Production Operations Specialist

Job Description

OVERVIEW

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 US 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, v

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Jobcode: Reference SBJ-g6m0j9-18-117-123-149-42 in your application.