Production Manager

Job Details

• Start Date: Mon 4th Jan 2027 – 25th June 2027
• Contract Type: Freelance (PAYE)
• Base: Bristol, with weeks on location in Central London
• Shoot Week: 10th May – 22nd May (including rig + rehearsals)
• Interviews: 16th/17th/18th December 2026
• Status: SUBJECT TO GREENLIGHT

Company Overview

BBC Studios Natural History Unit is home to some of the UK’s most-loved and award winning series, including Countryfile, Gardeners’ World, and Blue Planet 3.

We are now seeking an experienced Production Manager to join the team delivering Chelsea Flower Show 2027 — one of the BBC’s flagship programmes and a highlight of the broadcasting calendar.

This role works closely with the Series Editor to lead a large, on site team and oversee the delivery of 14 hours of live and pre recorded programming across an intensive week of coverage.

We are looking for a candidate who is a strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills, proven problem solving abilities, and a positive, can do attitude. Successful candidates will be managing different elements of the production at once so will require strong multi‑tasking skills, proactive thinking, and strong attention to detail. A genuine passion for the horticultural world is also highly valued. This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in producing one of the BBC’s most prestigious and well loved live events.

Main Responsibilities

The Production Manager will be responsible for all aspects of production management, including:

• End to end planning and scheduling.
• Budget oversight, management, reporting, and forecasting for the production.
• Staffing and resource management.
• Overseeing the planning, scheduling, and delivery of all pre shot VTs, working closely with editorial teams to manage shoots, workflows, edits, and final post production delivery.
• Coordinating the complex logistical operation of the week long live OB at the Royal Hospital, Chelsea.
• Ensuring compliant, safe, and smooth operational delivery throughout.
• Responsibility for scheduling, budgeting and managing the production from pre-production through to delivery.
• Effectively leading a large team in a deadline driven environment, which includes Production Coordinators (PCs), Production Management Assistants (PMAs), and Runners.
• Ensuring the smooth running of location shoots involving members of the public.
• Providing timely and accurate comms to the large production team of on-screen talent and craft freelancers.
• Having a firm understanding of health and safety needs at large public-facing events.
• Negotiating effectively with suppliers to secure the highest quality services and best value for the BBC.
• Maintaining strong, collaborative working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders across the production.
• Being an effective communicator, including experience dealing with high-profile talent, and liaising regarding scheduling commitments and logistics.
• Understanding BBC Compliance procedures, adhering to Editorial Guidelines, and completing I&RP Ofcom Compliance forms.
• Ensuring compliance with GDPR and BBC data protection policies.
• Championing environmentally responsible practices and ensuring compliance with Albert certification.
• Assisting in ensuring compliance with BBC policies, guidelines, legislative, and regulatory requirements, in order to minimise the BBC’s exposure to risk.

Candidate Requirements

• A Production Manager with at least 2 years of experience, with credits on Live OB programming.
• Proven experience in the day to day management and support of production staff.
• Strong track record in delivering fast turnaround programming within tight deadlines.
• Excellent working relationships with suppliers in the outside broadcast market and wider industry.
• Strong financial skills and experience managing, reporting, and forecasting large budgets.
• A solid understanding of health and safety procedures — including the creation and management of risk assessments — and a good working knowledge of relevant H&S legislation.
• Strong multi-tasking skills, proactive thinking, and strong attention to detail.
• A genuine passion for the horticultural world.

Diversity and Equal Opportunities

BBC Studios is committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce, and we strongly encourage applicants from under-represented backgrounds to apply. BBC Studios has indicated that people from lower socio-economic backgrounds are underrepresented in their organisations so they welcome especially applications from this group.

BBC Studios may use the Equal Merit provision when recruiting for this vacancy only. This means that if we consider two or more candidates to be of equal merit, priority may be given to a candidate for the purpose of increasing diversity, specifically with respect to protected characteristics of Ethnicity, Disability, and Gender. We will use the provision based on data declared by candidates.