Salary range: £40,000 - £50,000 per annum

The James Hoffmann YouTube channel is looking for a Production Manager to join the team full time. With 2.31M subscribers, the channel is a well-established source of factual entertainment that shares James Hoffmann’s unique knowledge of all things coffee.

In this role, your key responsibility within the team will be to ensure a smooth running of the video production process from A to Z, which also includes oversight of the day-to-day operations at the studio.

This role does not involve any on-camera responsibilities.

The Role

As Production Manager, you will be the one to keep the team and their projects on track. You will be working alongside James in a small team (which, among others, includes an in-house editor, camera op, and coffee research assistant) and towards an output of ca. 3-4 YouTube videos per month. This will involve:

• Leading the planning and coordination process from pre-production through post-production;
• Creating production timelines and schedules, ensuring deadlines are met;
• Managing production budgets;
• Coordinating crew, equipment, and locations for shoots;
• Overseeing post-production workflows, ensuring timely delivery of final video content;
• Occasionally supporting the post-production process with archive producing, i.e. finding assets from archival materials and negotiating their terms/fees for usage.

Another important part of this will be the handling of logistics and paperwork involved in the production process, including:

• Handling permits, contracts, risk assessments, and compliance requirements;
• Organising travel, accommodation, and logistics and hiring crew for off-site productions;
• Handling annual renewal of production insurance and overseeing communication with providers, and any claims that may arise.

You will also collaborate closely with the team to ensure that day-to-day internal operations at the studio are running smoothly alongside off-site productions. You will be responsible for:

• Managing day-to-day scheduling for internal productions, ensuring balanced workloads and realistic timelines; as well as
• Supporting the team with kit maintenance and ad-hoc studio tasks.

While the focus of the role is on operational management, there will be an opportunity to become involved in more creative tasks. This includes:

• Participating in creative ideation, as you will be invited to join a regular Writers’ Room;
• Ad-hoc script editing and edit feedback;
• Edit producing, i.e. helping to structure narrative and delivering scripts/re-scripts for Voiceover;
• Opportunities to pitch your own creative ideas, and to take the lead on producing/developing them (if of interest);
• Opportunities to participate in and oversee the development of documentary projects (researching, leading interviews, assembling early edits, developing scripts, building a narrative, etc).

For this role, you will be required to work in the London-based studio at West Hackney/Lower Clapton, but there is an option for hybrid working. Some travel for shoots will be required.

The Candidate

If this job is right for you, you’ll have plenty of experience in being the driving force behind productions for film, TV or YouTube, and will be eager to continue working independently and putting your know-how to good use.

You’ll have worked in production-based positions, such as production management/coordination, production secretary/researcher/assistant producer in scripted or unscripted. We know that titles and responsibilities vary depending on the type of production, so we want to hear from you how your previous experiences match the role.

We are looking for excellent organisational and communication skills. You’ll be able to demonstrate your ability to lead processes and teams, and you’ll have a keen eye for detail and deadlines.

The ideal candidate will be someone who understands the challenges and benefits of working in a small creative team. Ideally, you’re excited by the flexibility, responsibility and room for growth that this setting provides.

Additional technical skills, i.e. familiarity with editing software, or ability to self-shoot are not a requirement but a useful benefit, so please let us know about them.

An interest in coffee is not required, but familiarity with the channel and enthusiasm for its output is highly desirable.

Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK.

Expected start date: Immediate start available for the right candidate.

About James Hoffmann

James Hoffmann has worked in coffee since 2003 and is passionate about sharing what he’s learned along the way. James won the World Barista Championship in 2007 and is credited as being the pioneer of the UK’s third-wave coffee movement. He has since co-founded his own coffee company, successfully published three books on coffee (including a Sunday Times bestseller), and has established himself as one of the most influential figures in specialty coffee today.

The James Hoffmann YouTube channel is dedicated to making James’ expertise accessible to all. It has a loyal following of over 2.31M subscribers. James Hoffmann videos cover how-to recipes, guides, reviews, video essays and mini-documentaries. Professional and yet often humorous, they aim to provide useful information on all things coffee in an entertaining way.

Applying

Please include a cover letter with your application explaining why you would be suitable for this position and including any relevant experience you have to support your application.

Please note: Ziggurat is assisting with the hiring process for this role, this role is to work with our client directly, you will not work for Ziggurat XYZ.