School of Media Studies

Job Opportunity: Filmmaker Engagement Manager, Chicken & Egg Pictures

Chicken & Egg Pictures – Filmmaker Engagement Manager

Chicken & Egg Pictures is seeking a Filmmaker Engagement Manager to join our program team to manage a series of programs geared towards building community and connecting nonfiction filmmakers to industry leaders, supporters, opportunities, and resources.

As part of a collaborative and ambitious organization, this is an opportunity to contribute to the continued development of Chicken & Egg Pictures. In recruiting for this newly created position, we’re seeking a colleague who has many of the following skillsets and knowledge, and who is also flexible and will complement and grow with our team. The ideal candidate loves developing new ideas to build bridges and partnerships within the nonfiction ecosystem and has a talent for turning those ideas into actions that will advance the organization, the filmmakers, as well as the field at large. The year 2021 will be an exciting one at Chicken & Egg Pictures when we will be dreaming big to develop our 2022–2024 Strategic Plan.

We are proud of our positive team culture, where we enjoy learning from and with one another. Come join a creative team that is truly passionate about advancing our mission of supporting a global community of women and gender-nonconforming filmmakers.

What You’ll Do

This is a mid-level managerial position that reports to the Program Director and works closely with every member of the team, as well as supporters and partners.

As the main person managing a series of programs geared towards building community and connecting filmmakers with the documentary industry and funders, your responsibilities will include:

• Opening doors to supported filmmakers and increasing their access to resources and opportunities by connecting them with potential funders, partners, and networks. This includes managing and producing NEXT GEN EGG, our annual event that brings together filmmakers with donors and industry representatives; and The Coop, a curated donor film circle aimed to connect our supported filmmakers to new potential funders.
• Fostering a strong alumni community by developing and managing our AlumNest program to engage our 325+ supported filmmakers. This includes community-building activities and learning opportunities such as webinars, workshops, screenings, and peer-to-peer mentorship, as well as strengthening its online community platform.
• Continuing to develop Docs by the Dozen, our shorts, and series program. This includes overseeing and managing the selection process and coordinating with partners and filmmakers on deliverables and deadlines. 
• Developing a strategy for filmmaker-focused public programming, such as webinars, online resources, and workshops, to nurture a broader network beyond our AlumNest.
• Representing Chicken & Egg Pictures at film markets and forums, and initiating and building industry relationships and collaboration.
• Developing and managing budgets, timelines, and logistics for projects and programs in your purview.
• Other projects and tasks, as assigned. This may include providing feedback on film cuts and participating in film and filmmaker selection processes for other programs.

Who You Are

You bring the following knowledge and experience:

1. Film and Media Industry: You have experience building fruitful relationships and partnerships in the nonfiction film and media field, in the US and/or internationally.
2. Film Funding: You are knowledgeable about the current film funding landscape for documentary film and nonfiction media.
3. Event Management: You have experience organizing events, workshops, and/or webinars.
4. Artistic Sensibility: You have developed a keen eye for reviewing, selecting, and providing feedback on a range of film and media projects.
5. Production and Distribution: You have experience with the production and distribution of nonfiction films including features, and/or short films and/or series, as a filmmaker or working with entities that support filmmakers on these stages of the filmmaking process.

To be successful in this position, you excel in the following professional areas:

1. Project Management Skills: You are adept at initiating and managing multiple, complex projects that require ingenuity, accuracy, and follow-through. Whether you are organizing a filmmaker event or developing a selection process (or both at the same time), your approach to the work is methodical, creative, and enthusiastic.
2. Communication and Interpersonal Skills: You consider relationship building and networking with a diverse range of people to be one of your strongest talents. With a friendly and considerate approach, you know how to read a room and can sense and respond to the energy of others. Whether you are writing an email to a donor or meeting with a filmmaker, your representation of the organization is compelling, accurate, and tailored. You are also adept at public speaking, including on panels and in front of audiences of industry, donors or filmmakers.
3. Work Habits and Approach: You have excellent judgement, resourcefulness, and problem-solving skills. When faced with an unfamiliar task, you find the quickest and best way to learn how to approach it; and when faced with a routine task, you find new ways to push yourself further and grow from it. You bring your strong work ethic and creative problem solving disposition to every project. A sense of humor, initiative, and flexibility are among the traits you bring to the table as a collaborative team member. You are curious, a life-long learner, and you value a diversity of thought, background, and perspective.
4. Systems and Technology Proficiency: You are tech savvy and quickly learn new tools and platforms. You delight in developing new ways to work more efficiently. It is a plus if you have regularly used a wide range of platforms, software, and apps that may include but are not limited to G Suite, Salesforce, Excel, Adobe Creative Cloud. You may not have experience in using all of these, but you are confident in your ability to learn them well.
5. Organizational Mission and Values Alignment: You too envision an inclusive media industry in which women and gender nonconforming filmmakers, representing a range of experiences and backgrounds, are fully supported to realize their artistic goals and build fulfilling careers in the documentary film industry. You are determined to do so by supporting filmmakers from diverse communities; creating inclusive spaces where all supported filmmakers can thrive; by developing equitable programs and selection processes; and by building strong relationships in the field across lines of identity and power.

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