Head of Industry

Salary: £32,000 - £36,000

Sheffield DocFest is seeking a new Head of Industry to lead on the Industry Programme during the Festival as well as year-round training initiatives.

Sheffield DocFest is the UK’s leading documentary festival and one of the world’s most influential markets for documentary projects. We champion and present the breadth of documentary form – film, television, immersive and art – in the vibrant city of Sheffield each June. We offer makers and audiences a place for inspiration, debate, development, learning and challenge. Our programming represents our core values – creativity, empathy, freedom, inclusivity, and internationalism.

In 2021 Sheffield DocFest hosted a hybrid edition, with over 45,000 virtual and in-person attendances and 2056 industry delegates from over 70 countries.

We intend that Sheffield DocFest’s 29th edition will take place predominantly in-person, bringing documentary makers, professionals and audiences back to Sheffield between 23 – 28 June 2022.

The role

Sheffield DocFest is now seeking a Head of Industry, knowledgeable about funding, sales and distribution for documentaries of all types and passionate about supporting emerging talent, to lead on the Industry Programme during the Festival as well as year-round training initiatives. 

They will work collaboratively with the Interim CEO on the overall structure of the festival and be responsible for overseeing the selection and match-making across the MeetMarket (for features and series), the Alternate Realities Talent Market (for immersive documentary and non-fiction forms) and the Broadcast Production Talent Market (for production talent). They will design and deliver a range of initiatives taking place during the festival for delegates of all experience-levels who are interested in making industry connections and gaining industry knowledge. They will oversee live pitches and bespoke sessions for international delegations, and lead on the delivery of training and talent development programmes taking place year-round. 

They will lead on identifying and inviting hundreds of international industry professionals who are in a position to support new documentary projects in a variety of ways. They will oversee the match-making activities within the festival’s various markets that bring these professionals together with project teams. They will manage the Industry Programme Producer as well as other producers, coordinators and assistants for the various Industry Programme initiatives. They will have experience in project management, inclusive and collaborative decision-making environments as well as engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and partners. 

Sheffield DocFest is currently reviewing its operating model. At present it is expected that you will report to the Interim CEO until the end of the June 2022 Festival until a new, ongoing leadership structure is established. The role is offered as a 18-month contract position (two festival editions) with a view to extending.

Industry programme

• Reporting to the Interim CEO, lead on devising and delivering the festival’s Industry Programme, ensuring it encompasses a wide range of opportunities for documentary makers and industry professionals of all levels of experience;
• Oversee all Industry Programme initiatives, ensuring they are delivered to schedule and according to budget;
• Maintain  and  grow  relationships  and  the  Industry Programme’s  good  reputation  with  filmmakers, producers and industry partners;
• Oversee the MeetMarket, Alternate Realities Talent Market and UK Broadcast Production Talent Market, including promoting the call for applicants, project and talent selection, match-making and meeting scheduling and delivery of the markets during the festival; 
• Attract decision makers, buyers and valuable partners for the pitching teams to take part in the market and oversee the project selection process.
• Oversee the industry invitations including market participation and hospitality offers, ensuring industry guest invitations are sent out according to the timeline and followed-up;
• In consultation with the Interim CEO, appoint external assessors with relevant expertise and perspectives to be involved in the selection process for the markets;
• Manage the Industry Programme Producer to ensure the online application and assessment processes for all the market initiatives are highly functional and streamlined;
• Work collegially with the Talks & Sessions Producer, contributing ideas for topics and speakers for sessions relevant to industry delegates;
• Oversee all industry-facing initiatives for international delegations, coordinating with all  departments to ensure delegations make the most of the Festival; 
• Manage the venue booking, accreditations and welcome for the European Broadcasters Union when they host a committee meeting during DocFest;
• Research  new  developments  in  documentary  and  digital  funding  and  distribution ensuring the Industry Programme at DocFest remains innovative and relevant; 
• Lead on training and talent development programmes, designing  training  programmes with and for external partners and make applications for these programmes to potential funders;
• Lead on selecting and inviting expert speakers, professionals and mentors for training and talent development programmes;
• Oversee tracking for market projects/talents industry programme alumni, maintaining a database of outcomes and liaising with the communications team when market alumni have succeeded with projects pitched at Sheffield;
• Speak where possible at national and international documentary and digital events to promote Sheffield DocFest; 
• Keep the Interim CEO and senior team updated on current status of the programme, working collaboratively to ensure that all other sections of the Festival – Screenings, Alternate Realities, Communities Programme, Talks & Sessions, Events and Year-Round programme are informed and cross-over opportunities are maximised;
• Consult with the Programming team to ensure that projects which have gone through MeetMarket / Alternate Realities Talent Market and other marketplace and training initiatives are tracked and considered for the programme;
• Ensure KPIs for the film programme are set, agreed and met;
• Work collegially with the Senior Programmer to track the progress of projects while still in development and production, attend relevant works-in-progress / rough cut screenings;
• Liaise with other film, TV and documentary festivals, film and TV schools, filmmakers to track projects and identify new and emerging talent.

This role is is full-time, with flexible/remote working an option. The successful candidate will be in Sheffield for the duration of the Festival.

More details and apply

For full details including how to apply, download Sheffield DocFest’s job pack here (Word and PDF).

The closing date for this position is 06/12/2021 at 23:59