Producer, Special Events

Job Description

The Job

We are the department that everyone wants to be in because we put on the network's biggest editorial events. From debates, town halls, and election nights, to overseas Presidential trips, funerals, and the royal wedding, we've produced them all. Don't be fooled, however; before all the pomp and circumstance viewers see on TV, we are the planners, the location scouts, the carpet vacuum-ers, the list makers, the transportation schedulers, and the logistics experts. We are looking for someone with excellent communication skills who thrives in a team environment and wants to do the not-so-glamourous work it takes to put on a CNN special event.

The role collaborates with internal and external partners to help plan editorial events for CNN and its Newsgroups. When a big event is happening, a Special Events producer helps get everyone on the same page to create and execute a plan to best cover the event.

The Daily

Production/Logistical Planning/Event Support Coordination: Facilitating communication across a wide variety of departments, researching and vetting venues for events, overseeing contract negotiations in conjunction with our lawyers, heavy logistics coordination, organizing and leading planning meetings for events, creating personnel lists, compiling data/telecom/power orders, coordinating transmission, ordering satellite time/maintaining satellite grids based on programming, conducting budget reviews, tracking and facilitating Newsgroup coverage requests in addition to our primary coverage, coordinating with vendors, venues, and other outside entities, making assignments/managing crew movements, communicating with field teams, writing detailed logistics/planning notes for distribution to all staff on the event, and closing out events with post mortem meetings/notes and budget finalization

Field Production/Site Management:

Producing coverage of special events live to air. Helping to determine all resources needed, including staffing, gear, workspace, and transmission needs for all platforms; setting up remote workspaces; executing the event plan from set-up to event day to breakdown in a variety of capacities, including but not limited to working on set, working in a production truck, working backstage, managing an anchor or live shot location, overseeing Newsgroups, or coordinating from a workspace on site

Control Room Remote/Live Shot Coordination:

Knowledge of CNN internal lines, technology capabilities, and routing; coordinate live shots and switch IFBs in the control room; comfort in control room environment for a variety of event types, including Presidential overseas trips, election coverage, and other major special events

The Essentials
• College Degree preferred
• 8+ years of experience as an assignment editor, producer or reporter in television newsroom
• 5+ years of field production experience
• Knowledge of a broad cross-section of teams/functions such as the Assignment Desks, Operations, Field Engineering, Satellites, Lighting, and Scenic
• Knowledge of network pools and CNN's role in the pool structure is a plus
• General understanding of control room workflow – both technical and editorial
• Displays curiosity, exercises strong news judgment, and finds new and innovative ways to tell the story
• Ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships; values the diversity of people, programming, and perspectives
• Thinks broadly – sees the ''big picture'' – but also focuses on the little pictures
• Ability coordinate and lead individuals and teams during the event
• Strong communication across all level of the organization
• Strong organization skills and attention to detail
• Works well under pressure and fast paced environment
• Requires traveling and willing to work overnights, weekends, & holidays based on event schedule or news coverage

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-gpj2o0-18-189-178-37-42 in your application.