Visuals Editor I, Education (Temporary)

OVERVIEW

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INTRO TO POSITION

NPR’s Education Team is seeking a visuals editor to cover education and learning on a temporary assignment to run for approximately six months from October 2024 to March 2025.

We are looking for an aggressive, curious editor to primarily work on commissioning and editing photography and illustration for NPR’s Education Team. The editor will also guide and publish our weekly newsletter and help shape and produce our short-form video series on education topics. This is a temporary position, with an estimated end date of early March 2025.

This is a union-represented role covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with SAG-AFTRA.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Helps lead planning, editing, reporting and producing visual coverage.
• Produce, shoot and edit photography and video for multiple visual platforms. Create and maintain team workflow processes, with minimal supervision.
• Occasional advanced photography and video tasks.
• Can reliably take responsibility for every phase of the production and editorial process.
• Exercises independent judgment and discretion to hire freelancers for basic assignments, subject to final sign-off by their supervisor.
• Advanced understanding of and ability to execute visual storytelling forms such as cinematography, photography, and lighting.
• Demonstrates consistent expertise in video coordination, production, recording and/or editing.
• Can clearly communicate vision, project goals, project scope and timeline in collaboration.
• Uphold the highest standards for the visual tone of our storytelling.
• Help create weekly video stories on education topics for multiple platforms.
• Coordinate production and publication schedules as needed.
• Commission and edit original photography and illustrations for NPR.
• Work with photographers, illustrators, agencies and vendors to process contracts and invoices from assignments. 
• Direct photographers in the field.
• Demonstrate strong editorial judgment and willingness to engage with the education beat, contributing to our discussions as we shape and identify stories and coverage areas, with an eye toward how to present those stories on digital platforms.
• Collaborate with reporters, writers, editors and producers to identify visual opportunities and coverage lines.
• Handle photo imaging, captions and credits for stories you edit.
• Contribute to our thinking about how to reach new and existing audiences for our education coverage.
• Coordinate with member station education journalists and other content partners on visuals for their stories.
• Uphold the highest standards for NPR’s visual journalism and storytelling.
• Produce and publish a weekly newsletter.
• Ensure that the visuals for any story display an understanding of the importance of reflecting diverse sources and viewpoints, and of producing content that reflects the diversity of our audience.
• Work with other team editors to ensure that visual materials produced for NPR Ed meet NPR program standards and practices, including standards of accuracy, fairness, honesty and impartiality.

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated experience obtaining and editing photos and illustrations for news and feature stories on multiple platforms.
• Demonstrated expertise in and passion for visuals that reflect a variety of cultures/languages.
• Demonstrated familiarity with NPR's programs, website and other online outlets.
• Ability to handle multiple and complex projects simultaneously under tight deadlines and changing priorities/conditions.
• Demonstrated, up-to-date understanding of digital concepts and best practices for visual journalism.
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently under deadline pressure. 
• Ability and willingness to work varied shifts.
• Proven ability to consistently work well with others, demonstrating at all times respect for the diverse constituencies at NPR and within the public radio system.
• Understanding of journalism ethics and principles.
• Ability to respond to assignments and to generate story ideas independently.
• Understanding of NPR digital publishing platforms.
• Understanding of importance, and best practices in, seeking diverse sources and reporting that will reflect a range of viewpoints.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a small-team environment.
• Ability to juggle multiple short, medium and long-term assignments and to shift quickly to breaking news.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience working on education stories.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT

• Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university with a specialization in film, video, media production, photography or journalism preferred.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• All applications must include a cover letter describing some of the ways you’d seek to provide visuals for education stories. Please also include examples of your work and a resume.

LOCATION

• Remote Permitted: This is a remote permitted role. This role is based out of our Washington, DC office but the employee may choose to work on a remote basis from a location that NPR approves.

JOB TYPE

• This is a temporary (6-month) full time position.

COMPENSATION

Hourly Rate: The U.S. based anticipated hourly rate for this opportunity is $46.88 per hour. The figure displayed reflects the hourly rate NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

Benefits: NPR offers access to comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees. 

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.

Application submissions for the Visuals Editor I, Education (Temporary) role will close on October 7th at 11:59pm ET.

NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.

If you are a person with a disability needing assistance with the application process, please reach out to employeerelations@npr.org.

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