NI Step Up to HOD: Lead and manage your team with confidence
2025-01-13 - 2025-03-24 | Belfast TBC, Belfast, Ireland
Register InterestApplication deadline 23:59 on 15th December 20240000Days00Hrs00Min00Sec
Are you a Northern Ireland based screen professional with 5+ years' experience?

Are you looking to Step Up to Head of Department and/or lead your team?
We are looking for Northern Ireland based industry professionals working in craft, technical, editorial or production roles across scripted (Film, HETV or continuing drama), unscripted, animation or post-production and who are looking to step up and lead their teams.
Stepping up to lead a team can be daunting. As a leader and manager, your approach and thinking needs to develop as you take on extra responsibility.
Led by Mission Accomplished CEO, Alison Grade, with guest speaker sessions from a range of exciting industry experts, this training course is designed to support you as you Learn to Lead in Film and TV and Step Up to HOD.
Mission Accomplished is particularly keen to receive applications from traditionally excluded groups especially those from:
People from racialised identitiesPeople that are (d)Deaf, Disabled and/or NeurodivergentThose who are care-experienced.People from a refugee or disadvantaged migrant communityThose from a Gypsy, Roma or Traveller communityPeople from LGBTQI+ CommunitiesPeople from a working class/low-income background (or if you have identified as such in the past)We welcome applications from all individuals. If you would like support completing the application form and/or would like us to send it to you in an alternative format, please email training@mission.guru
Register InterestTHE COURSE WILL COVER
THE COURSE WILL COVER:

What does stepping up to lead your team involve?
Understanding team dynamics and personalities
Managing budgets and schedules
Inclusive recruitment, working practices
Dealing with conflict and managing performance
Health and Safety considerations for leaders and manager
Looking after ourselves and our teams
Pitching myself to take on an HOD / leadership role

By the end of the course, participants will have practical and actionable leadership and management strategies to build a vibrant, motivated and resilient creative team, as well as having developed their confidence in taking on a new challenge and thriving in a leadership / HOD role.
COURSE FORMAT
The course will be delivered as a mix of in-person workshops in Northern Ireland and online masterclasses from working leaders / HODs.

4 x Saturdays In-Person Workshops.
6 x 2 hour Monday-Evening Online Workshops.
2 x 1 hour Mentoring and Shadowing (arranged to suit).
3 x 1 hour Online Employability 1-2-1's (arranged to suit).
Book club

Along side in-person training participants are expected to complete On demand E-Learning Modules.
APPLICATION PROCESS
KEY DATES

Applications close at 23.59 on 15th December 2024

Interviews (online)

17th of December 2024
18th of December 2024

COURSE DATES AND OUTLINE
COURSE OUTLINE

Session
Duration
Course Content

Session 1 – in person
Saturday, 18th January 2025
All day
What does Stepping up to HOD involve?

What does success look like? What role is the goal to step up to? And on what size/scale of production? (which band / time slot / channel?)
What is leadership and management? And expectations
Why delegation is important

Recruitment, inclusion and team dynamics

Building inclusive and diverse teams / building cultural awareness and sensitivity
Inclusive and good hiring and working practices
Ensuring content and practices are culturally sensitive
Knowing and motivating my team

About me: Skills audit and Building a CV and portfolio for Stepping Up
Book Club

Masterclass 1 – online
Monday, 27th January
2 hours
Midweek evening
Working with Line Producer, Series Producer, Producer and Director – Dealing with and planning for changes
Guest speaker Q&A

Session 2 – in person
Guest Speaker Budgeting – Caroline
Saturday, 1st February 2025

All day
Managing budgets and schedules

How do you create a department budget and schedule?
Estimating labour and materials
Tracking and forecasting costs
Contingencies
Relationship with Production Accountant and Line Producer
Negotiation fundamentals – rates/industry standards/labour/material

Pitching and Presenting

Interview prep, pitching and presentation prep

About me: Building networks and supporters
Book Club

Masterclass 2 – online
Monday, 10th February 2025

2 hours
Midweek evening
Make a Move, Agents and gaining representation
Guest speaker Q&A

Session 3 – in person
First Option
Saturday, 22nd February 2025

All day
Health and Safety

H&S for HODs and leaders
Risk Management of Production course delivered by First Option

Masterclass 3 – online
Monday, 10th March 2025

2 hours
Midweek evening
Looking after ourselves, our people and our planet

Building resilient teams and becoming a resilient leader
Dealing with imposter syndrome
Mental Health for you and your team
Creating a safe space
Sustainability in industry
Environmental impact and the role of HODs in promoting sustainability

Session 4 – in person
Saturday, 15th March 2025

All day
Managing performance, challenging situations, giving and receiving feedback

Dealing with conflict
Managing team performance
Giving feedback
Delivering bad news
Making difficult decisions
Managing up as well as down

Pitching and presenting

Practical activity – practice pitches and mock interviews

Masterclass 4 – online
Monday, 24th March 2025

2 hours
Midweek evening
About me: Where do I fit in the NI landscape and how to do I find Stepping Up opportunities? Step Up Stories.

Q&A with NI Screen and recently stepped-up alumni from across UK

MENTORING AND COACHING
MENTORING AND COACHING
Each learner will be matched with a mentor from their department who is a couple of steps ahead of them on their journey. This will enable the learners to gain department specific knowledge for their stepping up journey, along with the broader leadership and management challenges faced by all those who step up.
In addition, each participant will be offered 2 x 1 hour 1-2-1 bespoke CV / employability support to help them identify the role and production they are looking to step up to and assist them with their CV, pitch and interview skills.
BY THE END OF THE TRAINING COURSE
By the end of the training course, participants will:

Understand the role and responsibilities of a leader / HOD
Have the skills and knowledge to step up to leader / HOD
Have developed knowledge of budgeting responsibility as leader / HOD
Know themselves and what they bring to a team
Have developed Leadership and Management skills needed for the role
Understand the Health and Safety responsibities of a leader / HOD
Have strategies and tactics for managing a team
Feel confident to pitch themselves into a stepped up position as HOD and/or team leader

COURSE DIRECTOR AND LEAD TUTOR
Alison Grade | Course Director
Alison founded and runs Mission Accomplished. The company regularly delivers training courses for ScreenSkills. Alison is an experienced Line Producer and Production Manager as well as a Nesta Accredited Creative Enterprise Trainer. She regularly delivers training that enables creatives to take their careers to the next level. Alison is the author of Penguin published book, The Freelance Bible and offers many workshops and training programmes to support freelancers.
Register Interest Delivery team Our Funders This course is funded by Northern Ireland Screen, supported by the BFI and the National Lottery.
Register InterestTraining (88)
ScreenSkills (76)
HETV (62)
Film (44)
Unscripted (32)
Experienced (14)
Freelancing (14)
Children's (14)
Early Experienced (10)
Scripted (8)
Career stage Early (5)
For Approval (5)
Age +18 (4)
