7. Cross-Office Leadership & Travel • Maintain a strong presence across all N.A. offices; expect to be on the road visiting offices, sets, clients and partners, • Ensure cohesion across time zones, teams and active productions., • Train leadership, improve communication systems and ensure all offices work as one UNR. WHO YOU ARE • A seasoned production executive with 12–15+ years across live action, post, photo, animation integrated content and emerging/generative tech., • Experience beyond advertising agencies, very ideal in clear production first environments and/or in-house set ups., • A natural leader who balances creative ambition with operational rigor., • Comfortable balancing craft, commerce, creativity and culture., • Hands on vs hands off. Rolls sleeves up and works through problems on eye level., • Entrepreneurial, resourceful and excited to grow a new business., • A trusted advisor to agencies, directors, creatives and brand clients., • A mentor and culture builder—someone people love working with., • Calm under pressure; decisive; endlessly solutions-oriented., • Ideally based in New York, Detroit or Los Angeles.
