Established in 2014 by Paul Donovan and Ailish McElmeel, Deadpan Pictures is an award-winning boutique production company specialising in drama with a comic tone. We bring projects with unique voices and a distinct Irish flavour to international audiences. Amongst Deadpan Pictures’ productions to date are Can’t Cope Won’t Cope which sold to Netflix and BBC and the critically acclaimed Dead Still.

The company also produced Nowhere Fast, the ratings hit The South Westerlies, co-produced Sharon Horgan and Lorna Martin’s Women on the Verge and have recently co-produced Departure Series 2 with Shaftesbury Films in Canada for NBCU Peacock and Sky Witness. Film productions include Four Kids and It (2020), The Last Right (2019) and Halal Daddy (2017). Prior to Deadpan, International Emmy-winning Moone Boy, Monte Carlo nominated Trivia and a history of highly successful comedy production was produced. Deadpan Pictures are talent-friendly producers crafting content from development to production. 

Deadpan Pictures is recruiting a Head of Content. This is a senior management position reporting to the Co-Founders. Experience of drama series development for international distribution is essential.

Job Specification:

• Responsibility for all aspects of Talent and Project Development and Strategy in the Company. Working with the EPs/Co-founders and leading the Development team to generate ideas and projects in a volume appropriate for a company of Deadpan’s scale. 
• Identifying, managing and developing talent, including writing and directing talent and potential vehicles for on-screen talent.
• Managing the Writer Rooms to develop projects with assistance from the Development Team.
• Negotiating Writers deals with Agents in tandem with Business Affairs.
• Managing the in-house Development Pot and securing matching funding.
• Managing development budgets, applications, submissions and reporting with the support of the Development team and Executive Assistant.
• Pitching projects and identifying potential financiers. 
• Attending markets like Berlin Series, Series Mania, MIA Rome, MIP TV and/or MIP COM, Content London as well as outside-market travel to London and further afield to pitch projects and to develop and maintain partner relationships.
• Liaising with funders and commissioners during the development and production process.

Skills required

• Experience of working with writers, agents, financiers and producers in the development of drama and comedy drama series. 
• Candidates should have strong distributor and broadcaster/platform relationships.
• Needs to be a self-starter with strong initiative and leadership skills.
• Ability to identify unique and diverse voices with something to say in a comic tone.
• A passion for drama series and the industry at large. A voracious reader of trades and viewer of content.
• Experience of rights management and a solid understanding of intellectual property rights. 
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills.
• An understanding of the Deadpan ‘brand’ and ethos.
• An understanding of Deadpan’s target audience, broadcasters and distributors.
• An enthusiastic, hard-working and flexible problem solver. A ‘can do’ approach is essential. 
• Ability to work in a fast, efficient manner, managing competing demands across various projects. 
• Composure and Flexibility.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to manage and nurture a number of relationships internally and externally. 
• Ability to work to deadlines.
• Ability to think through problems, identify the issues and provide creative solutions.
• Ability to see a pathway to production for projects from early development.
• Ability to work collaboratively with other team members.
• Commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Employment Type:

• Full time 2 year contract
• Compensation in line with industry standards.

Application Process:

Apply with cv and cover letter outlining suitability to [email protected] by noon 18^th February. Suitable candidates will then be called for interview.