About Us
Tyson Media Productions is a Vancouver-based independent television production company founded in 2020 by producer and creator Tyson Hepburn. The company specializes in unscripted, factual, and documentary programming. Its credits include Bell Media’s Pets & Pickers (Animal Planet, Crave) and the spin-off series My Pet Ate What?!, also produced for Bell Media and CTV Wild. More recently, the company produced Redemption Run, a three-part documentary series aquired by CBC and CBC Gem following Canadian bobsleigh athletes pursuing their Olympic ambitions.
Prior to establishing Tyson Media, Hepburn built an extensive career developing and producing unscripted television, including co-creating and executive producing the international hits Rust Valley Restorers as well as Cold Water Cowboys.
Vice President, Development
Overview
Tyson Media is seeking a senior television development executive to lead the company’s development slate and help drive the next phase of its growth.
The Vice President, Development will be responsible for identifying, developing, packaging and advancing original television projects across factual, unscripted, documentary, reality and entertainment programming. This is a senior creative and strategic role for someone with strong development instincts, industry relationships and a clear understanding of what broadcasters, streamers and distribution partners are looking for.
The VP, Development will work closely with the President of Tyson Media to shape the company’s development strategy, prioritize opportunities and move projects from early-stage ideas through to pitch, financing and eventual greenlight.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and manage Tyson Media’s television development slate.
- Generate, identify and evaluate new television concepts and opportunities.
- Develop projects from initial concept through treatment, pitch deck, sizzle
- reel and broadcaster presentation.
- Oversee the development process across multiple projects at different stages.
- Manage and support development producers, researchers, casting personnel
- and freelance creative teams.
- Identify strong characters, access, talent, worlds and stories that can form the
- foundation of compelling television projects.
- Lead casting and access development where required.
- Work closely with the President on creative strategy, project selection and
- development priorities.
- Help determine where Tyson Media should invest its development resources
- and which projects should be advanced, reworked or discontinued.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with broadcasters, streamers,
- distributors and other industry partners.
- Participate in and help lead pitches to commissioning executives,
- broadcasters and potential partners.
- Track broadcaster mandates, industry trends and emerging programming
- opportunities.
- Respond to broadcaster briefs, requests for proposals and other development
- opportunities.
- Oversee development budgets and ensure resources are being deployed
- strategically.
- Help secure talent, experts, subjects, access agreements and creative
- partnerships during development.
- Work with legal and business affairs where appropriate on development-
- stage agreements.
- Represent Tyson Media at television markets, festivals, industry events and
- meetings.
- Prepare successfully commissioned projects for a smooth transition from
- development into production.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role will be measured not simply by the volume of projects in development, but by the quality, marketability and commercial potential of the slate.
The VP, Development will be expected to build a focused pipeline of strong television projects, deepen Tyson Media’s relationships within the broadcast and streaming community, and ultimately help convert development opportunities into commissioned productions.
Role Within Tyson Media
The Vice President, Development will work directly with the President and serve as a senior leader within the company.
The President will remain closely involved in overall company strategy, key creative decisions, major relationships and project opportunities. The VP, Development will take primary responsibility for driving the television development slate forward and ensuring that projects are moving strategically and efficiently through the development process.
Core Mandate
Build and lead Tyson Media’s television development slate, identify commercially compelling ideas and access, and convert those opportunities into commissioned television projects.
