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Production Operations Specialist

Washington, District of Columbia, United States

OVERVIEW

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. 

Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.

INTRO TO CONTENT OPERATIONS

Content Operations comprises several teams working across all content types and platforms to achieve the NPR Network's strategic business goals. We collaborate with colleagues to enable effective content creation, management, and distribution systems. 

INTRO TO POSITION

The Production Operations Specialist plays a pivotal role in supporting NPR’s beloved and iconic portfolio of shows and podcasts, such as Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Up First, Life Kit, Wild Card with Rachel Martin, and others, bringing NPR’s journalism to diverse audiences across digital platforms.

This role will operationalize media production from audio and video encoding to publishing and distribution while ensuring timely, high-quality content delivery through technical expertise, workflow optimization, and troubleshooting. 

Collaborating with content creators and product teams, the Production Operations Specialist supports NPR’s content distribution across owned and third-party platforms like YouTube, Spotify and Apple, prioritizing a seamless, quality audience experience. This role combines technical proficiency with a passion for digital content in an evolving media landscape.

The ideal candidate will have experience in audio/video production, live streaming news events, and media management, and they will be adamant about attention to detail and cross-functional collaboration.

This is a union represented role covered under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement with NABET-CWA DMU. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Encode and Distribute Media Content: Utilize enterprise-level encoding software to encode audio and video into multiple formats for seamless digital distribution across various platforms. Ensure delivery to NPR’s digital archive servers and third-party content delivery networks (CDNs) with precision and efficiency.
  • Monitor Live Streaming & Recording: Support the live streaming and recording of audio and video on NPR Member station sites and third-party content partners for breaking news coverage, live events, concerts, and other real-time broadcasts. Ensure flawless performance and troubleshoot any issues. Troubleshoot Media Systems: Proactively troubleshoot issues related to digital media encoding, streaming, podcast publishing and media file distribution systems. Provide technical support across multiple platforms to resolve challenges quickly, ensuring minimal disruption to content delivery. Maintain Documentation: Create and maintain clear, comprehensive documentation for processes, procedures, and instructions to ensure team members are equipped with the necessary knowledge to operate smoothly and efficiently.
  • Provide Quality Assurance: Ensure the accuracy and timeliness of all published content, guaranteeing that videos, podcasts, and other digital assets are to the highest standards and align with platform-specific best practices. Survey digital assets across in-house and third-party platforms for availability, audio quality, metadata accuracy, and sponsorship placement, ensuring that each asset meets the required technical and editorial standards.
  • Research & Innovation: Stay up-to-date on industry trends, emerging technologies, and tools to continuously enhance the production and distribution process. Analyze existing workflows and content delivery processes, propose improvements, and eliminate bottlenecks to maximize operational efficiency and elevate content quality.
  • Breaking News Coverage: Respond to breaking news events on a 24x7x365 basis, ensuring live coverage is delivered swiftly and accurately, meeting high standards of quality.

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

  • Media Production Tools: Working experience with enterprise-level audio and video production software such as Pro Tools, Logic, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, and similar tools, demonstrating proficiency in both creative and technical aspects of media production.
  • File-Based Workflows: Knowledge of file-based workflows and supporting technologies such as Media Asset Management (MAM), transcoding software, and familiarity with audio/video codecs, wrappers, and related industry specifications.
  • Live Streaming & Remote Capture: Experience with remote live video capture and live streaming technologies, including platforms like Riverside, EasyLive, StreamYard, OBS, vMix, Wirecast, and similar tools, ensuring seamless execution.
  • Content Management: Experience navigating audio and video publishing processes, content management systems (CMS), and distribution workflows, ensuring the timely and accurate delivery of content across digital platforms.
  • Technical Troubleshooting: Strong problem-solving and analytical skills, particularly when troubleshooting technical issues, ensuring smooth production workflows, and identifying areas for continuous improvement.
  • Flexibility: Ability and willingness to work flexible shifts, including early mornings, nights, weekends, and holidays, to accommodate live events and breaking news coverage.
  • Self-motivated & Collaborative: Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment, managing deadlines while maintaining a collaborative, solution-oriented mindset.
  • Attention to Detail & Quality: Detail-oriented with a focus on maintaining the highest standards of content production, particularly in audio and video quality, ensuring the technical aspects of content meet established standards.
  • 2-3 years equivalent experience in production technologies for media distribution.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • JIRA and Confluence: Experience with JIRA for metrics-based project tracking and task management, as well as Confluence for collaborative documentation, ensuring streamlined communication and project coordination across teams.
  • Editing Skills: Skills in digital media editing, with expertise in audio, video, and photo editing to craft polished, professional content for multiple platforms.
  • Project and Stakeholder Management: Experience with a diverse set of stakeholders, including content creators, producers, technical teams, and external partners, ensuring all parties are aligned and informed throughout the production process.
  • Associate or Bachelor Degree 

WORK LOCATION

  • Hybrid Permitted: This is a hybrid permitted role. Some aspects of this role include duties that are better performed at an NPR facility. The employee will be required to be onsite at the Washington, DC office at least 10 days a year. The employee must also reside in an NPR supported location based on the number of onsite days they choose.

JOB TYPE

  • This is a full time, non exempt position.

COMPENSATION

Hourly Rate: The U.S. based anticipated hourly rate for this opportunity is $32.93 - 37.63 per hour. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum 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.

The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

NPR Pay Range

$32.93 - $37.63 USD

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.

You may read NPR’s privacy policy to learn about how NPR may handle information you submit with any application.

Want more NPR? Explore the stories behind the stories on our NPR Extra blog. Get social with NPR Extra on Facebook and Instagram. Find more career opportunities at NPR.org/careers.

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