Temporary Producer III, Acquisitions & Development Lead

About the role

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility - and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. Across our organization, we're building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR . This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR. Intro to Position As a member of the NPR Visuals Team, the Producer III is an experienced visual storyteller who brings strong editorial judgment and a distinct visual sensibility to NPR's video work. This role is for a seasoned industry professional responsible for building and curating NPR Studios' film slate, working across original development and acquisitions. The Producer III will leverage deep industry relationships and a strong understanding of the documentary marketplace, including financing, audience strategy, and distribution pathways. This role plays a central part in shaping NPR Studios identity as a national platform for cinematic digital-first documentary storytelling. Finally, the role will help define the editorial vision and external partnerships that position NPR Studios within the broader documentary ecosystem. This position may occasionally require working nights, weekends and holidays as needed and could require periodic travel. This position reports to the Director of NPR Visuals. This is a 3-year limited term position. This is a union represented role covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with SAG-AFTRA. This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook. All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff are defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events. Application Instructions Please submit a cover letter along with your application. This cover letter should speak to how your past experiences formed your approach to documentary coverage and what skills / takeaways you'd be looking to develop / acquire over the course of the assignment.

Responsibilities

• Acquisitions
• Identify, evaluate and pitch feature, series, and short documentary projects for acquisition from independent filmmakers, film festivals and production companies.
• Scout and identify acquisition opportunities from film festivals, labs, and fellowships.
• Build and maintain relationships with filmmakers, producers, funders, and institutions within the documentary and public media ecosystem.
• Identify opportunities for co-production, co-financing, and strategic partnerships with public media entities, streamers, and independent producers.
• Track emerging films across key festivals (Sundance, SXSW, Hot Docs, Tribeca, Camden, IDFA, etc.) and labs (Firelight, Film Independent, Chicken & Egg, SFFILM, etc.) to build a proactive acquisition pipeline.
• Evaluate projects for multi-platform potential across NPR's ecosystem (digital, audio, broadcast, social, and live events).
• Development
• Shepherd original documentary concepts from idea stage through greenlight, working closely with directors and producers for both acquired and in-house productions.
• Provide editorial and creative notes on outlines and cuts.
• Manage the development slate, tracking project timelines and budgets.
• Help shape NPR Studios' long-term curatorial vision and editorial strategy
• Source and develop original projects in collaboration with NPR journalists, reporters, and external filmmakers.
• Translate reporting and field journalism into documentary concepts, pitches, and treatments.
• Participate in pitch, proposal, and greenlighting discussions with leadership, including budget, editorial framing, and distribution strategy.
• Relationships & Outreach
• Cultivate a pipeline of emerging and established documentary talent.
• Serve as a point of contact for filmmakers, production partners, film festivals, distributors, and broader industry.
• Represent NPR Studios at festivals, film markets, conferences, and industry convenings.
• Build partnerships with funders, labs, media research centers, public media organizations, and cultural institutions to support pipeline development.
• Operations
• Maintain a tracking database of submissions, active projects and acquired titles.
• Prepare pitch, proposal, and greenlight materials for leadership to review.
• Work with legal and business affairs to support acquisition nego

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