Project Manager, Branded Content Studio

This is a Full Time Job

Reports to: Head of Project Management, Branded Content Studio, National Geographic Partners

Direct reports: 0

Department: Pan Regional Ad Sales

Who we are

National Geographic is a worldwide leader comprised of award-winning media, including magazines, television channels, websites, interactive editions, apps, and books – all unified under a collective mission to document and care for the planet. Trusted, unbiased content is delivered to millions of influential consumers around the globe.

National Geographic is part of Fox Networks Group which is a primary operating unit of 21st Century Fox. FNG & NGP Brand Partnerships division is a dynamic and comprehensive creative marketing powerhouse with unrivalled brands that connect deeply with quality audiences everywhere. We are able to deliver integrated, a la carte, cross-media campaigns to clients in any industry segment across the most desirable genres and audiences, through our cross platform advertising sales arm.

Our dedicated custom solutions team work closely with clients to produce compelling custom content ideas and solutions across our global portfolio of media platforms. National Geographic will be launching a Custom Studios division in 2018, in response to the huge demand for custom content development for clients across Documentary/Entertainment/Sport genres.

Who we need

National Geographic Partners are looking for a Project Manager to the branded content studio based in London, as part of the EMEA UK based global partnerships team. This is a fantastic opportunity to work as part of a busy, creative sales team across our portfolio of National Geographic platforms, to manage the production of content and campaign deliverables for some of the most exciting brands in the world.

Who you are
• You'll have huge enthusiasm for storytelling across all platforms and channels with a specific focus on video, digital and social.
• You would be able to turn complex and often fluid information into achievable production plans that are able to deliver on brief, on time, on budget and that drive campaign KPIs.
• You will have 'been there and got the T-shirt, you're great at keeping the plates spinning on multiple projects at once.
• You are both a team player and a self-starter, able to clearly communicate status of projects at any point both internally and externally with clients.
• Diligent with an extreme eye for detail, you will be organised, flexible and solutions focussed.
• You will have experience across sectors, with an appreciation for different client types (public and private) and be able navigate often complex stakeholder frameworks.

What you'll do
• The Project Manager, Client Solutions (PM) will be part of the essential project management function of the branded content studio. You will be working across multiple projects of various scope and scale, across markets and sectors.
• We're looking for a passionate team-player who can support and collaborate with the Content Strategists, global sales, production, editorial and distribution teams, working across multiple markets and time zones. You are adaptable and will be comfortable with changing course as projects evolve, flexible and solutions focussed, and true organiser at heart.
• You'll oversee content creation including talent management, shoot planning in hand with our creative producers and production teams, writers, designers and seeing the final content through to media live.
• This is a role for an organised and focussed individual who is used to working across digital/social platforms, varied content genres and has experience across a wide range of advertising sectors.
• The PM will exhibit the ability to see the big picture yet focus on essential detail of scheduling resources, the business/brand objectives and delivering KPI's.
• Success will be measured by managing production pipeline to deliver on budget and solicit positive client feedback
• You will work with the team to raise the bar by contributing towards best practice project management
• You will know when to escalate issues and how to pivot on project scope to ensure the client needs are met without compromising our brand, talent or profitability.

Responsibilities

• Lead the project management of custom solutions from initial brief to final delivery
• Supporting the content and creative teams in the development of initial proposals
• Ensuring all proposals and final projects are feasible in terms of brand, budget and timing
• Work with internal NG teams to source and contract talent from the NG stable, and ensure talent deliverables are clearly defined and in line with project requirements
• Be the central point of contact between the account lead (ad sales), creative producer, internal/external production teams, media team, digital production and social teams
• Be the main point of contact with client teams, interfacing with the highest professionalism and customer service standards.
• This may involve working with additional stakeholders within the client group
• Provide to the client regular status updates and be highly responsive to client communications
• Create and manage all project documentation including scope of work, budgets, overviews, timelines, content briefs, publishing and activation schedules
• Work with creative teams and content strategists throughout the content creation process to ensure content goals are met, client expectations managed, and our joint storytelling potential is realised
• Ensure all projects are on budget from a production perspective, and provide regular updates to account and senior teams on project costs, flagging any issues
• Ensure all suppliers are contracted correctly and finance processes are fulfilled on time
• Ensuring all content is compliant and editorially aligned from concept to final asset
• Identify an issues in the implementation of the project and surface to account and senior teams along with solution options

Qualifications and Experience

You will have significant experience within the client solutions division in another media organisation or full service agency. The successful candidate will need to display aptitude for good team working, support for colleagues and the ability to juggle a number of different tasks at any one time whilst staying calm under pressure.

The ideal candidate will have a strong fit across a number of the following desired sills (not all are essential):
• Proven experience of project management in a media environment, specifically within content creation
• Proven experience of delivering digital and social branded content campaigns from brief to live
• Strong understanding of advertising, digital media and the solution response process.
• Proven experience of production processes across video, digital, social (essential) as well as print and TV (desirable)
• Strong organizational skills including attention to detail and multi-tasking
• Calm under pressure: able to handle tight timelines, the impact of adverse events and issues that threaten delivery and maintain a calm influence over project stakeholders
• Problem solving skills: provide fresh and creative responses to new challenges
• Flexibility: adapt and work effectively with a variety of different time frames, situations, individuals or groups
• Management (and creation) of internal management processes within a commercial team
• Excellent relationship buil

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