Documentary Jobs (NOW HIRING)

TIME is a 103-year-old global media brand and one of the most trusted names in journalism. TIME's mission is to provide trusted guidance about the ideas and people who shape and improve the world. Today, this promise lives at the center of the brand's award-winning editorial work, fast-growing business divisions, innovative new products, and partner solutions.
We are looking for changemakers from all backgrounds who are aligned with TIME's core values and energized by the opportunity to build something meaningful at an organization with a century of trust behind it and its most exciting chapter still ahead.
About TIME Studios
TIME Studios is the Emmy Award-winning film and television division of TIME, developing and producing premium documentaries, scripted series and films, unscripted formats, specials, and branded storytelling for global audiences across platforms. Built on the legacy of TIME's award-winning journalism and storytelling, TIME Studios combines the access, credibility, and cultural influence of one of the world's most trusted media brands to create compelling, truth-based content that informs, entertains, and drives conversation. From acclaimed documentaries and original series to innovative partnerships and emerging platforms, TIME Studios is redefining how stories are told for today's audiences.
The Role
TIME Studios is seeking a VP, Production to lead physical production and operational execution across its premium documentary, unscripted, and branded content slate. This senior leadership role will oversee productions from development through final delivery, managing budgets, schedules, cost reporting, partner relationships, and production operations across multiple projects and platforms.
The ideal candidate is a strategic, highly organized production executive with deep experience in premium content, branded storytelling, and complex co-productions. This person brings strong financial and operational expertise, exceptional production judgment, and a proven ability to manage high-volume, fast-paced productions while maintaining creative excellence and fiscal discipline.
This is not a hands-on field production role; rather, it is designed for an experienced production leader who excels at high-level oversight, cross-functional collaboration, production finance, and executive management of production teams, vendors, and external partners.
Responsibilities

• Production & Operational Leadership

• Lead physical production and operational oversight across TIME Studios' slate of documentary features, unscripted series, specials, and branded content.
• Oversee projects from development and pre-production through post-production and final delivery, ensuring productions remain on schedule, on budget, and aligned with creative and business objectives.
• Manage production planning, staffing strategy, schedules, workflows, and resource allocation across multiple simultaneous productions.
• Supervise line producers, production managers, and external production partners while maintaining visibility into all stages of production execution.
• Build scalable production systems, operational workflows, and best practices across TIME Studios.

• Production Finance & Business Management

• Own production budgeting, cost tracking, forecasting, and reporting across all projects, partnering closely with Finance, Accounting, and executive leadership.
• Monitor cost reports, cash flow, production spend, and financial performance to ensure strong fiscal management across the Studios slate.
• Establish production controls, efficiencies, and operational guardrails to optimize budgets, timelines, and resources.
• Partner with Business Affairs, Legal, and Finance on production agreements, vendor negotiations, co-production structures, and risk management.
• Oversee production compliance, including insurance, union/guild requirements, legal standards, and delivery obligations.

• Creative & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with executive producers, showrunners, directors, editorial leaders, and studio executives to support creative goals while ensuring production feasibility.
• Provide strategic production guidance during development, including budget modeling, scheduling, staffing, and production planning.
• Partner cross-functionally with Branded Content, Editorial, Creative, Legal, Finance, and Operations teams to align production execution with broader business priorities.

• Vendor, Partner & Production Management

• Lead relationships with external production companies, studios, post-production facilities, crews, and production vendors.
• Manage high-level production touchpoints across co-productions, branded partnerships, and commissioned projects.
• Negotiate production services, vendor agreements, and operational terms to maximize production value and efficiency.
• Maintain strong relationships across the production ecosystem, including networks, streamers, agencies, and creative partners.

• Team Leadership & Culture

• Mentor and lead internal production staff and freelance teams, fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and solutions-oriented culture.
• Help evolve the production organization as TIME Studios continues to scale its premium content business.
• Promote operational excellence, accountability, transparency, and strong communication across teams and productions.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of experience in film, television, streaming, or premium digital production, with significant leadership experience in documentary, unscripted, and/or branded content.
• Proven track record overseeing complex productions and multi-million-dollar budgets across multiple concurrent projects.
• Deep expertise in production finance, including budgeting, cost reporting, forecasting, scheduling, and operational planning.
• Strong experience managing co-productions, production vendors, studios, agencies, and external production partners.
• Extensive knowledge of union and guild regulations, including SAG-AFTRA, DGA, WGA, and IATSE requirements.
• Experience delivering content for major networks, streaming platforms, studios, or premium media brands.
• Exceptional operational, organizational, negotiation, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate effectively across creative, production, business, and corporate teams.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving production environment while managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in branded content, commercial production, or agency-driven storytelling environments.
• Background working with premium production companies, studios, streamers, or media organizations.
• Experience overseeing productions for both editorial and brand-funded content.
• International production and co-production experience.
• Established network of production vendors, crews, and creative partners.

Note: This position is not represented by the NewsGuild of New York.
Location
This is a hybrid role. Eligible candidates for the role must be within a commutable distance of TIME's New York City office upon hire and may be expected to be physically present as needed (typically 3 days/week).
More About TIME:
Total Rewards:
At TIME we believe our people are our greatest resource and taking care of our people is of the utmost importance. For that reason we offer competitive compensation and a full slate of benefits that start on your first day:

• Medical, vision, dental insurance
• Over 4 weeks of paid time off, in addition to paid company holidays (plus a culture that supports and encourages time to actually be taken!)
• 401k with a generous company match
• 12+ weeks paid parental leave
• Mentorship and community engagement experiences
• Free print subscription to TIME Magazine
• Salary range for this position: $175,000 - $190,000 commensurate with experience

Who We Are:
We are a diversified, B2B revenue-focused media company built on integrated partnerships and powered by a global, modern newsroom. Our portfolio includes:

• TIME's iconic magazine and digital platforms-that reach the largest and youngest audience in TIME's history: more than 120 million people worldwide, with nearly half under 35
• The award-winning branded content studio and Emmy Award®-winning film and television division TIME Studios
• A significantly expanded global live events business built on the powerful TIME100 and Person of the Year franchises and custom experiences
• TIME for Kids, which provides trusted news with a focus on news literacy for kids and valuable resources for teachers and families; and more!

TIME is also recognized as a leader in responsible AI in media and digital transformation, including the launch of the TIME AI Agent.
With the recent launches of TIME France and TIME Africa, the brand's global footprint continues to expand, bringing TIME's trusted journalism to new audiences and markets worldwide.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion:
TIME is an equal opportunity employer. Our people drive the culture. Our culture drives the mission. Our mission drives the business. Our business impacts the world. An inclusive and diverse team not only makes our content and our products better, but our workplace stronger. Equity, diversity, and inclusion are top priorities in our recruiting and hiring, and our culture.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.