NPR’s Research, Archives & Data Strategy team (RAD) has temporary openings for RAD Information Specialist positions. Information Specialists work on an interdisciplinary cross-discipline team to: deliver deadline-driven research and training; produce metadata; steward audio assets; foster creativity, innovation and learning.
The NPR Research, Archives & Data Strategy Group (RAD) is an award-winning team of knowledge managers, product owners, technologists, taxonomists, researchers, historians, marketers and digital thinkers. We work in a diverse and hybrid setting that blends traditional information skill areas (information evaluation, presentation, indexing, taxonomy, content management, reference interview, reformatting, archiving) with the digital demands of a cutting edge media organization.
RAD Specialists apply best practices in both their data and research work in order to support the current and future information needs of NPR. As research experts, RAD strategists understand the power of data and how to make it valuable, whether it is being shared with other colleagues directly, or flowing seamlessly through systems to generate revenue and create new knowledge sources.
- Deliver research and conduct fact-checking that addresses the business needs of NPR, both in the newsroom and all divisions of NPR
- Analyze and evaluate information resources for research and training
- Create and enrich metadata on deadline about the stories NPR produces on deadline
- Understand and apply principles of taxonomy to support RAD business needs
- Steward the memory of NPR’s digital archives and other historical records in perpetuity
- Understand audio digitization, post-digitization data work, and ingesting paths into our systems
- Understand the interaction between RAD processes and NPR systems, documenting work, and help troubleshoot critical issues
- Understand and collaborate in activities related to audio storage and preservation of NPR assets
- Develop a general comprehension of audio production at NPR, and how audio paths relate to production systems
- Promote the RAD team and its work via social media channels to make RAD work visible
- Partner with others in assignments and projects and share their experience with other RAD specialists
- Demonstrate competence consistently with journalists’ information needs:, audio, visual and music needs related to collections, research, and training
- Stay current with and embrace digital advances in the information field and trends in publishing; establish and maintain contacts with external research audio archives and digital audio practices
- Support and participate in staffing our 7-day-a-week presence in the newsroom
Capabilities, behaviors for success
- Initiative and ability to learn quickly, to manage competing priorities with a positive, constructive, flexible, and cooperative manner
- Able to respond with agility during demanding news cycles, breaking news and special coverage
- Receive and be receptive to specific training and feedback from RAD management and peers and is receptive to feedback
- Effective understanding of NPR deadlines; ability to communicate about them efficiently
- Ability to meet and communicate about deadlines
- Embrace scrum methodology, show agility and commitment to quality, and passion and tenacity for solving problems through creativity and resourcefulness
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
- Optimal use of resources and time, tangible contribution to the team’s work
- Demonstrate proficiency in knowledge and deployment of information resources and recommend acquisitions or other information services purchases
- Maintain an ongoing interest in, and awareness of current events and popular culture
- Effective writing and verbal presentation skills, used to prepare and present information and recommendations to broad and diverse audience, in NPR and in other venues
NPR offers a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package including health and wellness benefits, retirement, and work/life balance programs, as well as opportunities for career growth and development.