Job Description
Description
We have an exciting opportunity for a Commissioning Executive - Factual Entertainment to join the Commissioning team.
This commissioning exec will join a small, highly experienced team of commissioners and will work across the unscripted slate but with particular focus on Factual Entertainment and Comedy Entertainment shows.
The new exec will hunt out fresh formats for both W and Dave, with an eye to developing projects with new and diverse talent. The success of formats such as Big Zuu’s Big Eats is something we wish to build on across the channels. Ensuring that we have a strong pipeline of shows in development and that we are talking to as many producers as possible, is critical to our success.
This commissioning exec will join a small, highly experienced team of commissioners and will work across the unscripted slate but with particular focus on Factual Entertainment and Comedy Entertainment shows.
The new exec will hunt out fresh formats for both W and Dave, with an eye to developing projects with new and diverse talent. The success of formats such as Big Zuu’s Big Eats is something we wish to build on across the channels. Ensuring that we have a strong pipeline of shows in development and that we are talking to as many producers as possible, is critical to our success.
In this role you will get to:
- Work from the ground up to seek out, develop, commission and executive produce your own series.
- Focus in particular on new and emerging talent in the comedy and factual entertainment space.
- Use your understanding, knowledge and skills in developing and making successful formats in both comedy and factual entertainment genres.
- Develop excellent working relationships with a broad range of producers across the UK.
- Work to develop and nurture existing series currently on our slate as the lead UKTV Exec.
- Contribute to the overall commissioning strategy within the broader department and within UKTV/BBCStudios as a whole.
- Have the chance to develop your career as a key creative figure within the Industry.
We are looking for someone who has:
- Able to demonstrate experience in working on formatted shows
- Has extensive experience of working with on-screen talent and be able to show a genuine interest and sharp eye for emerging talent.
- Highly confident at shaping material in an edit and able to demonstrate significant involvement in new series and ideas at either the development or production stage, or both.
- Able to handle talent from breakthrough artists taking their first steps through to highly established individuals - generating, enhancing or cementing UKTV’s reputation as a highly rewarding place for creatives to work in the UK.
In short, you will need to be dynamic and energetic, super-smart in terms of talent management, and rock solid in terms of your creative instincts.
Who you are:
- Demonstrate a naturally collaborative style.
- Be keen to learn new skills that are required to become a successful commissioner.
- Be a passionate advocate with outstanding editorial instincts.
- Display a high degree of self-motivation.
- Be a committed and passionate team player who is able to support other members of the team.
- Possess good communication skills and the ability to relay contentious decisions without impacting on key relationships.
- Display an ability to generate, and inspire others to generate, innovative and original programme ideas.
- Learn to understand the impact of commissioning decisions on the wider UKTV economy.
- Show an analytical approach: hone the ability to identify key trends and issues and to anticipate problems and deliver solutions.
- Display a knowledge of multiplatform content and of the user experience regarding platforms other than television.
- Demonstrate the ability to retain focus on broad long-term objectives whilst also retaining a detailed grasp of day-to-day issues.
- Demonstrable a concern for results and achieving goals.
- Demonstrate adequate IT skills.
- Fully commit to the UKTV CLICC values as detailed later in this document.
- And finally, and most importantly, demonstrate genuine, burning passion for TV.
Hybrid-Working
At UKTV, we are working in a hybrid environment with a mixture of home and office working. Getting together in the office as a team and a company gives colleagues an opportunity to build and maintain great relationships, encourages our culture of collaboration and creativity while recognising that colleagues need to have a healthy and happy work-life balance. You’ll agree with your manager the split of time you spend in the office or at home based on the role that you do, how often you come together as a team and your personal preference.
Diversity & Inclusion Commitment
At UKTV, our inclusion vision is to truly represent society in our workforce and on-screen, and create a culture of fairness and respect where we champion difference so that every person feels included and empowered to do their best work. We are committed to ensuring a level playing field at UKTV where all employees and job applicants are given equal opportunity, and that we have diverse voices at the table in everything we do. We welcome applications from everyone and we want UKTV to be a place where you can be your authentic self, give your best and develop your career free from discrimination of any kind.
Key Responsibilities
- Oversee a slate of programmes as directed by the Deputy Director of Commissioning ensure they are delivered in accordance with the agreed editorial specification.
- Ensure the programmes under your management reflect the driving imperative of the Commissioning department - which is to deliver innovative and diverse commissions on all platforms.
- Ensure at all times that programmes fully meet compliance and other regulatory frameworks, referring any relevant issues to the head of scripted.
- Develop and progress innovative ideas using your own initiative and in line with the Commissioning strategy set by the commissioning team.
- Follow UKTV’s financial procedures, ensuring all supplier agreements and payments are processed within company guidelines.
- Work with the Head of Production to do everything possible to ensure that programmes within your slate are delivered within the approved budget.
- Under the direction of the Deputy Director of Commissioning, direct specific projects in the development process and the short listing of proposals, encouraging a risk-taking, bold and innovative approach to ideas development.
- Work collaboratively within the Commissioning team to identify and nurture specific talent in line with the commissioning strategy and to establish/nurture strong links with key talent on and off screen.
- Understand the scope and purpose of UKTV’s commissioning strategy and maximise the potential contribution of projects in development and production towards the delivery of the strategy
About UKTV
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 30 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK's most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world's leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.
About UKTV Media Ltd
UKTV has been at the forefront of branded television for over 25 years, entertaining the nation with programmes they love. Its leading brands - Dave, Gold, W, Drama, Alibi, Eden and Yesterday - span comedy, entertainment, natural history, factual and scripted drama, and are delivered to audiences through UKTV Play, Freeview, Sky, Virgin Media, BT, TalkTalk, YouView, Freesat and Amazon Fire. The broadcaster is a significant investor in British creativity and is committed to working with new and established writers, directors and programme-makers.
UKTV is part of BBC Studios, the UK’s most-awarded production company, a world-class distributor with international branded services, and a commercial subsidiary of the world’s leading public service broadcaster, the BBC.