Production Associate Director
Amazon
Production Associate Director
Amazon
Sells products online and rents cloud computing
At Audible, we believe stories have the power to transform lives. It’s why we work with some of the world’s leading creators to produce and share audio storytelling with our millions of global listeners. We are dreamers and inventors who come from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences to empower and inspire each other. Imagine your future with us.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Production Associate Director leads the end-to-end production lifecycle of audiobooks, audio content, and Audible Originals for the Japan market—from planning through recording, post-production, quality assurance, and final delivery.
You will own the production strategy for the Japan team, optimizing quality standards, budgets, and schedules across the entire portfolio. You will develop and mentor team members to elevate overall performance and capabilities.
You will collaborate with internal teams (Content, Content Operations, Business Affairs, Legal, Finance, Marketing, Metadata) and external partners (studios, narrators, directors, authors, publishers) to drive production. You will proactively leverage AI technologies, production management systems, and workflow automation to streamline operations.
This role is based in our Tokyo office and requires regular in-office presence.
ABOUT YOU
You are a seasoned production leader who thrives at the intersection of audio storytelling and operational strategy. You bring deep experience managing complex production portfolios across multiple stages—from pre-production through final delivery—and you are energized by the challenge of optimizing workflows at scale.
You are comfortable working across cultures and time zones, and you communicate effectively in both Japanese and English. You are curious about AI and digital tools and see them as a way to unlock new efficiencies for your team. You care about developing the people around you and building sustainable, scalable processes.
As a Production Associate Director you will...
- Develop and execute the Japan production strategy—annual plans, capacity planning, partner strategy, and cost optimization—aligned with senior leadership; manage production budgets, purchase orders, cost projections, and variances in coordination with Finance and Content Operations
- Manage team goal-setting, performance, career development, and mentoring to build team capabilities
- Define and monitor production KPIs (quality, cost, lead time, throughput) and implement data-driven improvements
- Lead cross-functional collaboration with Content Acquisition, Marketing, and Product teams on production prioritization and resource allocation
- Partner with the global Production organization to share best practices and localize global tools and processes for Japan
- Oversee production plans, schedules, budgets, and quality standards across the portfolio, managing all stages from recording through editing, mixing, mastering, QA, and delivery; directly manage high-complexity or high-priority titles
- Develop long-term partnership strategies with external studios, narrators, and creators; lead new partner identification and evaluation
- Identify portfolio-wide risks, delays, and capacity constraints; develop contingency plans and risk management frameworks; report production status, milestones, and risks to stakeholders including senior leadership through regular reviews and escalation processes
- Support Content Operations on contracts, rights, vendor registration, metadata, and distribution readiness
- Identify bottlenecks and person-dependent processes; lead scalable improvements with quantifiable outcomes
- Leverage AI and digital tools (generative AI, audio analysis, transcription, automation platforms) to optimize production workflows; develop the team’s AI adoption roadmap and digital literacy
- Ensure compliance with copyright, data protection, information security, and internal policies when using AI and digital tools
ABOUT AUDIBLE
Audible is the leading producer and provider of audio storytelling. We spark listeners’ imaginations, offering immersive, cinematic experiences full of inspiration and insight to enrich our customers daily lives. We are a global company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are dreamers and inventors who are passionate about the positive impact Audible can make for our customers and our neighbors. This spirit courses throughout Audible, supporting a culture of creativity and inclusion built on our People Principles and our mission to build more equitable communities in the cities we call home.
- Experience in team management and building (including coaching and mentoring)
- 8+ years of experience in audiobook production, audio content, publishing, broadcasting, film/video, or a related industry
- Experience with full production lifecycle management from planning and pre-production through recording, post-production, QA, and delivery across multiple titles, with experience overseeing a production portfolio or leading a production team
- Project management skills managing multiple titles, studios, talent, and deadlines in parallel, including workload allocation and priority-setting for team members
- Experience with stakeholder management including coordination, negotiation, and reporting to senior leadership to support decision-making
- Experience developing production strategies, capacity plans, and cost optimization initiatives
- Data-driven approach to managing budgets, schedules, quality, and risks, with proficiency in production management tools, spreadsheets, and dashboards
- Experience leveraging AI technologies including generative AI and digital tools to automate and improve workflows, with experience driving team adoption
- Professional proficiency in Japanese with English communication ability for collaboration with global teams
- Knowledge of and commitment to copyright, data protection, and information security compliance
- Experience producing audiobooks, podcasts, audio dramas, or Audible Originals
- Experience in direction, editing, or quality management for Japanese-language audio content
- Working experience with publishers, talent agencies, or recording studios
- Experience implementing AI-powered tools such as transcription, audio analysis, and QA automation into production workflows
- P&L management or production cost optimization project experience
- Experience leading large-scale production workflow transformation or system implementation projects
- Experience in content production at Amazon or a similar technology company
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
Amazon runs the largest online store in the United States and rents cloud computing to businesses and governments through Amazon Web Services. AWS pioneered renting computing power over the internet, and Amazon built its own delivery network to get orders to customers quickly. Shoppers buy from Amazon and from independent sellers on its store, and Prime members pay a subscription for fast free shipping, streaming video and music, and other perks. AWS rents out computing power, storage, databases, and AI tools so companies can run software without owning servers, and Amazon also makes Kindle e-readers and Echo speakers with the Alexa assistant. Jeff Bezos founded Amazon in 1994, and it is based in Seattle, Washington.
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