President & COO / Operating Lead

President & COO / Operating Lead - Dabria Studios
Dabria Studios is a creator-led media studio that develops, produces, owns, and distributes original scripted programming directly to audiences.
Our first original, The Lockdown House, has completed principal photography; dabriastudios.com is live, and we are preparing a four-property 2027 Pilot Season.
We’re looking for a President & COO / Operating Lead to work directly alongside the founder and build the operating company around our creative slate.
The founder will continue leading creative vision, IP, development, showrunning, and slate strategy. This role will own the systems, planning, financial discipline, and cross-functional execution needed to scale Dabria Studios.
What you’ll own
Day-to-day company operations and operating priorities
Budgeting, cash planning, forecasts, and financial coordination
Fundraising operations, investor follow-up, diligence, and reporting
Company timelines, KPIs, accountability systems, and internal workflows
Coordination across production, commercial, audience/growth, and platform/data functions
Recruiting and managing specialist operators, contractors, and project teams
Vendor and professional-service relationships
Operating preparation for Dabria Studios’ 2027 Pilot Season
Support for sponsorship, partnerships, and commercial planning
New York–Melbourne operating coordination as the company expands production in Australia
Turning founder strategy into clear plans, owners, deadlines, and execution
Who we’re looking for
You may currently be a COO, Head of Operations, VP/Director of Operations, General Manager, Chief of Staff, or senior business-operations leader ready to take on broader ownership.
Strong candidates will have experience in some combination of:
Startup or early-stage company operations
Media, entertainment, digital media, creator economy, or production
Financial and operational planning
Fundraising and investor-facing work
Business development or partnerships
Managing distributed teams and contractors
Building systems from scratch
Working closely with a founder in a fast-moving environment
We’re especially interested in operators who are comfortable moving between high-level strategy and hands-on execution.
This is not a creative leadership role. The President & COO will build and run the operating infrastructure around Dabria Studios’ creative slate while working closely with the founder on company strategy.
Role structure
This position will begin as a part-time/fractional contractor engagement during Dabria Studios’ current pre-seed raise, with the intention of expanding into a larger paid President & COO role following financing.
The role is remote, and Dabria Studios operates across New York and Melbourne, so comfort working asynchronously across time zones is important.
Compensation
Initial compensation is expected to fall within an annualised equivalent range of $40,000–$60,000, prorated to the agreed fractional scope and time commitment.
Compensation and scope will be revisited if the role expands following financing.
Equity
No equity is currently being offered with this contractor position. Dabria Studios remains a single-member LLC.
Benefits
Because this begins as an independent contractor engagement, traditional employee benefits are not currently included. If the position later converts to full-time employment, we will revisit compensation and benefits as part of that transition.
Hiring process
Selected candidates can expect:
Introductory conversation with the Founder
Deeper operating/experience interview
Working discussion focused on Dabria Studios’ 2027 operating plan and current fundraising stage
Reference checks for finalist candidates
Final scope and compensation discussion
We’re looking for someone who wants to help build the operating foundation of an independent media company — not simply maintain systems that already exist.
Applicant privacy
We will use applicant information only to evaluate candidates for this role and related hiring purposes. We will not sell or use application materials for unrelated marketing.

Work arrangement
Yes