QC & Publishing Ops Manager

Title: QC & Publishing Ops Manager

Department: QC & Publishing Ops

Reports To: VP, Production Management

Direct Reports: Two direct reports (Coordinator level)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana (in-person)

Position Summary

The QC & Publishing Ops Manager leads Audiochuck's QC & Publishing Ops department, overseeing the full lifecycle of content distribution across podcast, video, VOD, and streaming platforms. This role is responsible for managing and developing the QC & Publishing Ops team, executing and refining the operational process for how content is published and delivered, and ensuring Audiochuck's high standards are maintained across every platform and distribution channel. Working closely with the VP of Production Management and key stakeholders across post-production, editorial, marketing, web, and engineering, the QC & Publishing Ops Manager runs the day-to-day distribution process and owns publishing standards across the department, serving as a key cross-functional partner within an established operational strategy.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, manage, and develop the QC & Publishing Ops team, including the Senior QC & Publishing Ops Coordinator and QC & Publishing Ops Coordinator; conduct regular 1:1s, set goals, and support professional growth.
• Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and workflows within the team to ensure accountability and minimize duplication of effort.
• Serve as the escalation point for platform issues, failed deliveries, content emergencies, and cross-functional conflicts.
• Foster a culture of accuracy, ownership, and continuous improvement within the department.
• Participate in hiring, performance, and pay recommendations for direct reports.

Distribution & Platform Operations

• Own the content distribution process across all platforms, including Simplecast, Tubi, FAST channel, and other distribution partners, ensuring platform compliance and alignment with revenue and content delivery goals.
• Lead the department's FAST channel operations, setting standards for EPG accuracy, programming schedules, and asset delivery; hold the team accountable for execution.
• Partner with the VP of Production Management on the RSV relationship, serving as the day-to-day operational contact for RSV content deliveries.
• Hold accountability for Tubi, FAST channel, and VOD delivery quality, ensuring the team's delivery workflows and asset outputs consistently meet platform specifications.
• Lead the department's approach to Media RSS (MRSS) feed accuracy and platform delivery standards across AVOD and FAST distribution partners.

Content Quality & Standards

• Set and enforce QC standards for all final audio and video deliverables across podcast, video, VOD, and streaming outputs; own quality accountability across the department.
• Establish and maintain the department's QC & Publishing Ops standards framework, including file delivery specs, metadata schemas, and QC checklists; set the bar within which all publishing SOPs are developed by the team.
• Review and approve team-authored SOPs, ensuring documentation is accurate, complete, and consistently followed.
• Uphold Audiochuck's standards for ethical storytelling, production quality, and audience experience across all distribution channels.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as the primary QC & Publishing Ops liaison to post-production, editorial, marketing, web, engineering, and other key stakeholders across the organization.
• Partner with the Director of Video Editing, Director of Audio, and VP of Production Management to align on production schedules, delivery requirements, and cross-departmental dependencies.
• Ensure the QC & Publishing Ops team has clear visibility into the post-production schedule and hold accountability for the department meeting its publishing deadlines.

Operations & Reporting

• Report on platform performance, including on-time publish rate, failed or late deliveries, QC error rate, and EPG accuracy.
• Oversee ad-marker placement and insertion QC, with escalation to Ad Ops.
• Evaluate and implement tooling, workflow, and automation improvements to increase team efficiency and support future scale.
• Oversee content asset organization, file naming conventions, and archiving protocols in coordination with the post-production team.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in QC & Publishing Ops, digital distribution, or media operations at a digital media company, podcast network, or streaming service.
• 3+ years of people management experience, with a demonstrated ability to develop and lead a small team.
• Hands-on experience managing content delivery across multiple platforms, including podcast hosting, AVOD (Tubi or similar), and FAST or linear channel distribution.
• Experience with FAST channel operations, including EPG management and linear scheduling tools, is strongly preferred.
• Strong working knowledge of video file formats, codec specs, closed captioning standards, and platform delivery requirements.
• Experience managing RSS podcast feeds and working with podcast hosting platforms such as Simplecast or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain QC & Publishing Ops standards, SOPs, and cross-functional workflows.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and prioritization skills; able to manage competing demands across team and stakeholder needs.
• Experience managing external vendor or distribution partner relationships.
• Passion for polished, responsible storytelling that reflects Audiochuck's brand and values.

Working Conditions & Physical Requirements

• This position operates primarily in a professional office environment with computers, production tools, and recording equipment.
• Requires the ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods while managing workflows, reviewing content, and coordinating with partners.
• Requires the ability to move throughout office and studio spaces to support production needs.
• May occasionally require evening or weekend work to support production deadlines or platform deliveries.
• The employee must be able to communicate effectively in person, virtually, and in writing.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.

Disclaimer

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with this position. Management reserves the right to assign or reassign duties as needed to meet business needs.