Senior Audio Producer

The New York Times is looking for a senior audio producer for a new weekly interview podcast. You are a true subject-matter omnivore—interested in and excited by influential figures in the worlds of culture, sports, business, wellness, world affairs, politics and beyond. You are insatiably curious, idea-driven, a self-starter, enthusiastic about launching new shows and a true team player and problem-solver. You should thrive in a newsroom environment, responding to and understanding the driving forces behind big news moments. You should love, and see the value in, intimate conversation, and get jazzed by the work of helping a host draw out revealing, surprising, defining moments from guests. You should be as enthusiastic about hearing from an aging cultural icon as an internet influencer, and have a thoughtful eye for relevance. Journalistic rigor is at the heart of everything you do.

The position will be based in New York or Washington, DC.

Responsibilities:

Work with the team and New York Times leadership to develop the goals of a new interview show

Assist team leadership in developing programming plans

Work with two accomplished hosts, understanding their different approaches to interviews and how to get the most out of them

Create detailed and realistic production plans for each episode in collaboration with an editor and communicate that plan clearly

Work with hosts and guests in various recording situations — in studio, in person, remote

Communicate clearly with guests’ assistants and representatives

Pitch ideas for guests with a driving idea behind why we should talk to this person, and why now

Conduct deep research – become a subject matter expert for each interview – and turn that research into productive prep for the host, who will also become a subject matter expert. Sometimes this research will involve reaching out to the relevant desk or beat reporter in the wider NYT newsroom for their expertise.

Write interview questions in collaboration with host and editor

Write introductions in the host’s voice that frames the ideas in the interview to come, in collaboration with host and editor

Produce full interviews from start to finish

Exercise editorial judgment that reflects sophistication and takes into account length, pacing and tone

Cut tape on a tight deadline, with technical proficiency and minimal oversight

Consistently select tape to shape a coherent and compelling conversation, using music, archive materials where appropriate

Receive and incorporate edits

Engage in and receive feedback with curiosity and flexibility

Work with fact-checker to ensure accuracy

Work with engineer to finalize technical aspects of the show

Basic Qualifications:

7+ years experience in audio production

Experience in a fast-paced news environment

Strong interest in and familiarity with the influential figures shaping our culture

Experience producing interviews, engineering recording sessions, and shaping interviews with a sense of the big idea

Expertise in audio editing, ideally using Pro Tools

Experience working with hosts
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Preferred Qualifications:

Experience working on collaborative teams, full of ideas and able to both pitch great ones and throw the bad ones out

Demonstrated success in creating innovative content under pressure

Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, deadlines, editorial judgment and time-management

An independent work ethic combined with a love for and patience with the collaborative process

Experience working on new show is a plus

Editorial judgment reflective of Times mission and principles

This position is represented by the NewsGuild of NY.

The annual base pay salary for this role is between $120,126.82 and $135,000.00.