Director, Research Strategy & Analysis: Drama_

Culver City

Sony Pictures Television is looking for a strong leader to join our team as Director, Research Strategy & Analysis, supporting the Drama genre. The world’s largest independent studio, Sony Pictures Television, produces original content for linear networks and digital platforms. Our series – from dramas like THE NIGHT AGENT, THE LAST OF US, and THE BOYS, to comedies like TWISTED METAL and COBRA KAI, to unscripted series like JEOPARDY!, WHEEL OF FORTUNE, and AMERICAN IDOL – are beloved by our fans and customers worldwide.

We are looking for an expert strategic research & data Insights leader to support SPT’s Superhero, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Crime Procedural subgenres in addition to Corp Development & SPT Finance teams. Using secondary & syndicated data analysis, data science & business intelligence, primary research, content analysis, ratings & consumption data analysis and social listening, the Director will serve as the point person for key SPT series throughout their lifecycles – including trend identification, landscape opportunity analysis, concept and pilot testing, content positioning, content promotion & launch / post launch analyses – playing a meaningful and visible role in guiding content creation, optimizing audience engagement, and making our content the best it can be. The Director, Research Strategy & Analysis is a leadership role reporting to the VP Research, Strategy & Analysis.

Responsibilities:

Series Research

The Director will be the Research lead for SPT Superhero, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Crime Procedural series. This leader will have a keen understanding of genre trends and opportunities – conducting qualitative and quantitative primary research studies and tracking series’ performance to optimize departmental development slates, understand landscape genre trends, uncover audiences’ views on pilots, and to improve the sellability, marketing, and performance of pitches and current series.

+ Must have a holistic experience with various ways to use insight / data tools to answer key business questions – from primary research, to viewing / consumption data analysis, to social analytics, to data analytics solutions

+ Leverage studio wide tools and data sources to deeply understand content performance, content trends and audience engagement

+ Analyze the TV landscape, genre trajectories & audience areas of growth / opportunity for development & production – using Nielsen, Ampere and other similar consumption data

+ Analyze adaptation potential of existing IP by looking into audience segments, key themes, and success factors

+ Utilize social media listening to understand audiences’ needs and test hypotheses about content, including development & marketing opportunities

+ Utilize syndicated consumer & audience insight tools to answer content, development & landscape questions

+ Design primary research studies to test concepts, pilots, and series end to end – both qualitative & quantitative

+ Create innovative primary research techniques and source new techniques & methodologies from vendors

+ Act as a thought partner internally with executives and with external research vendors in managing and coordinating projects

+ Collaborate with research partners across Sony Pictures Entertainment and contribute to cross-functional teams with multiple stakeholders

+ Strong presentation skills, able to tell data narratives that are strategic, succint & visual, with a clear POV, to increase engagement & adoption of insights & data across the business

Thought Leadership & Strategy

We are looking for leader with a deep understanding of the entertainment competitive landscape, market trends, our buyers and network partners. The Director will use data and insights to guide decision making with business leaders to improve our market position and drive growth.

+ Partner with Finance and Corporate development teams on analyses to support of strategic initiatives, including acquisitions, partnerships, whitespace analysis, forecasting, and financial modeling

+ Drive thought leadership across SPT, producing publications/whitepapers to provide internal stakeholders and talent with impactful insights

+ Maintain a deep understanding of SPT Buyer and Network Partners (commissioning forecasts, market-wide genre trends, network audience segments, unique challenges/opportunities)

+ Develop strategic insights about our buyer strategies and trends and communicate those to creative teams and to senior leaders

Team Leadership & Development

We are looking for a leader who is passionate about helping teams develop & grow their skillsets

+ Manage a team of analysts/managers and helping them master holistic methodologies & tools (primary research, syndicated data analysis, viewing e.g. Nielsen/Ampere, and social tools)

+ Guide strategic narrative building versus data provision

+ Empower & create visibility the team

+ Open and collaborative approach in partnering with internal data & insight teams throughout Sony

Qualifications:

+ 7+ years of experience leveraging quantitative and qualitative research (Media preferred)

+ 7+ years of experience in media consumption analysis (Nielsen and other similar consumption data sets)

+ Experience commissioning, designing, and managing multi-market qualitative and quantitative research projects

+ Experience with syndicated consumer, trend & audience data tools and sets

+ Strong instinct for strategic data storytelling & narratives

+ Expert understanding of TV landscape, including linear networks, digital platforms, streaming platforms and emerging media platforms

+ Deep understanding of TV production business, including the major milestones from creative strategy to series delivery preferred

+ Expertise in digital (AVOD, VOD, SVOD etc.) viewership measurement

+ Passion for film and television!

+ Executive presence

+ Strategic mindset

+ Voice of the consumer – used to speaking up & advocating for the consumer / audience

+ Collaborative and transparent team-builder with experience working in a matrixed, multicultural, and international organization

+ Exceptionally strong visual and verbal presentation skills and experience leading and delivering insight at an executive level

+ Lifetime learner with a strategic mindset and focus on innovation and continuous improvement

Sony Pictures Entertainment is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or other protected characteristics. To request an accommodation for purposes of participating in the hiring process, you may contact us at [email protected].