Welcome to Warner Bros. Discovery… the stuff dreams are made of.
Who We Are…
When we say, “the stuff dreams are made of,” we’re not just referring to the world of wizards, dragons and superheroes, or even to the wonders of Planet Earth. Behind WBD’s vast portfolio of iconic content and beloved brands, are the storytellers bringing our characters to life, the creators bringing them to your living rooms and the dreamers creating what’s next…
From brilliant creatives, to technology trailblazers, across the globe, WBD offers career defining opportunities, thoughtfully curated benefits, and the tools to explore and grow into your best selves. Here you are supported, here you are celebrated, here you can thrive.
Primary purpose of the job:
The Senior Producer, Local Production plays a senior creative and business role within Warner Bros. Japan, with responsibility for the development, production, and delivery of high-quality local-language feature films. The role oversees the full spectrum of film production activities—from early concept development through theatrical release and post-release exploitation—while managing creative, financial, and strategic relationships with internal and external stakeholders to achieve both artistic excellence and commercial success.
Key Responsibilities:
- Sourcing, originating, and developing original story concepts and identifying existing literary, theatrical, or other source materials suitable for adaptation into feature motion pictures.
- Reviewing, evaluating, and providing detailed creative feedback on scripts, treatments, novels, and other materials, and supervising writers engaged in the development of assigned projects.
- Actively engaging with writers, directors, producers, talent agency and talent throughout development and production, including leading and participating in formal pitch meetings for development, co-production, production, acquisition, and distribution opportunities.
- Providing creative input and guidance on projects in development, including story structure, thematic integrity, character development, tone, and dialogue, to maximize creative and commercial potential.
- Preparing, supervising, and presenting comprehensive creative and commercial packages for internal greenlight approval to senior management in the region, and Burbank, and responding to feedback as required.
- Developing, nurturing, and maintaining strategic relationships with producers, directors, actors, talent agencies, and other creative partners, as well as domestic and international consortia and co-production partners.
- Structuring and leading production consortia by identifying, engaging, and aligning external partners, financiers, and investors in order to establish sustainable and profitable financing, revenue, and cost structures.
- Supporting the acquisition, licensing, and optioning of intellectual property rights for further development and production, including evaluation of commercial and creative viability.
- Assisting in the preparation, review, and management of development, production, and distribution budgets, ensuring alignment with approved financial frameworks.
- Participating in the preparation of project ‘ultimates’ and financial reconciliations in coordination with the Local Production team and relevant internal stakeholders.
- Reviewing and advising on all aspects of the production process, including casting, production schedules, physical production planning, script revisions, post-production, visual effects, and talent-related matters.
- Monitoring production progress through the review of dailies, production reports, and cost reports, and proactively identifying and advising on schedule, budget, or quality risks.
- Providing support, as required, in the negotiation of agreements related to development, production, financing, and distribution, in collaboration with legal, finance, and business affairs teams.
- Collaborating with marketing and distribution teams to support release strategies, positioning, and promotional initiatives in Japan and, where applicable, international markets.
- Coordinating and overseeing the timely delivery of all technical, legal, advertising, publicity, laboratory, and contractual materials required for domestic and international distribution.
- Maintaining ongoing awareness of developments in the Japanese production and entertainment industries, including regulatory changes, public incentives, subsidies, and funding schemes, and advising on opportunities for company participation.
- Actively seeking and securing partners, co-producers, and investors for Warner Bros.–led projects.
- Addressing and resolving issues with external stakeholders, including talent representatives, theatrical and non-theatrical distributors, and consortium partners, to ensure smooth project execution.
- Providing other services related to the development, production, and distribution of projects as may be reasonably requested from time to time.
Job Related Qualification Standards:
Education: BA/BS degree or equivalent is required.
Languages: Fluent level of spoken / written English as well as in Japanese.
Work Experience: A minimum of 10 years of production experience and know-how in Japanese feature film production working ‘in-house’ for a distribution led co-production/financier.
Knowledge/Skills/ Character traits:
- Strong management skills and a proven ability to head up a business function.
- A range of contacts within the film production industry.
- Strong networking and influencing skills; confident and determined, yet diplomatic.
- Extremely intelligent with strong analytical skills and an ability to solve complex business problems
- Highly motivated and extremely energetic, with a drive and sense of urgency
- Generates respect, charismatic; a natural and motivational leader
- Results-driven– focused on meeting and exceeding key business goals.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills (articulate and persuasive, both orally and written) – able to win hearts and minds, effectively and tactfully
- International perspective and sensitive to cultural differences
- Ability to manage multiple tasks, establish priorities and liase with senior territory and home office organisations
- Team player with proven ability to attract, motivate, develop & retain quality staff
How We Get Things Done…
This last bit is probably the most important! Here at WBD, our guiding principles are the core values by which we operate and are central to how we get things done. You can find them at www.wbd.com/guiding-principles/ along with some insights from the team on what they mean and how they show up in their day to day. We hope they resonate with you and look forward to discussing them during your interview.
Championing Inclusion at WBD
Warner Bros. Discovery embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects a wide array of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit, regardless of sex, gender identity, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability or any other category protected by law.
If you’re a qualified candidate with a disability and you require adjustments or accommodations during the job application and/or recruitment process, please visit our accessibility page for instructions to submit your request.
