Director of Production at Synapse Virtual Production

Job Title: Director, Production – LA Studio

Location: Los Angeles, CA [In-Office]

Company: Synapse Virtual Production

Salary: $150,000

About Synapse
Synapse is a Virtual Production one-stop partner comprised of filmmakers and award-winning industry leaders, including directors, cinematographers, producers, designers, engineers, VFX artists and technicians. Synapse’s mission is to truly empower filmmakers, studios, networks, and agencies to enhance the audience’s experience, while innovating the ‘how’ at every turn. We strive to deliver a supportive partnership through an all-encompassing holistic approach based on a foundation of education.

Position Overview
As the Director of Production LA, you will be responsible for overseeing the entire production ecosystem of our LA studio services, guiding the team, and ensuring the successful execution of projects from a financial and top industry quality standpoint. This leadership position requires confidence in establishing and supporting processes and protocols, while also being fluid with management of a growing team. The role requires an understanding of all the culminating industries that comprise Virtual Production, how they overlap, and experience in planning effective coordination between departments. You will collaborate closely with clients to understand project requirements, provide regular updates on progress, address feedback, and ensure the successful execution of projects while maintaining client satisfaction. You will manage expectations, troubleshoot issues, and deliver high-quality productions that align with the client's vision and objectives.

Key Responsibilities:
Reporting directly to the Global Head of Production, this role is crucial to ensuring the successful management of the studio’s day-to-day operations and long-term growth. This role will be responsible for overseeing the entire production lifecycle, maintaining operational efficiency, and nurturing relationships with a wide range of high-profile clients.

1. Studio Operations Management: Lead operations for the LA studio, ensuring the smooth execution of projects from pre-production through delivery. Oversee production schedules, resource allocation, and overall efficiency.
2. Financial Leadership:
   • Drive revenue growth while maintaining cost efficiency.
   • Responsible for project bids, budget management, and partnering with accounting to ensure a clean wrap. Regularly review and report on financial performance, ensuring alignment with broader company goals.
3. Team Management: Manage the studio team, freelance talent, and contractors. Foster a collaborative, high-performance environment that encourages innovation and continuous improvement.
4. Operational Excellence: Partner with Production leads across other locations to share learnings, implement industry best practices, and continuously improve studio operations. Support Global Head of Production on projects as well as higher level strategy and reporting.
5. Client Management:
   • Build and maintain strong relationships with a variety of clients, including production companies, agencies, studios, and streaming platforms.
   • Identify client needs and project objectives, translating them into actionable plans for Synapse implementation.
   • Intermediary between production, VAD and client control.
   • Ensure best practices are implemented to meet client expectations, while proactively identifying opportunities to enhance service offerings.
6. Project Management: Maintain client/project leads in CRM. Track project holds, maintaining production calendar while coordinating with Sales and Global Head of Studio. Communicate creative and technical project needs to internal teams; track progress and effectively communicate to the client. Maintain studio calendar and have the ability to schedule projects efficiently with proper preparation and wrap needs.
7. Freelancer Network: Maintain a roster of qualified freelancers to supplement the team during peak production periods. Ensure a reliable and scalable workforce to meet project demands.

Qualifications:

1. 7+ years in a production or post-production leadership role with a proven track record of managing teams and complex projects.
2. Experience with virtual production workflows, live broadcast, VFX pipelines, and the latest production technologies.
3. Strong financial acumen, with experience in budgeting, bidding, and resource allocation.
4. Skilled at managing multiple vendors and freelancers, with the ability to build and maintain a reliable crew network.
5. Previous experience in strategic planning, decision-making, and successful execution of initiatives in collaboration with executive leadership.
6. Exceptional customer service skills, ability to educate clients and shepherd them through the lifecycle of projects.
7. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling effective engagement with senior leaders within the organization.
8. A passion for staying at the forefront of industry trends and applying innovative production techniques.