The Senior Production Manager will work closely with Full Story Films’ Senior Production Executive to oversee Full Story Films’ development and production slate.
The role is responsible for supporting editorial ambition into workable budgets, schedules, staffing plans and production processes, while maintaining financial, legal, compliance, health and safety, and duty-of-care standards.
This role requires excellent planning, budgeting, negotiation and problem-solving skills, with the judgement to respond calmly and decisively to fast-moving production developments.
The Senior Production Manager will communicate clearly with editorial leads, production teams, contributors, commissioners, suppliers and external partners.
They will establish efficient production systems and maintain a seamless workflow across the production office, filming locations and post-production, while providing clear leadership and support to the wider production team.
What you’ll do
- Create and manage programme budgets and production schedules that reflect editorial requirements; prepare accurate forecasts and cost reports; monitor expenditure, commitments and cash flow; identify variances early; and recommend corrective action to keep productions on budget and on schedule.
- Oversee production finance, with the Production Accountant, including raising POs, invoice processing, expenses, payroll preparation, contracting.
- Source, negotiate and book experienced crews and suppliers; plan travel, accommodation and filming kit; ensure arrangements are cost-effective and appropriate to production’s requirements.
- Manage location research and access negotiations, obtain filming permits and permissions.
- Arranging contributor releases, material and location agreements.
- Create detailed filming call sheets, production risk assessments, and ensure that health and safety requirements, escalation procedures, insurance requirements, safeguarding measures are in place and communicated.
- Ensure compliance with production policies and protocols, escalating concerns promptly.
- Support teams working with sensitive material, vulnerable contributors or in hostile locations.
- Manage edit schedules and post-production workflows; Support clearances for music, archive, and other third-party material and is correctly licensed and cleared.
- Maintain post-production and delivery schedules, coordinate viewings; ensure associated paperwork, eg Silvermouse are delivered on time and to the required specifications.
- Build trusted relationships with contributors, commissioners, suppliers and external partners; provide clear support to development and production teams; promote a collaborative, inclusive working culture.
- Continuously review production processes, introduce practical improvements for production.
- Work primarily from the production office, but flexible to attend shoots, recces, production meetings or post-production facilities when needed, or require senior oversight.
Essential experience and knowledge
- Substantial production management experience in current affairs, factual or documentary television. A strong track record of managing complex investigative productions from development through to delivery.
- Confident ownership of programme budgets, cost reporting, forecasting, cash flow and financial controls.
- Detailed working knowledge of production insurance, contracting, rights and clearances, data protection, health and safety, safeguarding and contributor duty of care.
- Experience of managing productions involving sensitive subject matters, vulnerable contributors, complex access or challenging locations.
- Experience of managing and developing production staff, and negotiating effectively with freelancers, facilities, and external suppliers.
- A proven ability to identify, assess, escalate and mitigate editorial, legal, financial risks.
- Strong understanding of end-to-end production and post-production workflows, technical delivery requirements and secure media handling.
Skills and attributes
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Excellent planning, organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage competing deadlines and maintain accuracy under pressure with attention to detail.
- Calm, decisive and solutions-focused in fast-moving or high-pressure situations.
- Be proactive and spot problems and challenges before they arise
- Clear and confident communicator
- Collaborative and inclusive leadership style, with the confidence to set expectations and support colleagues.
- High levels of discretion and integrity when handling sensitive information.
- Flexible and willing to travel or work outside standard office hours when production requires it.
- Experience of managing international filming, hostile-environment arrangements or high-risk access.
About Full Story Films:
Full Story Films is Sky's in‑house documentary and current affairs production unit. We bring together the original journalism of Sky News with award-winning production expertise to create bold and unmissable films.
We specialise in both investigative current affairs for Sky News and premium features and series for Sky Documentaries. Our films capture the zeitgeist, hold power to account, and resonate with Sky’s UK and global audience.
Benefits and perks:
There's one thing people can't stop talking about when it comes to life at Sky: the perks. Here’s a taster:
- Free NOW package, including Sky Sports and Sky Cinema
- Pension package with up to 9% employer contribution
- Private healthcare with mental health support
- Aviva Digital GP and dental insurance
- Discounts on Sky products, including Sky Mobile, Sky Broadband, Sky Glass and Sky Protect
- Share save and Tech schemes
- A range of Sky VIP rewards and experiences
How you’ll work
We've adopted a hybrid working approach to give more flexibility on where and how we work. The hybrid working expectations for this role are 3 days in the office per week.
Office Location:
Our Sky Group HQ. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and workspaces, there’s plenty of space to see your big ideas come to life. Here you’ll find 13 subsidised restaurants and cafes. You can re-energise at our gym, catch the latest films at our cinema, get your car washed and even get pampered at our beauty salon.
Our Osterley Campus is just a 10-minute walk from Syon Lane train station, or you can get one of our free shuttle buses from Osterley, Gunnersbury and Ealing Broadway stations. Plus, there’s free onsite parking available for cars, motorbikes and bicycles.
Who we are
We’re Sky, a leading media and entertainment company who connect millions with entertainment, sports, news and arts through innovative products and services. Working with us means you’ll be bringing the joy of a better experience to more people, every day. All so we can do better and deliver better for our customers, colleagues and society.
We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We're a Disability Confident Accredited Employer, and welcome and encourage applications from all candidates. We will look to ensure a fair and consistent experience for all and will make reasonable adjustments to support you where appropriate. Please flag any adjustments you need as early as you can.
Just so you know: if your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a criminal record check. And depending on the role you have applied for and the nature of any convictions you may have, we might have to withdraw the offer.
To be eligible for this role you are required to have the appropriate right to work in the UK. Please be aware Sky does not offer sponsorship for this position.
