NPR’s corporate sponsorship subsidiary, National Public Media, is hiring a full-time audio producer to join its in-house creative agency, NPM Creative. The Sponsorship Audio Producer will own the production of NPM’s short-form custom audio sponsorship format, Brand Soundscapes, to be featured in NPR podcasts and NPR digital platforms. This position reports to NPM’s Senior Director of Sponsorship Products.
The successful candidate will be a creative, collaborative producer and interviewer who can work with corporate sponsors to make content that creates brand value while respecting NPR’s sponsorship storytelling aesthetic and guidelines. We are looking for someone that can bring fresh ideas to the world of audio sponsorship that will excite brands and engage with the audience. This position is an opportunity to build upon a new model for public media audio sponsorship.
The Sponsorship Audio Producer will both create custom audio pieces and manage their production with a small, select group of experienced freelancers. This person will provide and receive creative feedback to and from the sponsor and their agency to craft the best story for the sponsor.
This position is located at NPR headquarters in Washington, DC and requires up to 25% travel.
Produces audio creative for NPR sponsors
- Conducts brand research to help develop concepts for potential Soundscapes
- Leads pre-production conversation with sponsor and agency
- Translates sponsor goals and requirements (as outlined in a creative brief) into a clear vision for short-form audio pieces and mid-rolls
- Conducts pre-interviews and prepares sample interview questions
- Records audio on location at sponsor facilities as-needed
- Conducts interviews in-studio at stations near the subject’s location
- Conducts interviews remotely as-needed
- Tracks their own narration of Soundscape script as-needed
- Incorporates multiple rounds of client and legal feedback into script revisions
- Collaborates with composer to create original compositions for Soundscapes that match the tone of the brand and story
- Edits and mixes each Soundscape into a variety of formats for distribution on platforms that include web, mobile apps, podcasts, and smart speakers.
Manages the audio production business of NPM Creative
- Hires and manages contracts for freelancers
- Facilitates approvals both internally and with clients
- Manages budget and expenses for Soundscapes production
- Works with the NPM Creative team to ensure campaigns launch as scheduled with all deliverables in place
- Works with vendors that support off-platform distribution
Serves as the Subject Matter Expert for all things audio on the NPM Creative team
- Consults on copy for NPM’s other audio sponsorship products
- Participates in sponsorship product development conversations
- Develops and participates in user testing initiatives
- Tracks narration and provides feedback to the Voice of Underwriting for Newscast and Digital Downloads as-needed
- At least five years of radio production experience on broadcast digital audio workstations (i.e. MTE/DAVID, Dalet, ProTools or similar)
- At least five years of experience conducting interviews and voicing creative
- At least five years of experience working with daily deadlines
- At least five years of copywriting experience
- Strong communication skills, both written and oral
- Ability to work with clients in a way that is constructive and provides a positive customer experience
- Demonstrated ability to assimilate and organize large amounts of information
- Proven ability to consistently work well with others
- Proven ability to manage multiple deadlines
Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Experience working in public media (radio or podcasts)
- Experience and interest in advertising
- Strong sense of shaping big ideas and narrative arcs under daily deadline pressure
- Experience with producing multi-track sonic sequences and editing short-form interview feature segments.
- Experience producing in and operating digital audio self-op facilities.
- Understanding of FTC guidelines
- Project management experience preferred