Production Project Manager

Description

Request for Production Project Management Proposal

About Us

RavenSpace comprises a unique platform, suite of services, and team of passionate collaborators to publish digital resources that give creators and audiences around the world an opportunity to share, learn, explore, and grow. Launched at UBC Press, RavenSpace publishes Indigenous community-driven, peer-reviewed, multimedia publications. It seeks to expand its offerings through blended programming and to tailor resources to serve educational, cultural, and research purposes.

About the Role

We seek proposals from experienced and enthusiastic consultants to manage the production of three RavenSpace publication projects and ensure that high-quality, audience-appropriate publications are produced within scope and budget.

The contractor will work closely with the RavenSpace Digital Developmental Editor in a small, cross-functional team, on all aspects of publication production, from proposal and materials submission through to final publication; they will communicate and coordinate with authors and their collaborators and with freelancers. They will demonstrate flexibility and creativity in planning and design that support Indigenous methodologies and augment audience/end-user experiences. The contractor will share our commitment to relationships of trust and reciprocity and endeavour to communicate with authors and collaborators in respectful and diplomatic ways.

Key Responsibilities

• Production leadership: Maintain a high-level view of the production goals, RavenSpace workflow, publication processes, and standards. Establish publication plans, working closely with the Digital Developmental Editor. Liaise with co-authoring teams to communicate expectations, resources available, and requirements, and to understand co-authoring teams’ contexts and expectations. Coordinate and oversee the work of freelancers/vendors.
• Production management: Take charge of planning, managing, and ensuring the successful publication of three RavenSpace publications. Tailor and drive production schedules to ensure that publication projects advance to completion within established timeframes and scopes of work. Generate momentum and identify and creatively solve blockages to ensure projects progress forward to publication.
• Budgets and briefs: Tailor and monitor publication production budgets, obtaining estimates from appropriate vendors/freelancers and ensuring adherence to projects scope and specifications. Seek out, identify, and contact freelancers/vendors for digital production. Create briefs and work assignments for web designers, audio-visual editors, proofreaders, and other technical media production freelancers.
• Guidelines and documentation: Build on the existing RavenSpace Workflow suite of author guidelines and documentation (templates, forms, tutorial videos, etc.) to refine and expand this set of editorial and production tools, in collaboration with the Digital Developmental Editor.
• Product consultation: Contribute to product development by providing production assessments and concepts for proposed value-added components or blended (print and digital) solutions. Examples: Design plan an educational component (e.g., presentation and organization of content, instructor or learning guide, video tutorials), assisting authors to define the learning objectives while respecting Indigenous pedagogies and “ways of knowing”. Scope out proposed ancillary materials that will expand audience reach.

Skills and Experience

• Broad experience with production processes, in instructional design, educational or digital publishing, web design, or film, video, and digital arts
• Strong organizations skills and proven experience in project management and use of project management tools
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills; ability to lead and work with diverse groups and communicate with individuals from different areas of expertise – authors, creative professionals, and the in-house team – and to communicate in clear and diplomatic ways that encourage co-operation toward publishing objectives
• Experience preparing and managing production budgets
• Familiarity with Indigenous ways of knowing and/or experience working with Indigenous authors/creators and projects
• Familiarity with digital technologies
• Editing or content development skills (substantive editing, storyboarding, web content development) is an asset
• Strong decision-making skills and ability to make compromises with sound judgment
• Energetic, with proven ability to put ideas into action
• Ability to understand the needs and priorities of very specific creator groups and audiences

Conditions and Preliminary Timeline

Self-employment with business and/or GST number

Project-based contract (estimated 48-60 hour/month for 18 months)

Occasional travel

Fee/Rate: We will set a project budget for this contract.

Start date: January 2024

End date: June 2025

How to Apply

Please send your CV and proposal with the following elements:

• Your interest and qualifications for the role (please mention your experience relevant to the role)
• Your project management approach
• Your estimated fee/budget

All proposals should be sent to cullen@ubcpress.ca by December 1st, 2023. Applications should be submitted with the subject line “Proposal, Project Management – [your name]”. Email us if you have any questions. 

Access supports will be made available to applicants with disabilities in the recruitment process.