Production Associate

About the Role

The PBS KIDS Distribution team is seeking a Production Associate to support the Assistant Director, Content Operations & Scheduling, with day-to-day post-production operations. The team manages content operations for PBS KIDS, overseeing series delivery and serving as producers' day-to-day contact throughout post-production.

Key Responsibilities

Scheduling

• Support the Assistant Director, Content Operations & Scheduling, in coordinating daily feed schedules and the broadcast/linear rollout strategy, including series launches, promo priorities, marathons, and the PBS KIDS Family Night block.
• Maintain seasonal episode documents and transfer them to the PBS KIDS Distribution document.
• Ensure accessibility-related programming (e.g., American Sign Language and Spanish-language episodes) meets required episode counts and legal restrictions.

Content Operations

• Serve as the primary liaison between PBS KIDS Distribution and the PBS Packaging team, managing re-deliveries, program formats, MOC rundowns, and related requests.
• Support the Assistant Director with program delivery by monitoring each show's Box folder and working closely with producers throughout post-production to ensure adherence to programming, packaging, and deliverable guidelines.
• Notify internal PBS KIDS teams when producer deliverables arrive, and confirm that assets are labeled correctly, filed in the correct folders, and meet specs.
• Manage the Media Operations Streaming Video Automation List, a spreadsheet that tracks digital video assets from producer delivery through ingestion and editing to final handoff to PBS KIDS Distribution team.
• Liaise between PBS Station Services and Packaging to support station requests for local content screenings.
• Track YouTube uploads to ensure they meet count requirements and rights restrictions.
• Manage ingestion, uploading, and distribution of PBS KIDS podcasts via PRX and Media Manager.
• Assist producers with paperwork for incoming programs, including Packaging Forms, formats, and Underwriting Clearance Certificates (UCCs).
• Act as secondary contact for producer communications on delivery, technical specifications, and other operational questions.
• Serve as secondary department contact for program underwriting, managing SAFs, sponsorship edits, and UCC modifications.

Accessibility, Metadata & Compliance

• Check videos for accurate accessibility features, including closed captioning, descriptive audio, Spanish audio, and American Sign Language, when available.
• Re-ingest and re-upload programs with missing or incomplete accessibility features.
• Collect episode descriptions and curriculum information from producers and distribute them to internal systems (Metadata Document, Rightsline).
• Review episodic credits to confirm they adhere to Programming and Standards & Practices guidelines.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Experience in media, broadcast, streaming, production, or post-production.
• Familiarity with PBS KIDS content, products, and knowledge of the children’s media landscape.
• Experience with PBS or member station operations and procedures desirable.
• Proficiency with database programming.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-departmental teams.
• Ability to work under stressful circumstances, meet deadlines, and react to change productively.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field.
• Excellent project management and organizational skills – working with multiple projects in numerous stages of development and completion.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Passion for children’s media and early childhood learning.
• Strong operational skills.
• Ability to identify and evaluate sensitive or problematic material in programs.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills – diplomacy is a must.
• Sound judgment, professional maturity, and integrity.
• A curious person with a high energy level and strong work ethic.