Senior Director, Unscripted
LA or NYC · Los Angeles · New York · USD 130,000-150,000 · 7+ years experience · Remote · Posted Oct 6, 2026
At a glance
- Experience
- 7+ years experience
- Workplace
- Remote
- Location
- LA or NYC · Los Angeles · New York
- Salary
- USD 130,000-150,000
About the role
- The Senior Director of Unscripted will play a key role in expanding the Sixteenth Studios development slate by creating, packaging, and selling premium unscripted formats and docuseries.
- This role focuses on identifying opportunities within the Creator Economy and translating them into scalable television and streaming content.
Responsibilities
- 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 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.
Requirements
- 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.
Benefits
- 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
Workplace
- Location: Los Angeles, CA or New York City, NY (Remote)
Skills
- Unscripted Television Development
- Storytelling
- Casting
