Describer - Media Access Group at GBH in New York, New York

Job Description:

GBH enriches people's lives through programs and services that educate, inspire, and entertain, fostering citizenship and culture, the joy of learning, and the power of diverse perspectives.

At GBH, we believe in the advantages of coming together to build community, mentor and learn from colleagues, and connect more deeply with our mission. As a result, the majority of our staff are hybrid and work both from home and onsite. Our current hybrid approach requires staff to work onsite a minimum of two days each week, every Tuesday and one other day, to be determined by their business unit. Hybrid staff are also welcome to come in additional days each week or may be asked to come in on other days by their manager.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The Media Access Group creates captions, subtitles and descriptions for a variety of media clients, including PBS and commercial television networks, movies, DVDs, and digital media. The Media Access Group (MAG) is a pioneer in making media accessible for people with sensory disabilities. The Caption Center (TCC) was the first captioning agency in the world. We helped pioneer the development of line-21 closed captioning for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing and we remain on the forefront of caption technology.

Our audio description unit, Descriptive Video Service (DVS), provides important information to individuals who are blind and visually impaired about the visual elements of movies, television programs, theme park attractions, art pieces and museum exhibits by narrative audio tracks.

JOB OVERVIEW & RESPONSIBILITIES

Under the supervision of the DVS Operations Manager, the Describer is responsible for the development of written descriptions of the visual elements of dramatic, historic and family-oriented programs from selected public and broadcast network television series, feature films and environmental installations.  Descriptions will be created to fit within pauses in program narration and dialogue, or to describe the environment of physical spaces and the experiences found therein. Schedule flexibility will be necessary to accommodate workflow. Overtime will occasionally be mandatory according to project deadlines.

SKILL SET

• Candidates must demonstrate superior writing and editing skills including clarity, accuracy and speed.




• Excellent observation skills, high levels of focus and attention to detail and the ability to work under time constraints are essential.




• Proven experience in a variety of dramatic forms, consistency in meeting writing and editing deadlines, and a high rate of productivity is expected.




• Candidates should also possess strong typing skills and familiarity with personal computers. General knowledge of video and audio files is preferred.




• Experience with sensory disabilities is desirable.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience required. 1- 3 years experience required.

JOB SPECIFICS

Temporary position

Remote position

GBH is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve are diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, GBH does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment, or promotion based on race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. 

Application Process Assistance

GBH will reasonably accommodate applicants with disabilities who need adjustments to participate in the application or interview process. To initiate an accommodation request, contact the Human Resource department by sending an email to human_resources@wgbh.org or by calling 617-300-2000.