Media Preparation Specialist

Working within the Registrar’s Office, the Media Preparation Specialist is an important team member, responsible for collections care, including item-level check-ins and media preparation. This position offers the right candidate a unique opportunity to be immersed in a resource-rich environment at a fast-growing company. The position is first shift, 8am-4pm, M-F, 40/hrs week. This position is eligible for the company's benefits package, including company-sponsored medical insurance (Independence Blue Cross); voluntary SIMPLE-IRA contributions with matching; and 15 days PTO, as well as company holidays. The pay rate starts at $20 hourly, depending on experience.

Checking in and out client original media (40%)

• Inspect condition of original audiovisual media upon arrival
• Ensure all media is returned to the client
• Update database with condition notes
• Maintain original containers and housing for return if necessary

Assist with media preparation for audio, video and film materials (40%)

• Move materials into and out of low-temperature ovens
• Clean video cassettes using automated tape cleaning machines
• Assist with monitoring flow of materials in media prep space
• Assist with mold remediation needs for audio, video, and film materials
• Take photos of original media according to client specifications on an as needed basis.
• Visually identify, inspect, and clean film; assess quality of various elements received
• Report perf or frame damage; splice repair and special treatment as needed
• Record metadata into FileMaker Pro database
• Rehouse and re-label material into new film cans, as necessary

Cataloging and permanent storage (10%)

• Performs cataloging of permanent holdings of audiovisual media on a regular basis including recording dates, titles, formats and other relevant metadata.
• Performs cataloging of client media on an as needed basis.

Assist with vault maintenance (5%)

• Assist in maintaining a clean and organized warehouse; break down and assemble boxes as needed; assist in monitoring storage spaces for temperature and humidity, environmental hazards, safety, and cleanliness
• Shift materials within the vault and warehouse as needed; create and update vault locations within database
• Assist with retrieving materials from storage based on needs of production and media preparation
• Communicate effectively with other departments

Courier trips and shipping (5%)

• Drive trucks/vans (or personal vehicle when appropriate) to and from NY, Boston and DC on a regular basis to return and pick up client media.
• Assists with creating itineraries
• Ensures that clients receive all media back
• Wraps pallets on an as needed basis

Other tasks and responsibilities as assigned.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• At least 1 year experience in a library or archives setting or equivalent education
• Fluency in computer use; specifically the Mac environment
• Reliable transportation to our Fort Washington, PA office
• Attention to detail
• Ability to handle a high volume, process- and deadline-driven environment
• Ability to work both independently and with a team
• A desire to learn and grow on the job - training in audiovisual preservation provided!
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds and stand for long periods of time
• Valid driver’s license, clean driving record and ability to drive up to a 26 foot truck.

Preferred qualifications:

• Coursework in library and information science
• Experience in shipping, receiving, and pallet wrapping.

To apply for this position, email a cover letter and resume to hayley.brooks@georgeblood.com with “Media Preparation Specialist - Your Name” in the subject line.

Building Maintenance and Groundskeeper

George Blood Audio, L.P. – Fort Washington, PA 19034

Overview: The Building Maintenance and Groundskeeper at GBLP will ensure that the company and its staff are working in a clean and well-stocked environment. Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, this employee will…

Responsibilities:

• Perform basic repairs and maintenance tasks around the building
• Weed, apply mulch, and other basic gardening tasks
• Collect and remove trash from building
• Restock cleaning and bathroom supplies
• Mop and vacuum as needed
• Assist with unloading large deliveries as needed

Education and skills:

• Able to lift up to 50 lbs unaided
• Willing to become pallet jack trained and certified in the six months of hire (we cover cost)
• Comfortable on your feet for extended periods of time
• Proactive mindset; looks for what needs doing
• Additional qualifications preferred, but not required:
• Experience with gardening
• Basic knowledge of carpentry

Schedule: M-F day shift Starting salary TBD - plus benefits including medical, retirement, paid time off.

How to Apply

Email office.manager@georgeblood.com with a cover letter and your resume. Please use the subject line "Your Name - Building Maintenance".

Project Manager

The Project Manager is a key team member, responsible for managing a portfolio of projects which includes planning, coordination, and implementation of each project within the scope of client-driven budgets, timelines, and quality expectations. They also effectively monitor and present project updates to relevant stakeholders, clients, or project team members.

As our project managers are the primary point of contact between George Blood LP and the institutions we interact with, the ideal candidate brings excellent people skills combined with project management experience. If you are an information professional with a passion for preserving audiovisual media and strong project management experience, we encourage you to apply. This position offers the right candidate a unique opportunity to be immersed in a resource-rich environment at a fast-growing company. This position is a career accelerator that can move you from entry level positions to management positions.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with client through project life cycle to manage client expectations, provide updates and provide superior customer service
• Manage preservation projects from inception to completion; work directly with upper management
• Create and review proposals and contracts to understand the scope and budget for implementation
• Create project plans with timelines and milestones for internal production teams
• Monitor project deliverables, including shipments, metadata, and quality control for timely completion
• Monitor progress against project budget and create invoices
• Collaborate with the multiple departments responsible for project execution * Work with staff programmers to develop tools for managing media and metadata * Update relevant stakeholders and team members on project progress * Coach and support colleagues as needed to foster ongoing project progression
• Proactively address potential obstacles to keep projects on track

Education and Skills

• Master’s degree in Library or Information Science or similar subject preferred, or comparable work experience
• 3-5 years experience in audiovisual archives and digitization preferred, including skills such as:
  • Knowledge of audio and video digital file formats and their application
  • Understanding of the file delivery, processing, and storage workflows common in media production environments and digital preservation
  • Experience with metadata, spreadsheets, and data cleanup
  • Experience handling client or researcher relationships
• Strong leadership and problem-solving skills
• Strong time-management and organizational skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work and remain positive in a fast paced environment
• Ability to be flexible and work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Ability to handle a high volume, process- and deadline-driven environment
• Ability to work independently and with a team
• A desire to learn and grow on the job

Benefits

• $52,000 salary, or more, commensurate with experience
• This position can be partially remote, with one day a week allotted to working from home once set up
• Eligible for the company's benefits package, including company-sponsored medical insurance (Independence Blue Cross); voluntary SIMPLE-IRA contributions with matching; and 15 days PTO, as well as company holidays.
• The opportunity and funding to attend conferences in the field, such as SAA, AMIA, etc.

How to Apply

• Email rose.chiango@georgeblood.com with a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references. Please use the subject line "Your Name - Project Manager".

Obsolete Data Media Migration Specialist

Position:

Over nearly six decades, many technologies and physical formats have been used to store data: 9-track tapes, 5.25” floppy discs, dozens of cartridge formats, and hard drive interfaces. The work of the Obsolete Data Media Migration Specialist consists of three primary areas: 1) use the appropriate hardware, mount the data carrier; 2) extract the binary information from the carrier; 3) extract the logical files; sometimes migrating the logical file to a current technology is also required (such as translating EBCDIC text to ASCII or UTF, or WordStar to Word). Projects range from a handful of media to thousands, from a “box of stuff” to reverse engineering backup environments for old operating systems. The task is not “data recovery” of failed hard drives or related work.

Responsibilities:

• Assess and process client-provided media and accompanying inventory & metadata
• Coordinate and manage media preparation and conservation, as needed
• Using existing software tools or acquiring/designing new tools, migrate data from the carrier
• Using existing software tools or acquiring/designing new tools, extract logical files
• Work alone or with other staff IT professionals solving migration bottlenecks
• Develop workflows, scripts, automation (software and hardware) to improve efficiency
• Track media as they go through the migration workflow
• Manage hardware inventory, identify new purchases, assist in purchasing
• Work with sales and project managers to estimate hours of effort for projects
• Liaise with Production Manager to proactively manage resource allocation
• Manage security of data, including PII, PHI, HIPAA, encryption, and air gap requirements
• Clearly document each recovery process, building a knowledgebase to refer to for similar future projects

Qualifications:

• Master's degree in computer or information science, or comparable work experience required
• Strong project management and problem-solving skills required
• Background in obsolete hardware (5.25” floppy, 9-track, Travan, Exabyte, S/AIT, S/DLT, etc.)
• Background in obsolete computer interfaces (parallel, RS232, RS422, SCSI-family, IEEE1394, etc.)
• Familiarity with obsolete operating systems, (DOS, VAX, Windows, Apple, Mac, Kaypro, UNIX, LINUX, etc.)
• Scripting and coding skills desirable
• Excellent communication skills and ability to coordinate with staff from all departments required
• Staffing – allocating exiting staff or hiring new - will depend on project scope, scale and skillset; candidate should expect to perform all steps themselves; this is a doing job, not a managing-of-others job
• Time-management and stress-management skills required – ability to complete jobs within estimated hours and schedule
• Ability to rapidly change between tasks and environments required – multiple migrations and projects may be running concurrently
• Strong verbal, written and organizational skills required
• Prior experience with FileMaker Pro preferred – our production management application is built and managed in-house in FMP
• Willingness and ability to influence and persuade teams to accomplish project goals
• Ability to work independently

Benefits:

• Eligible for company’s benefits package, including company-sponsored medical insurance; voluntary SIMPLE-IRA contributions with matching, and PTO, as well as company holidays

Application Instructions: Please send cover letter, resume, and three references via e-mail attachment to: george.blood@georgeblood.com and include “Obsolete Data – Your Name” as subject.

Administrative Assistant

**Responsibilities:

• Proposals: Reviewing incoming requests for proposals, filling out templates, and entering client contact information in our database, maintaining proposal lists in coordination with the President, filling out contracts and online forms (~40%)
• Marketing: Creating content for and scheduling social media posts and mass emails, writing blog posts and updating content on our website, preparing collateral for conferences, support for quarterly in-person events (~40%)
• General Administration: Ordering supplies, answering the phone, arranging and picking up catering, and making bank deposits (~20%)

**Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree or comparable experience
• Understanding of proposal lifecycle; previous arts-sector work
• Experience using databases to enter and locate information
• Motivated self-starter who looks for what needs doing
• A flexible and collaborative approach to working with others
• Very organized with attention to detail

**Preferred:

• Interest in audiovisual preservation and cultural heritage
• Experience in audio or video production

Application Instructions: Please email resume, cover letter, and contact information to the Office Manager at office.manager@georgeblood.com with “Administrative Assistant” in the subject line.

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Interviews will begin immediately.