Overview of the role
A production manager (PM) oversees the organisational, scheduling, budgeting, and resource aspects of a scripted production, whether in a production office, on set or on location. Responsibilities include preparing production schedules, allocating time for all production processes, managing the production team, hiring crew and resources, and monitoring costs and reporting. In children’s TV, PMs must have an in depth knowledge of all of the regulatory frameworks involving working with children including child performance regulations and child licensing, all relevant health and safety, duty of care and safeguarding guidelines including the Ofcom Broadcasting code and any other broadcaster guidelines and ensure productions are supported to adhere to them at all times.
Production managers typically report to the line producer, production executive, or Head of Production and line manage production coordinators and production secretaries.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the size of the production company and team and the scale and budget of the production.
- Demonstrate an up to date awareness and understanding of how AI can be used in budgeting, scheduling, and resource management and the reporting requirements of commissioners on platforms like Movie Magic and ensure any uses on production are employed and disclosed transparently and in accordance with production company and broadcaster guidelines and UK and EU law.
- Develop and implement data-handling processes, including material deletion in line with company retention policies and all GDPR/date protection rules.
- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders including health and safety, safeguarding, finance, HR, legal, technical crew, studios, locations, post-production, to determine resources, costs, and timelines to meet creative briefs.
- Work with the senior team (line producer, executive producer, producer, production executive/Head of Production) to develop production schedules, identifying the resources required for each stage in the production process, and allocating sufficient time to achieve objectives efficiently.
- Ensure the production sets and achieves all sustainability targets, meeting Albert guidelines.
- Be able to break down scripts down to ascertain all production needs and work with the line producer to define key responsibilities, sequences and task durations, and develop detailed plans and schedules, including identifying delays and creating realistic contingency plans.
- Ensure pre-production and production schedules are designed with working with children regulations in mind - from child casting including licensing, psychological assessments, fitness checks, chaperone and parental briefings, enhanced DBS checks, restricted duties, and relevant safeguarding training for staff and crew.
- Ensure risk assessments are in place for casting and recce processes.
- Ensure shooting schedules comply with child performance legislation, crew working hours, cast welfare and health and safety requirements.
- Incorporate child licensing requirements into post-production planning, including ADR and VO sessions.
- Liaise with departments to ensure equipment, personnel, and facilities meet schedule requirements.
- Insurance: check drivers have the correct documentation, confirm that crew and suppliers have their own insurance when required, arrange any additional cover for hazardous working, and production insurance policies and completion financing to meet requirements where appropriate.
- Record potential location issues (climate, access, health and safety factors) and ensure facilities accommodate child cast (dressing rooms, toilets, breakout spaces).
- Negotiate and contract locations, securing all necessary clearances.
- Support the PC through the child performance licensing process, ensuring compliance with agreed data handling and welfare procedures.
- Align cast duty of care with company policies, anticipating access and welfare requirements.
- Organise duty of care, welfare, or safeguarding briefings for key personnel.
- Ensure psychological testing is completed where required, in line with duty of care policies.
- Complete all safeguarding checks and vetting, including DBS for on-screen talent.
- Arrange and issue contracts that meet legal, regulatory, and production requirements.
- Teams may decide to implement the principles of the Ofcom risk matrix into the casting strategy to determine a project’s level of risk and include steps that will be in place to mitigate potential risks to contributors before, during and after production.
- License child cast in line with child employment law; ensure working hours, breaks and tutor hours are monitored and recorded by chaperones and production coordinators.
- Ensure production staff have required safeguarding training.
- Verify necessary paperwork from talent and crew, including medical statements, signed contracts, self-declarations, and DBS checks.
- Create or approve appropriate risk assessment documents including that crew and suppliers are aware of the relevant health and safety requirements, are suitably qualified and certified.
- Confirm unit medics and medical support are in place as required.
- Ensure all content and activities comply with legal, safety, and regulatory requirements.
- Arrange insurance for cast, crew, and activities, including hazardous work and on-screen vehicles.
- Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information in line with organisational procedures.
- Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information and escalate breaches appropriately.
- Document that crew and suppliers are aware of relevant health and safety requirements and hold required qualifications/certifications.
- Create or approve risk assessments for all production activities in collaboration with editorial colleagues.
- Ensure public interactions with productions meet regulations.
- Store production materials securely in line with legislation and organisational procedures.
- Working closely with the line producer and producer, confirm talent, crew and supplier availability, recruiting those suitable for the production by negotiating within union and trade guidelines and budgets, running tenders where appropriate.
- Offer suitable contracts which meet legal requirements, and which include full and accurate details of suppliers’ contributions.
- Book chaperones, access coordinators, tutors, interpreters and consultants as needed, ensuring training is current.
- Establish communication systems which enable the efficient flow of information and monitor crew and supplier performance to ensure contractual obligations are met.
- Monitor crew and suppliers’ performance to ensure that contract terms are being fulfilled.
- Collaborate with ADs to plan daily shoots with contingencies and child working hours in mind and adjust as needed.
- Confirm travel and accommodation arrangements for non-local artists.
- Establish next-day requirements for costume, make-up, catering, and other departments, finalising call times with ADs.
- Collaborate with first AD to provide accurate call sheet information.
- Prepare and implement long-term scheduling plans, reviewing daily progress reports.
- Ensure revised scripts are updated and distributed to relevant personnel promptly.
- Ensure that expenditure details are recorded in an appropriate and compatible computer-based package as directed by production accountant colleagues.
- Authorise and monitor expenditure in line with production procedures ensuring all costs are accurately recorded in the designated tracker. Use robust methods such as purchase orders to track spending and maintain compliance with the approved budget.
- Record special or additional resources, losses, damages, and costs in daily reports.
- Anticipate areas of potential overspend from information provided in daily reports and liaise with line producer and producer to rebalance the budget if needed.
- Continue to evaluate projected costs to ensure they remain accurate.
- Brief production team members on expenditure control and monitoring procedures.
- Ensure cast, crew, and production team are paid accurately and on time.
- Coordinate with ADs to ensure call sheets and relevant paperwork are distributed on time.
- Ensure safe storage of materials, equipment, and supplies, including fragile, valuable, hazardous, or dangerous items, in line with legal requirements.
- Brief cast on codes of practice, health and safety, and studio/location requirements; ensure signage and access notices are clear.
- Monitor production targets, schedules, and deadlines; address urgent issues collaboratively.
- Monitor and track tutorage hours with the assistant directors.
- Control overtime in consultation with the line producer.
- Communicate health and safety procedures daily and distribute risk assessments.
- Maintain clear communication between all cast and crew and brief teams on next day’s requirements.
- Track progress against plans and schedules, compile daily reports, and alert the line producer to any issues affecting schedule or budget.
- Identify potential delays and plan contingencies; resolve disputes or communication issues promptly.
- Consult with relevant people and documents to identify the materials to be cleared, the context in which they are to be used, and the extent of their use. Verify that necessary permissions and clearances have been obtained.
- Liaise with relevant departments to ensure smooth post-production workflow and maintain frequent cross-department communication.
Skills
Check out the role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of scripted production manager in children's TV.
- Industry awareness: strong understanding of trends in content, industry standards and budgets across the children’s industry nationally and internationally.
- Compliance expertise: thorough knowledge of all relevant legislation on working with children on content for young audiences, including child licensing, health and safety standards, legal and safeguarding.
- Planning and workflow: skilled at developing compliant production workflows and schedules within children’s content production across pre-production, filming, and post-production to ensure delivery on time and within budget.
- IT skills and a familiarity with a range of software to build industry standard reporting and documentation.
- Financial management: competent in budget preparation, negotiation, cost tracking, and variance reporting, with a focus on efficiency and accountability.
- Communication: excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to adapt style for different audiences (crew, talent, parents/guardians, suppliers, broadcasters). Empathy with and relatability to young contributors.
- Collaboration: strong team player, able to build relationships with internal departments and external partners.
- Problem-solving: quick to identify issues, implement contingency plans, and resolve conflicts calmly and effectively.
- Leadership and management: ability to lead teams, delegate effectively, mentor junior staff, and inspire confidence across production.
- Technical awareness: familiarity with production technologies, equipment, and post-production processes to support practical decision-making.
- Deliver under pressure: respond quickly to the needs of the team and respond to urgent deadlines calmly and efficiently
- Management and leadership: lead an inclusive production team, upholding ethics and maintaining respect when dealing with others.
- Support, encourage and mentor junior members of the team.
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements and communicating department requirements to staff and colleagues.
- Team-working: collaboration within own and with other departments.
- Negotiation: agreeing cast, crew and logistics, costs and contract terms with staff and suppliers.
- Research and analytical: planning practical requirements against brief breakdown and production vision.
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving issues so that productions remain on schedule.
- Financial skills: provide effective financial control and management of budgets on productions.
- Resilient and enthusiastic: remains positive and adaptable in high-pressure environments, meeting deadlines despite challenges.
- Proactive: seeks out opportunities to improve processes, explores innovative ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the production.
- Flexible: open to changing priorities, responsive to evolving production needs, and adaptable in managing shifting demands.
- Productive: highly organised, with strong time-management skills to deliver results within tight deadlines.
- Driven: demonstrates initiative and energy, able to motivate teams and ensure tasks are completed under pressure.
- Ethical and inclusive: acts with honesty, integrity, and fairness; respects diversity and promotes inclusive working environments.
- Leadership: leads with diplomacy and respect, motivates and supports teams, challenges constructively, and resolves conflicts effectively.
- Attention to detail: maintains accuracy and thoroughness in managing paperwork, budgets, schedules, and compliance requirements.
- Calm under pressure: handles complex or urgent situations with composure and clarity.
- Interpersonal skills: builds trust and strong working relationships across teams, departments, and cast.