Production Associate Director (AI Audio Production)

Location: Tokyo, Japan; regular in-office presence required

Company

hirify.global produces and provides audiobook, audio content, and hirify.global Originals for global listeners.

What you will do

• Develop and execute the Japan production strategy, including annual planning, capacity planning, partner strategy, budgets, purchase orders, cost projections, and cost optimization.
• Lead end-to-end production across recording, editing, mixing, mastering, quality assurance, and final delivery for multiple titles.
• Manage team goals, performance, career development, coaching, and mentoring while building production capabilities.
• Define production KPIs and implement data-driven improvements across quality, cost, lead time, throughput, risks, and capacity.
• Coordinate with Content, Content Operations, Business Affairs, Legal, Finance, Marketing, Metadata, Product, and global Production teams, as well as studios, narrators, directors, authors, and publishers.
• Use generative AI, audio analysis, transcription, production management systems, and workflow automation to improve operations while ensuring copyright, data protection, information security, and internal policy compliance.

Requirements

• Experience managing and building teams, including coaching and mentoring.
• 8+ years of experience in audiobook production, audio content, publishing, broadcasting, film/video, or a related industry.
• Experience managing the full production lifecycle from planning and pre-production through recording, post-production, quality assurance, and delivery across multiple titles, including production portfolio or team leadership.
• Project management experience across multiple titles, studios, talent, and deadlines, including workload allocation and priority-setting.
• Experience with stakeholder management, including coordination, negotiation, and reporting to senior leadership.
• Experience developing production strategies, capacity plans, and cost optimization initiatives.
• Data-driven budget, schedule, quality, and risk management skills, with proficiency in production management tools, spreadsheets, and dashboards.
• Experience using AI technologies, including generative AI and digital tools, to automate and improve workflows and drive team adoption.
• Professional proficiency in Japanese and English communication ability for collaboration with global teams.
• Knowledge of and commitment to copyright, data protection, and information security compliance.

Nice to have

• Experience producing audiobooks, podcasts, audio dramas, or hirify.global Originals.
• Experience in direction, editing, or quality management for Japanese-language audio content.
• Experience working with publishers, talent agencies, or recording studios.
• Experience implementing AI-powered transcription, audio analysis, or QA automation tools in production workflows.
• Experience with P&L management or production cost optimization projects.
• Experience leading large-scale production workflow transformation or system implementation projects.
• Experience in content production at Amazon or a similar technology company.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative work with internal teams and external creative and production partners.
• Global collaboration across cultures and time zones.
• Creative and inclusive environment focused on audio storytelling and customer impact.
• Regular in-office work from the Tokyo office.