Team Leader & Media Planner (FTC)

Company Description
We create world-class content, which we distribute across our portfolio of film, television, and streaming, and bring to life through our theme parks and consumer experiences. We own and operate leading entertainment and news brands, including NBC, NBC News, MSNBC, CNBC, NBC Sports, Telemundo, NBC Local Stations, Bravo, USA Network, and Peacock, our premium ad-supported streaming service. We produce and distribute premier filmed entertainment and programming through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Universal Studio Group, and have world-renowned theme parks and attractions through Universal Destinations & Experiences. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.
Comcast NBCUniversal has announced its intent to create a new publicly traded company ('SpinCo') comprised of most of NBCUniversal's cable television networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel along with complementary digital assets Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, GolfPass, and SportsEngine. The well-capitalized company will have significant scale as a pure-play set of assets anchored by leading news, sports and entertainment content. The spin-off is expected to be completed during 2025.
As a company uniquely positioned to educate, entertain and empower through our platforms, Comcast NBCUniversal stands for including everyone. Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, coupled with our Corporate Social Responsibility work, is informed by our employees, audiences, park guests and the communities in which we live. We strive to foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture where our employees feel supported, embraced and heard. Together, we'll continue to create and deliver content that reflects the current and ever-changing face of the world.
Job Description
The Team Leader & Media Planner will oversee the end-to-end media planning and scheduling process for their allocated feeds.
The Media Planner will be responsible for creating and maintaining media plans and audience navigation plans across the designated feeds, campaign entry and generating production make-lists. They will work with a promo slotting tool to auto-schedule promo campaigns and oversee the auto-generation of dynamic secondary events.
The Team Leader will supervise the workload and performance of a team of Schedulers. They will deliver accurate playlists for their assigned feeds to our Playout centres, always to tight broadcast deadlines. They will set clear objectives, demonstrate appropriate behaviours, and ensure that a high standard of work is always maintained by their team members. Maintaining constructive working relationships with Programming, Marketing and Creative Services is essential for the success of this role.
The Team Leader & Media Planner will report to the Director of Presentation Services, with a dotted line to the Head of Media Planning EMEA, providing both with regular updates and prompt escalations as required.
Key Responsibilities
Media Planner

• Create and maintain accurate media plans for each channel, working to the promo strategy for EMEA Networks and to the creative resource available.
• Present plans in monthly Campaign Planning meetings to key stakeholders and departments, including Creative, Production, Programming and Marketing.
• Optimise schedules using a promo slotting system (Inventory2), ensuring that all campaigns have been slotted correctly and the schedule is editorially sound.
• Proactively troubleshoot any issues with the promo slotter.
• Monthly campaign entry into our Lacuna in-house media operations workflow and data management system.
• Generate monthly make-lists per channel for Production and update with any changes in line with specific production deadlines.
• Liaise with Production Coordinators and creatives regarding promo planning and execution, including fortnightly Executional Meetings to review delivery deadlines and flag potential issues.
• Create and maintain accurate audience navigation strategy, using an automated solution to schedule ZIPs (aka IPPs), BUGs (aka DOGs), end-credit squeezes and menus with the aim of retaining viewers across our regional portfolio.
• Create accurate continuity plans with the aim of retaining our viewers via strategically placed voice overs.
• Ensure that multi-language programme titles are updated in line with broadcast and production deadlines.
• Work closely with Schedulers to ensure the strategy is understood and executed in line with expectations, including fortnightly review meetings.
• Attend weekly meetings with inhouse media prep facility to confirm status of content readiness, including dubbing and subtitling.
• Build strong working relationships with teams based in multiple international locations (Programming, Marketing, Creative/Production, and other Media Planners etc.).
• Represent Media Planning in meetings around the business and be the go-to person for the designated channels and brands.

Team Leader:

• Be responsible for the day-to-day running of a team of Schedulers. Tasks include:
• • Be the first point of contact for all internal and external client groups.
  • Double check accuracy of key elements of schedules prior to air and ensure delivery to TX in line with agreed deadlines.
  • Ensure that all:
    • On-air priorities (stunts, rebrands, premiere) are in line with media planning expectations.
    • Playlists are delivered to Playout in line with agreed deadlines.
    • Break patterns are created in line with agreed deadlines.
    • Territory-specific broadcast regulations are adhered to.
  • Pro-actively follow-up daily TX discrepancies for each channel, ensuring that feedback is given to both line manager and channel management team as required.
  • Organise cross training and feed rotation as required.
• Set clear performance and behaviour expectations for all team members; provide regular feedback and proactively manage individual performance; demonstrate and facilitate the development of expected O&T behaviours across the team; encourage open two-way communication through regular 1-to-1s and team meetings; conduct annual Performance Reviews.
• Work closely with team members to identify any training and development issues, actively engaging with each individual to create meaningful, effective training and development plans.
• Track holiday and attendance for team members, working with other Team Leaders to ensure that there is always adequate cover for all tasks and feeds.
• Raise any requests for temporary cover to the Director of Presentation Services, working with him to book contactors, creating and approving weekly PO's.
• Actively manage any performance, behavioural or attendance concerns with the support of the Director of Presentation Services and HR. Take the lead in any performance/behavioural/attendance initiatives, for example Performance Improvement Plans or disciplinary procedures.
• Pro-actively provide regular, comprehensive updates to the Director of Presentation Services regarding team performance and any issues that are affecting or could affect team members, escalating promptly where his input is required.
• Liaise with relevant departments to ensure that each team member has adequate resources, IT/facilities set up and system training to perform as expected.
• Work closely with Director of Presentation Services to maintain department metrics, if required, and report regularly on performance.
• Provide cover for other Team Leaders when needed to ensure optimum team performance at all times.
• Represent department by attending internal and external meetings as requested by Director of Presentation Services.
• Give regular feedback to Director of Presentation Services including ideas for improving team efficiency, workflows and procedures.
• Oversee scheduling aspects of any channel launches, relaunches or reconfiguration of feeds according to the business needs.
• Be the 1st point of contact for all out of hours scheduling issues as part of an agreed on-call rota.
• In order to meet the needs of the business, you may be required to work occasional public holidays and perform other duties that fall outside your job title or key duties.

Qualifications
Skills and Experience:

• A thorough understanding of the linear broadcast workflow and the role of media planning in this process.
• A detailed knowledge of the programming content for designated channels and brands.
• Acute attention to detail (our documents contain lots of specific information that is used by multiple departments and must be extremely accurate).
• The creative flair to identify navigation / promotional opportunities and the confidence to propose them.
• Proactivity in coming up with new ideas and ways of working, with the curiosity to ask questions.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with the ability to meet tight broadcast deadlines.
• Excellent communication skills, with the professionalism to communicate clearly with senior management when needed.
• Fluent and accurate written and spoken English.

Team Leader

• Proven presentation scheduling experience, with a good understanding of the broadcast operations workflow.
• Effective people management skills, demonstrating and encouraging appropriate behaviours throughout the team.
• Excellent communication skills, reliability and flexibility.
• First rate accuracy and attention to detail.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, able to prioritise tasks and work under pressure to meet strict deadlines.
• Proactive problem solver.
• Sound understanding of local regulators (CSA, CNMC and Ofcom) and any other relevant commercial and compliance guidelines.
• Computer literate.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Landmark scheduling system.
• Knowledge of Lacuna, NBCUniveral's in-house media operations workflow and data management system.
• Familiarity with commercial operations workflow.

Additional Information
As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].