Purpose of Job:

As Head of Production, you will be responsible for owning the management and leadership of the SIDE Montreal Production team responsible for the smooth running of game audio productions, including English and French dialogue, music, sound design and integration services for digital media, working with a multitude of clients from around the world.

You will be responsible for transparent decision making, training and proactive client relations; while ensuring the team complete projects in a timely manner, to a very high standard, while keeping to the client’s budget. You will coordinate with the Sales, Finance, HR, Facilities, IT, Legal, Marketing, Management and other teams, as well as with company executives. You will be a proactive, solution-oriented problem solver, with great customer service skills.

You will also lead the training and development of new and existing team members; conduct, as required, 1:1 meetings with members of the Production team and lead team meetings; drive and support new initiatives brought in and be a motivational role model.

Duties and Key Responsibilities

• Show leadership to the Production team as a Head of Department

• Lead Weekly Production Leadership Meeting

• Attend, lead and contribute to other Production-related meetings, including internal calls & meetings between Side Audio and other service lines, as required.

• Contribute Support Sales efforts, including attending client meetings, quote & assist on others' quotes, advise Sales for quoting, support copywriting & design for large Sales pitches, as required

• Take line manager responsibility for Production team members, including conducting monthly 1:1 meetings, setting KPIs, and mentoring their development; attend meetings with junior members of the team, as required.

• Leading, coaching, and developing the Production team to ensure effective and efficient output.

• Initiate and implement best practices and process improvements to enhance to efficiency of the production process.

• Support Production training of newcomers in other departments such as FOH, Audio, Marketing, and other global SIDE/PTW teams

• Identify Recruitment needs and management of resource planning,

• Champion a safe, comfortable, fun and productive work environment for Side staff, freelancers, clients, actors and musicians.

• Approachable and engaging, adapting management styles across varying personalities of team, as required.

• Track and monitor cost and other important metrics, ensuring projects are within budget and highlighting concerns to senior management,

• Collaborate closely with the head of departments & other senior management to ensure smooth running of projects, team relationships, improved processes and able to solve challenges with a positive approach.

• Collaborate effectively and efficiently between Side teams organising projects to be delivered on time and within budget.

• Evaluating and assessing any potential risks alongside the production team to feedback to Senior management.

• Ensures necessary steps are taken to resolve issues that may impede progress or compromise the project’s objectives.

• Responsible for developing and implementing a clear vision, strategy and objectives to drive the growth and success of Side’s productions.

• Responsible for HR-related issues for Production team including but not limited to overtime, holiday requests, sick days, work-place stressors; and compassionately responding to other external factors that may affect them.

• Advocating for team to senior management.

• Stay up to date with industry trends, best practices and emerging technologies to drive continuous improvement in production methodologies.

Other

• Help to support the running of the facilities and encourage others to do the same – ensuring a welcoming, productive and presentable work environment for staff and clients

• Promote the Safety and Comfort of colleagues, freelancers, talent, clients and vendors

• General business adhoc responsibilities

• Adhere to company Security, Confidentiality and Health and Safety procedures and ensure the compliance of the team

• Adhere to the company IT and HR procedures and ensure the compliance of the team

• Understand ethical behaviour and business practices, and ensure that own behaviour and the behaviour of others is consistent with these standards and aligns with the values of the organisation

Knowledge, Experience and Skills

• In depth knowledge of audio production processes – potentially with experience in broadcast, commercial or Postproduction, or at a developer or creative agency;

• Solid knowledge of project management – process oriented but can easily adapt to a growing company with evolving processes

• Capability to work independently as well as part of a team, be responsible and take ownership of the work delivered

• Strong capability to mentor and supports a team and oversee outputs across the team, while still ensuring the team can work independently

• The ability to manage multiple deadlines, multiple accounts, multiple stakeholders and prioritise work accordingly

• Excellent verbal and written communication, and client-relationship management skills

• Experienced knowledge and user of Microsoft Office tools

Traits for the role

A strategist: Careful planner who is driven to produce results. An effective leader who can balance and prioritise short-term solutions with the long-term vision and goals, responsible for both the long term commercial and critical success of SIDE.

A tactical delegator: knows how to get things done by using tailored and proven management skills and clinical handling of constantly evolving development to allow your team to execute on the goals of the team.

Aspirational leader: helps others to empower themselves by fostering an environment of collaboration, accountability, creativity, constructive criticism, recognition and appreciation; communicate daily with the team to update them on issues, achievements, priorities and goals, and lead from the front.

A solution designer: able to assess performance of our teams on a regular basis, tailoring solutions to meet each business need and constantly making the production process better to meet client requirements and foster a smoother pipeline internally.

A cool, passionate head: good leadership is based on clear and aligned communication and trust. An ambitious leader that constantly maintains a high standard of openness and confidence with every team member and expect the same high level of passion and patience from your team as you do yourself.

Additional Information

Side is a global video game development and services provider, offering technical and creative solutions to many of the largest developers and studios around the world. Founded in 2009 and drawing on 30+ years' experience from our parent company in Japan, Side has since grown to become a global force with 15+ studios in over a dozen countries across North America, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Our industry-leading services include game development, art production, audio production, quality assurance, localization, localization QA, player support, community management, and datasets.

Help us bring stories to the world! Join a global team of passionate gamers and contribute to delivering unforgettable game experiences.