Position Title:
Scripted, Director of Development, Drama (English Services)
Status of Employment:
Permanent
Position Language Requirement:
English
Language Skills:
English (First Official Language), English (Reading), English (Speaking), English (Writing)
Work at CBC/Radio-Canada
At CBC/Radio-Canada, we create content that informs, entertains and connects Canadians on multiple platforms. Our successes and accomplishments are driven by embodying and upholding values, which include creativity, integrity, inclusiveness and relevance.
Do you think you have the ability and drive to keep up with this exciting, ever-changing industry? Whether it be in front of the camera, on air, online or behind the scenes, you would be joining a team that thrives on making connections and telling stories that are important to Canadians.
Unposting Date:
2026-06-10 11:59 PM
Work at CBC/Radio-Canada
At CBC/Radio-Canada, we create content that informs, entertains and connects Canadians on multiple platforms. Our successes and accomplishments are driven by embodying and upholding values, which include creativity, integrity, inclusiveness and relevance.
Do you think you have the ability and drive to keep up with this exciting, ever-changing industry? Whether it be in front of the camera, on air, online or behind the scenes, you would be joining a team that thrives on making connections and telling stories that are important to Canadians.
Your role
This position is a pivotal creative role that works closely with and reports to the Executive Director (ED), Scripted Content to guide and shape the strategy of the development of scripted drama at CBC. Is responsible for driving and overseeing the quality and breadth of the drama development slate. This is a senior level job that requires a proactive mindset and the ability to drive towards ambitious goals with a team. It requires ongoing engagement with the Independent Production community, the ability to manage and inspire a team and work effectively within a complex large organization. Works very closely with the Director, Current Production, Drama, to guide and shape the output of drama at CBC.
Evaluates pitches and proposals for new drama series – event, limited and ongoing - for their ability to draw audiences to CBC’s streaming and linear platforms; their related cost factors; their distinctiveness and diversity; their potential creative risks and rewards. Oversees Executive in Charge of Development, Drama, and Development Manager, Scripted, in the selection of competing proposals for development based on: dramatic strengths; talent attachments; uniqueness; series design qualities; overall "doability" (producer, writers, cast, budget).
Develops, with the team and with the direction of the Executive Director, new prime time dramatic ongoing series and event series in all dramatic genres (contemporary, historical, book adaptations, comedic, supernatural, procedural episodic, serialized, etc) from the concept proposal stage to final deliveries of program scripts and series bibles.Advises on and contributes to the selecting of writers and story editors and consultants for development projects. Negotiates script and series design changes as required with independent producers and development executives. Reviews and recommends development budgets for ED approval. Works closely with the Business and Rights team at CBC.
Participates in greenlight meetings and preparation process and advises ED and General Manager, Entertainment, of the strengths and merits of various projects vis a vis suitability for order. Works closely with Director, Current Production, Drama, and Production Planning to ensure the smooth transfer of projects successfully greenlit into production.
This position requires a strong focus and demonstrated skills in Talent Development. The role will require involvement/oversight of CBC partnered programs such as Access CBC and ISO/APTN. Incumbent will need strong industry relationships and a track record of successfully bringing ideas from early to completed development. This position will attend industry conferences and festivals as needed. Represents the corporation as required on juries and panels; Gives or participates in workshops for film schools and seminars. Keeps abreast of all relevant competing network television programming, Canadian talent, and issues in culture, broadcasting and current affairs.
We are looking for a candidate with the following:
University degree or equivalent.
10 years relevant experience.
Strong knowledge and understanding of, and/or connection to underrepresented communities across Canada is key.
Cross-Cultural awareness and sensitivity.
Senior level experience required in:
Story editing and delivering written and verbal notes with sensitivity and clarity.
High level scripted development work – finding and developing new voices, knowledge of IP sourcing and creative team building.
Managing a team.
Ideal candidate has a deep network of professional relationships in storytelling and creative industries.
Production of high quality dramatic series, films or other narrative audio-visual material.
Creative decision-making under rigorous timelines with multiple stakeholders.
Other knowledge required:
Knowledge of dramatic programming in Canada and around the world as well as films, books, plays, podcasts, etc.
Canadian screenwriters and potential screenwriters (such as playwrights), actors, comedians, story editors, directors, producers, editors, etc.
Network creative mandates and audience targets; in order to evaluate potential and on going projects.
Network business parameters and practices: working with in-house departments in order to monitor cost related factors and possible legal issues in scripts (e.g. copyright issues, sponsorship).
Canadian Television, Digital & Film industry; production companies, their employees and histories; past and current Canadian television series, movies, short films; broadcast industry "politics" such as CRTC guidelines and broadcast licenses; some familiarity with funding issues such as tax credits, etc. across Canada.
Marketing and promotions techniques and campaigns.
Experience speaking at public functions such as press conferences, professional juries and seminars, etc.
Must be able to communicate effectively and diplomatically with a very wide range of individuals such as producers, writers, directors.
Candidates may be subject to skills and knowledge testing.
We thank all applicants for their interest, but only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.
As part of our recruitment process, candidates who advance to the next
step will be asked to complete a background check. This includes:
CBC/Radio-Canada is committed to being a leader in reflecting our country’s diversity. That’s because we can only create and tell the stories that connect Canadians, by having a workforce that mirrors the ever-changing makeup of our country. That’s why we, as an employer, value equal opportunity and nurture an inclusive workplace where our individual differences are not only recognized and valued, but also extend to and pervade all the services we provide as Canada’s public broadcaster. For more information, visit the Diversity and Inclusion section of our website. If you have accommodation needs at this stage of the recruitment process, please inform us as soon as possible by sending an e-mail to [email protected].
You are invited to consult and familiarize yourself with our Code of Conduct, which can be found on our corporate website. All employees must adhere to the Code as a condition of employment. We also invite you to take a look at our policy on conflicts of interest. In the event that you become an employee, it will be important to inform us, as quickly as possible, of any situation that, because of your hiring, constitutes or could appear to constitute a conflict of interest.
Primary Location:
Broadcast Centre 205 Wellington St. W., Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3G7
Number of Openings:
1
Work Schedule:
Full time
