Podcast Production Assistant, How I Built This

Job Description

Assists in producing program material for How I Built This, a weekly podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists, and their personal stories about how they got to where they got. The show is a narrative journey marked by triumphs, failures, serendipity and insight. How I Built This is a highly produced interview-based program, hosted by NPR’s Guy Raz. Guests include change-makers and industrialists, thought-leaders and risk-takers.

Assists host, producers and other contributors to the program. Assists in generating story and interview ideas. Edits audio. Conducts research and assists in arranging interviews. Writes news and program copy and production material. Supports live events production. Content for digital media is an integral part of NPR's product, and employee will be expected to contribute audio and digital material. Strong skills in working with Seamus and coordinating efforts with the Online Production team.

Essential Duties

Edits audio.
• Edits host interviews, archive audio, and actualities
• Prepares scripts and other materials as required
• Builds sub-sections of program by editing, scripting and linking two or more related pieces, music and other elements

Assists in producing program material for host, producers, and others in studio.
• Works with host, producers, and others in arranging for related elements to complete or supplement a piece

Generates segment and interview ideas.
• Researches and pitches ideas for interviews and segments
• Conducts research and assists in arranging interviews
• Pre-interviews guests and prepares research material for host

Writes program copy.
• Drafts copy for host interviews and features
• Writes open and return copy.

Bargaining unit employees may be given assignments on different platforms, such as multimedia production, including producing Web text, interactive material and multimedia content.

Supports Live Events Production.
• Researches and pitches ideas for interviews and segments
• Conducts research and assists in arranging interviews
• Pre-interviews guests and prepares research material for host
• Collaborates with digital teams to provide technical support for events
• Facilitates audience engagement in real time with host and guests
• Ensures audio of live events is properly recorded remotely and transferred
Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.

Required:
• At least 1.5 years’ experience in broadcasting
• At least 1.5 years’ experience in news journalism
• At least 1.5 years’ journalism-related research, with ability to collect, organize and disseminate information
• Strong digital media skills, including proficiency in social media as both a newsgathering technique and, especially, as a way to distribute content.
• Ability to edit audio
• Thorough knowledge of research tools, including computer access data banks
• Demonstrated writing ability
• Demonstrated ability to support live events production
• Demonstrated ability to work quickly and efficiently under deadline pressure. Ability to handle more than one assignment at a time; ability to prioritize, anticipate and communicate effectively
• Ability and willingness to work varied shifts
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team
• 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
• Ability and willingness to relocate. In the future, NPR may choose to transfer employees to other geographic locations. Severance provisions of the AFTRA collective bargaining agreement will apply should you choose not to accept a transfer

Preferred:
• Experience in radio broadcasting
• Experience producing in and operating digital audio self-op facilities
• Interest in entrepreneurship and startup culture

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-d2xoz5-3-145-163-58-42 in your application.