Senior Production Manager

At Nova Sky Stories, we empower artists and producers to bring awe and wonder to live audiences around the world. As the global leader in drone entertainment, we’ve been redefining live shows for over a decade—merging cutting-edge drone technology with imaginative artistry.

With a veteran team of engineers and creatives, we design and operate lightweight, small, precise, and safe drones that perform in the most demanding environments—urban centers, extreme temperatures, and high winds. The result? Sky Stories that inspire, captivate, and transform the sky into a canvas of imagination.

Headquartered in the U.S. with teams across Europe and the UAE, Nova Sky Stories works with the world’s leading brands, venues, and events.

📱 Follow us: @NovaSkyStories

As a Senior Production Manager you are a show owner, accountable for the end-to-end success of Nova’s most complex, high-profile, and non-repeatable productions — including marquee global events and brand activations.

This role owns productions from early concept development and client alignment through final delivery and closeout, serving as Nova’s primary production authority across creative, operational, logistical, financial, and client-facing dimensions. Senior Production Managers lead multidisciplinary teams, mentor and direct Junior Production Managers, and serve as the ultimate escalation point for production execution.

Senior Production Managers also act as Remote Production Owners for touring shows, providing strategic oversight and guidance while Junior Production Managers lead onsite execution.

As a Senior Production Manager, you will be responsible for:

Marquee Show Ownership

• Own end-to-end delivery of complex, one-off, marquee productions from concept through closeout.
• Serve as Nova’s primary production counterpart to clients, venues, and partners.
• Establish scope, expectations, schedules, and success criteria with senior client stakeholders.
  
  

Budget & Commercial Accountability

• Build, manage, and close multi-six-figure to seven-figure production budgets.
• Track estimates vs. actuals and ensure cost control, financial accuracy, and margin discipline.
• Partner with Finance and leadership on approvals, reconciliations, and post-show financial reporting.
  
  

Creative & Technical Leadership

• Partner with Creative, Design, Flight Operations, and Engineering to translate creative intent into executable production plans.
• Lead production trade-off decisions balancing creative ambition, safety, cost, and schedule.
• Oversee technical integration of drone choreography with audio, lighting, staging, broadcast, and experiential elements.
  
  

Logistics, Risk & Compliance

• Coordinate with Nova & Client Logistics on international and domestic logistics, including shipping, customs, power, labor, and vendor coordination.
• Lead risk planning and contingency strategies for weather, airspace, regulatory constraints, safety, and site complexity.
• Ensure compliance with aviation regulations, permitting requirements, and Nova safety standards.
  
  

Team Leadership & Oversight

• Direct Junior Production Managers and onsite teams on marquee productions.
• Serve as escalation point for touring and Fever productions as needed.
• Lead internal and external production planning meetings (PPMs), kickoffs, and debriefs.
  
  

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Own post-show reporting, lessons learned, and after-action reviews.
• Ensure production data, documentation, and reporting are completed accurately and on time.
• Contribute to the evolution of Nova’s production systems, standards, and global best practices.
  
  

Required Qualifications

• 8 years of experience in large-scale event production, live entertainment, or experiential production.
• Proven ability to deliver complex, non-repeatable, client-facing productions from concept through close.
• Demonstrated experience managing senior creative and brand stakeholders.
• Strong operational expertise across logistics, permitting, vendor management, and onsite execution.
• Advanced production budgeting and financial management experience.
• Comfortable operating in high-pressure, high-visibility environments.
• Ability to travel extensively (domestic and international) and work flexible schedules.
• Valid international driver’s license.
  
  

What Defines You

• A calm, decisive leader who thrives in complexity.
• Equally fluent in creative, technical, and operational conversations.
• Highly organized, systems-minded, and accountable.
• Collaborative, clear communicator with strong client presence.
• Willing to roll up your sleeves while maintaining strategic oversight.
  
  

If you're ready to play a key role in supporting the operational backbone of a company redefining storytelling in the sky, we’d love to hear from you. Apply now to help keep Nova Sky Stories flying high.