Director of Development and Production

About the role

The Director of Development and Production will lead the creation and advancement of Free Association Live’s live‑entertainment slate, overseeing both licensed collaborations and original formats. Reporting to the President of Content and Production, the role balances creative ambition with commercial discipline while managing a high‑velocity pipeline of concepts.

Key responsibilities

• Cultivate and maintain a pipeline of six to eight active concepts and four active developments, ensuring steady green‑light cadence.
• Partner with producers to define scopes, budgets, timelines and deliverables for each project.
• Identify and evaluate new live‑entertainment opportunities across film, TV, music, publishing and cultural sectors.
• Develop commercial theses, concept decks and assess rights and licensing with legal counsel.
• Build and manage tracking systems, lead weekly development meetings and communicate status to leadership.
• Implement criteria‑based decision gates to advance or terminate projects quickly.
• Align creative decisions with broader franchise goals and explore cross‑platform extensions.
• Participate in strategic planning for long‑term portfolio growth and resource allocation.

Required profile

• Proven experience leading development pipelines for live‑entertainment or similar content.
• Strong ability to manage multiple projects, budgets and timelines simultaneously.
• Excellent collaboration skills with creative, production and business teams.
• Experience evaluating IP, licensing structures and commercial potential.
• Strategic mindset to integrate projects into larger franchise and cross‑platform plans.

Required skills