Production Lead

Role: Production Lead
Project: 25-minute animated episode (hybrid GenAI + traditional pipeline)
Contract: Fixed term, approx. January to May 2026
Location: Remote-friendly, with collaboration across LA, NYC and London
Compensation: Fixed project fee (details shared with shortlisted candidates)

Wonder Studios is seeking a Production Lead to run the day-to-day delivery of a 25-minute animated episode produced through a hybrid Generative AI and traditional animation workflow. This role is central to the success of the project and will act as the operational backbone, ensuring the production runs on schedule, on budget, and with clear communication across creative, technical, and post teams.

You will work closely with the Creative Lead and Technical Lead as one of three core pillars shaping the workflow, team structure, and execution of the project.

• Own the production schedule from kickoff through final delivery, managing milestones, dependencies, and review cycles
  
• Translate the high-level timeline into clear weekly and daily plans for segment teams
  
• Track progress across multiple pods and proactively identify risks or bottlenecks
  

• Coordinate Creative, Technical, Editorial, and QA teams across multiple time zones
  
• Support hiring, onboarding, and resourcing of freelance artists and specialists
  
• Ensure the hybrid GenAI and traditional pipeline runs smoothly and efficiently
  

• Act as the primary point of contact for production updates and delivery reporting
  
• Organise and lead production check-ins, reviews, and status updates
  
• Ensure feedback cycles are clearly communicated and actioned across teams
  

• Track spend against budget, including staffing, tools, and compute usage
  
• Forecast burn and flag issues early, proposing practical solutions
  
• Manage contingency and scope control where needed
  

• Oversee final delivery of all required assets, work files, and documentation
  
• Ensure production tracking, logging, and documentation requirements are met
  
• Support final wrap and handover, including post-mortem and workflow review
  

• 5+ years producing animation, VFX, episodic, or technically complex creative projects
  
• Strong understanding of animation and post-production pipelines
  
• Proven experience running schedules, budgets, and multi-disciplinary teams
  
• Excellent organisational and communication skills
  
• Comfortable working with technical teams and evolving workflows
  

• Experience working with AI-assisted or experimental production pipelines
  
• Familiarity with tools such as ShotGrid, Linear, Notion, or similar tracking systems
  
• Experience delivering projects for major broadcasters or streamers

You are calm under pressure, highly organised, and proactive. You enjoy building structure around creative and technical teams, anticipate problems before they arise, and keep complex productions moving forward. You’re collaborative, decisive, and comfortable operating at the intersection of creativity and technology.