Vacancies

Applications on hold

TV, Film and Stage Agents' Assistant

Posted June 13th 2022

A chance to join the team behind screen and stage deals including ‘Anatomy of a Scandal’, ‘Humans’, ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, ‘I Care A Lot’ and ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.

With a long-established history in author and script writer representation, over 100 books currently under option and a sizeable roster of emerging and established writer clients, David Higham Associates is a leading agency in the Literary, TV, Film and Stage industries. Clients include: J Blakeson, Alexi Kaye Campbell, Trish Cooke, Cressida Cowell, Paula Hawkins, Owen Jones, Val McDermid, Robert Macfarlane, Sam Vincent & Jonathan Brackley and Diana Wynne Jones alongside a host of established and emerging writer talent.

This is a great opportunity for a detail oriented and efficient candidate to become an integral part of our TV, Film and Stage department, as assistant to two agents. This will be a very busy role which offers the successful candidate a brilliant opportunity to develop skills in all aspects of agenting including administrative and contractual skills, client management, script-reading, and pitching writers and books to production companies.

We are a company that takes pride in creating a supportive and collaborative environment where employees work towards individual and company goals as well as towards attaining a good level of autonomy in their roles, with training. We also offer an internal mentorship scheme to provide further guidance and development.

The role might suit an existing agent’s assistant or someone with solid office experience looking to make a move into a new part of the TV, Film or Stage industries. If this sounds like you we would love to hear from you.

We encourage applicants from all backgrounds.

Salary and Conditions

From £25,000 per annum, depending on experience.
Our offices are based in central London (Soho), with potential for part-time work from home arrangements.

To Apply

We welcome questions relating to the job or to your application if you email us at dhamediajob@davidhigham.co.uk

Otherwise please send your CV along with a note explaining a bit about you and why you are applying to dhamediajob@davidhigham.co.uk. Please include your name in the subject line of the email.

Deadline for all applications is 11th July 2022.

Job Description

Demonstrable experience
• Substantial support role experience, ideally in a related industry.
• Working in an office environment
• Administrative experience including diary management, computer and database skills.
• Working with simple contracts (desirable).
• Assessing scripts and/or books (desirable)

Desirable skills and attributes
• Confidence working directly with internal staff at all levels, clients and outside partners.
• Excellent communication skills; in-person, on the phone and on video calls.
• Adaptability and ability to juggle multiple projects and independently prioritise workload.
• Meticulous attention to contractual detail.
• Excellent organisational and record-keeping skills
• Diplomacy, tact and discretion.
• Positive and proactive disposition
• An ability and desire to take on responsibility confidently.
• Knowledge of and passion for the film/TV/Theatre industry. Interest in non-fiction is a bonus.
• Good creative judgement.
• Self-motivated and able to take initiative.
• Ability to assimilate information and learn quickly.
• Ability to remain calm and unflustered under pressure.

Responsibilities (to include):

Writers
• Keeping abreast of screenwriter opportunities (e.g. soaps, new media, writing schemes etc) and liaising with the team and clients on these.
• Dealing with some writer agreements in consultation with your line manager (once training given).
• Reading scripts and reporting back.
• Keeping clients’ CVs on the website up to date and posting relevant social media messaging.
• Coordinating meetings between producers and clients.

Authors
• Reading Books.
• Handling enquiries about film/TV/stage rights to books and checking status of rights.
• Acting as the primary point of contact for enquiries relating to certain clients by telephone and email including all Estates managed by your line manager.
• Liaising with your line managers on submission lists and submission strategy. Preparing marketing materials for the same.
• Dealing with TV and radio permissions and some professional stage agreements independently (once training given).
• Liaising with producers about opportunities for book options and reporting back to the team.

Departmental and Company Tasks
• Helping to organise and read for the DHA Film and Television Open Day (a yearly open call to scriptwriters from underrepresented backgrounds designed to create another access point to the industry).
• Preparing the quarterly departmental newsletter

Administrative
• Providing admin support to your line manager in all areas including diary management, tracking signature of agreements, addendums, ensuring return of fully executed copies.
• Liaising with clients and accounts department on invoices/payment chasing.
• Keeping accurate records of multiple options and their expiry dates.
• Entering contracts on a database and keep legal files in clear order.
• Keeping abreast of contractual and technological developments in the industry (e.g. downloadable formats, video on demand). Liaising with industry bodies such as Writers Guild, PMA and Society of Authors
• From time to time attending meetings and industry events where required by agent(s)
• Providing holiday cover and/or general support for other members of the team as required.
• Other tasks as required.

Currently not accepting any more applications

How to post a vacancy or advertise office space

Sign into the members area and select “Post a vacancy”, write your advert, press the Send button to post. It will automatically be published in the vacancies list. Please note, the PMA does not carry adverts for agents.

Adverts will automatically delete after 2 weeks.