Photography and Video Specialist job - Colby College - Waterville, ME

Date: 05/13/2015

POSITION VACANCY

Founded in 1813, Colby is one of America’s most selective colleges. Serving only undergraduates, Colby’s rigorous academic program is rooted in deep exploration of ideas and close interaction with world-class faculty scholars. Students pursue intellectual passions, choosing among 56 majors or developing their own. Independent and collaborative research, study abroad, and internships offer robust opportunities to prepare students for postgraduate success. Colby is home to a community of 1,850 dedicated and diverse students from around the globe. Its Maine location provides easy access to world-class research institutions and civic engagement experiences.

Under the leadership of its new president, David A. Greene, Colby is building on this strong foundation while remaining committed to excellence, to supporting students and faculty at the highest levels, and to the College’s deep liberal arts traditions. This new chapter includes plans for creating innovative academic initiatives and partnerships, strengthening the connections between the liberal arts and the professional world, revitalizing downtown Waterville, and pursuing significant capital projects for performing arts and athletics. Colby invites applicants to apply for the position of:

PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO SPECIALIST

Office of Communications

Full-Time, Fiscal Year, Exempt, Administrative Staff Appointment

Reporting to the Director of Creative Services, Colby is seeking a highly productive, creative collaborator to serve as the College’s first staff member dedicated to photography and video production. This position is responsible for creating photography and video communications pieces that are published in both print and digital formats that steward the College’s visual identity consistent with Colby’s mission and Communication’s vision. The candidate selected will partner with an inspired Communications team to conceptualize, plan, coordinate, and execute video and photography projects that tell compelling stories about Colby’s students, faculty, and alumni for use in a variety of College related media.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Work both independently and with direction to capture compelling visual stories that best convey Colby’s distinctive strengths

Shoot still photographs and video for Colby audiences and communication channels (social, print, and web)

Conceive and capture images that depict college life using creativity, initiative, judgment, and technical skill

Work with design staff to create innovative visual concepts for communication channels

Balance a project’s creative requirements within schedule, budget, and resource limitations

Convey a passion for telling Colby’s story by translating the College’s brand strategy into integrated media solutions

Provide photo support for events that can include evenings and weekends

Responsible for coordinating video production including storyboards, shooting photography, recording audio, video editing, final production, and exporting to final formats

Complete all elements of a shoot, including lighting, audio, and image capture – from concept/creative direction to completion

Digital Asset Management including input of metadata and ingesting files in a timely fashion

Continuously strengthen individual capabilities by staying current with best photo and video practices, new/emerging technologies, and visual media techniques

Maintain ongoing, positive dialogue during creative development with supervisor and internal customers

Participate in numerous ongoing and future Communications related projects

Adherence to deadlines in this fast-paced environment is critical

May be asked to contribute to Colby’s social media presence

Perform additional duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:
Four-year bachelor degree in photography, film, videography, related areas, or a liberal arts degree with relevant experience preferred

Typically 1-3 years of photo/video experience through a minimum of college work and internships

Experience in an educational or nonprofit setting ideal

Must be comfortable acting as producer and director on shoots while communicating with clients on location

Strong attention to detail and a commitment to delivering highly-polished results under strict time constraints

Must be organized, take initiative, and utilize strong time management skills

Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

Able to communicate well with others and take direction when needed

Valid driver’s license required, as well as the ability to travel with photo or video gear when required

Demonstrated experience in shooting photographs and video, with experience in lighting, synchronizing multiple cameras, recording audio, video editing, and final production

Significant experience with Adobe Creative Suite 6 including Photoshop, Premier, Final Cut Pro, or other professional editing software required

Demonstrate a high level of professionalism, an extraordinary degree of self-motivation, a natural tendency toward collaboration, deep respect for the kind of learning that happens at Colby, and a commitment to contributing to make Colby one of the leading colleges in the world

Flexibility to work some nights and weekends is essential

Solid background in creative problem solving, strategic brainstorming, collaborating proactively, and creative execution

Strong positive communication and interpersonal skills with all levels; ability to clearly articulate visual design concepts to clients; talent to establish/maintain effective working relations, and an ability to work with a culturally diverse population

An ability to work autonomously, swiftly, and effectively on multiple projects

Excellent troubleshooting skills to diagnose and minimize technical issues in order to optimize shooting time

Ability to take feedback and creative criticism professionally, using it to refine projects

Portfolio of relevant photography and/or video

KEY RELATIONSHIPS: This position has significant interactions with faculty and staff, students, alumni, and other outside constituencies.

PHYSICAL EFFORT/ENVIRONMENT :
General open office and campus environment. Position involves sitting, although frequent movement is necessary. Walking, standing, bending, twisting, and lifting heavy photography/video equipment required. Computer usage involving repetitive hand/wrist motion also necessary. Some travel and evening/weekend work is needed.