How to apply for Managing Director, Entertainment

About Resetting the Table

Resetting the Table is a nonprofit that trains leaders and communities to counter toxic polarization and build social trust. It uses evidence-based training, collaborative deliberation, and media content to help Americans turn charged differences into stronger relationships and problem-solving. The entertainment program aims to translate that mission into TV, film, and digital content that bridges divides.

About the role

This managing director leads the entertainment program's strategy and operations. You will supervise three senior leaders, build team systems, and drive execution of plans to catalyze humanizing stories in entertainment. The role is 50% team leadership and management, with the rest focused on coordinating action and impact.

A typical day

A typical day might involve meeting with the three senior leaders to align on priorities, refining workflows for an upcoming project, and coordinating with other RTT teams. You might also review progress on entertainment industry partnerships or content initiatives and adjust plans to ensure execution stays on track. Much of your time is spent structuring work, resolving bottlenecks, and supporting your team's success.

Who Resetting the Table is looking for

• Deep experience managing senior teams, with a track record of turning big-picture strategy into workflows and deliverables.
• Insider knowledge of the entertainment industry: you understand its dynamics, language, and how projects move forward.
• Skilled at synthesizing distinct expertise from team members and stewarding team cohesion.
• Highly organized and execution-focused; you instinctively build structure for complex webs of people, timelines, and deliverables.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific examples of managing senior leaders or cross-functional teams, including how you built systems that improved execution.
• Demonstrate your entertainment industry knowledge by referencing concrete experience with TV, film, or digital content production or strategy.
• Connect your management approach to RTT's mission of countering polarization; avoid generic statements about 'making a difference'.
• Address the 50% team leadership aspect directly: describe how you have stewarded team cohesion and leveraged members' strengths.
• Use language from the job description in your materials, such as 'turning big picture commitments into ongoing workflows' and 'coordinated action'.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your experience managing senior teams and building the conditions for them to excel at execution.', 'Your insider understanding of the entertainment industry and how you see its potential for social impact.', 'How you translate ambitious vision into actionable plans and ongoing workflows.', "Why you are drawn to RTT's specific approach of using evidence-based training and media to counter polarization."]

Research before applying

• Review RTT's website, especially any pages about the entertainment program, its strategy, and past projects.
• Look up the three senior leaders you would supervise (if publicly listed) to understand their expertise and backgrounds.
• Research RTT's evidence-based training and deliberation methods to speak knowledgeably about their approach.
• Find examples of entertainment content that aims to bridge divides and consider how RTT might evaluate or support such projects.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you have managed a team of senior leaders with distinct expertise and fostered shared direction.
• Your view on the entertainment industry's role in bridging divides and examples of content that humanizes across differences.
• A time you built systems or workflows to move a complex project from vision to implementation.
• How you prioritize and coordinate across multiple timelines and deliverables in a remote team.
• Your understanding of RTT's mission and how you would measure impact in the entertainment program.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on entertainment industry knowledge without demonstrating strong management and team leadership experience.
• Using generic language about passion for social change instead of specific examples of turning strategy into action.
• Ignoring the remote, nonprofit context and failing to address how you would lead a distributed team in a mission-driven organization.