For the 1970s, Phillips worked at Bob Banner Associates, before starting Blue Hill Avenue Productions with a contract at 20th Century Fox Television.

[2] In 1986, he started working at a job at Columbia Pictures Television to produce their own projects, including Parker Lewis Can't Lose for Fox.

Phillips joined the crew of the television drama Dexter as a showrunner, executive producer and writer for the first season, reshooting scenes of the original pilot episode and scrapping others.

Phillips and the writing staff were nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Dramatic Series at the 2008 ceremony for their work on the second season.

[7] Phillips and the writing staff was nominated for the WGA award a third consecutive time at the 2010 ceremony for their work on the fourth season.