Project Specialist (Custom Content and Services)

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world's population sees AP journalism every day.

 

The Associated Press seeks a Project Specialist for its Custom Content and Assignment business. Custom Content and Assignments is a business within the Commercial and Digital Sales department that generates significant revenue by providing editorial and commercial photo and video assignment services worldwide.  It offers brands, organizations, and agencies a way to create and distribute custom content created in conjunction with the Associated Press Content Services team.

 

The Project Specialist is responsible for producing video and photo assignments.  Duties include the collection of assignment details from account managers and clients, creation and updating of assignment briefs, call sheets, leading with crew selection, communicating shoot requirements to production teams, communicating directly with clients to understand their requirements, delivering the generated content to clients and reconciling billing and cost reports.

 

The ideal candidate will possess a unique blend of business, project, technical and communication skills, must be highly self-motivated, able to multi-task and meet tight deadlines in a demanding market. To be considered, you must be detail-oriented, have flexibility with scheduling and be available to occasionally work nights and weekends. The ability to work in a team environment, be adept at problem solving, priority driven, and able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with all levels of management and clients is key to success in this role.

 

 

Key Responsibilities:

• Work with the Senior Production Manager to draft budgets, production schedules and workflows.

• Interface closely with account managers and clients to determine their needs.

• Review creative briefs and storyboards with clients and disseminate to department heads.

• Track video post-production deliveries to various distribution portals and build and maintain video production schedules and edit timelines.

• Coordinate crewing and equipment resources.

• Communicate clearly and effectively with ENG video crews and still photographers.

• Liaise with account managers to gather assignment details and requirements.

• Monitor end-to-end progress of multiple shoots simultaneously, including close communication with crew on designated shoot days making sure jobs are on schedule and will meet client specification.

• Handle video and photo files of all types.

• Transcoding and exporting of video files.

• Quality control on fulfilled jobs from both an image quality and caption perspective for still shoots, so that distributed photographs follow client specifications and AP-style guidelines.

• Ensure all assignments are correctly billed and cost reports are reconciled in a timely manner.

 

Requirements:

• 2+ years’ experience working in Postproduction and/or Production within a production company or media environment (broadcast PR company, stock photo agency, publishing, wire photo news agency, etc.) with duties that include coordination of multiple projects/assignments simultaneously.

• Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite and Premiere.

• Working knowledge of Photo Mechanic, Photoshop, and Apples OS and Windows operating systems required.

• Excellent interpersonal communication / customer service skills with colleagues, superiors, clients, vendors, and editors a must – both oral and written.

• Knowledge of video workflows, photography, and photo production.

• Must be self-motivated and detail oriented.

• Eagerness to learn all aspects of the photography industry, new systems, new processes, and each new photo assignment and task.

• Ability to work nights and weekends when necessary.

• Domestic and International travel.

 

Authorization to work in the U.S. for any employer is mandatory. Advanced-level professional competency in written and spoken English language is required.

 

 

We will consider strong candidates who do not meet every listed qualification. You may use a cover letter to describe the unique qualifications you would bring to this role.

 

Application Deadline:  January 19, 2024 @ 11:59 PM ET

 

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