Senior Director of Unscripted Development

Job Title: Senior Director of Unscripted, Sixteenth Studios

Location: Los Angeles, CA or New York City, NY (Remote)

Start Date: ASAP

Sixteenth, part of Whalar Group, is building an unscripted capability at the intersection of the Creator Economy and television and streaming. We are focused on creating, selling, and scaling premium unscripted formats and docuseries, with an emphasis on building IP that lasts.

About the role:

As Senior Director of Unscripted Development, you will play a key role in expanding the Sixteenth Studios development slate, working closely with the Head of Unscripted to develop, package, and sell premium unscripted formats and docuseries across television and streaming.

This is a hands-on development role for someone who knows how to find a great idea, make it better, package it correctly, and get buyers excited about it. You will develop projects from the earliest spark through pitch and sale, working directly with Creators, traditional talent, producers, agents, and buyers.

A major focus of the role will be identifying opportunities within the Creator Economy and translating them into television. That could mean building a format around an existing Creator, developing an original concept and finding the right talent for it, or recognizing that something already happening online has the potential to become a premium series or franchise.

Here’s what you’ll do day to day: 

• Develop original unscripted formats and docuseries across television and streaming.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of projects at various stages of development.
• Generate original concepts and identify existing ideas, talent, and trends with television potential.
• Work directly with Creators and traditional talent to develop projects around their worlds, expertise, audiences, and points of view.
• Translate Creator-led ideas into scalable formats, franchises, and repeatable series.
• Develop projects from initial concept through pitch, packaging, sale, and handoff into production.
• Write and oversee development materials including treatments, decks, format documents, sizzles, casting tapes, and presentations.
• Lead development shoots, casting efforts, pilots, and presentations as needed.
• Identify and package projects with the right talent, producers, showrunners, directors, and production partners.
• Pitch projects to networks, streamers, and other buyers.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with buyers, agents, managers, talent, producers, and production partners.
• Track the marketplace and identify emerging trends, whitespace, and opportunities across both unscripted television and the Creator Economy.
• Work closely with the Head of Unscripted to continually evaluate, prioritize, and expand the Sixteenth Studios slate.
• Partner with teams across Sixteenth and Whalar Group, including Talent Management, Marketing, PR, Social, and Business and Legal Affairs.

Here's what we're looking for:

• 7+ years of experience in unscripted television development, ideally across formats, reality, competition, lifestyle, documentary, or talent-led programming.
• Proven experience developing unscripted projects that have sold and/or made it to air.
• Strong relationships with networks, streamers, production companies, agents, and buyers.
• Demonstrated ability to take projects from an early idea through a compelling, market-ready pitch.
• Excellent creative instincts and a strong understanding of what makes an idea feel fresh, sellable, and scalable.
• Strong writing and storytelling skills with the ability to turn rough ideas into clear, compelling development materials.
• Experience working directly with talent and developing projects around distinctive personalities and points of view.
• Deep understanding of unscripted formats, franchises, and the current television marketplace.
• Ability to manage and drive multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-moving development environment.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort building within a growing studio.
• Genuine understanding of and interest in the Creator Economy and how digital talent and audiences can translate to television and streaming.

The salary range for this role is $130,000 - $150,000 and serves as a general guideline reflecting the potential compensation for the role. The final salary offer will be determined based on a comprehensive evaluation of factors such as the candidate's experience, expertise, alignment with the position's requirements, and, ultimately budget approvals. 

Our values:

At Whalar, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) isn't just a statement, it's our collective strength. Our people are our superpower. A diverse team and inclusive leadership have shaped Whalar since our inception in 2016, fueling a constant evolution of growth. We champion a culture of respect and empathy, fostering a sense of belonging that transcends demographics. We hire individuals of all backgrounds and empower them to thrive, challenge stereotypes, and actively break societal barriers. 

The perks:

Whalar Group provides flexible benefits and collaborative work environments and experiences so employees can work productively in a setting that best and uniquely suits their needs.

• Medical, dental, and vision
• 25 days of PTO + sick days + winter break
• 401k: up to 4% matching
• Monthly phone/internet reimbursement
• Yearly professional development stipend
• New joiner home office allowance 
• Fertility benefits
• Paid parental leave
• Volunteer days
• Identity theft protection and legal assistance
• Company-paid life and disability insurance
• Extra voluntary life insurance policy
• Voluntary hospital and critical illness insurance
• Voluntary pet insurance
• Employee resource groups

Whalar Group provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Equal opportunity extends to all aspects of the employment relationship, including hiring, promotions, training, working conditions, compensation, and benefits.