CAREER GUIDE FOR TECHNICAL DIRECTORS

SOC Code: 27-2012.05

Pay Band(s): 3 and 4             (Salary Structure)

Standard Occupational Description: Coordinate activities of technical departments, such as taping, editing, engineering, and maintenance, to produce radio or television programs.

Technical Director positions in the Commonwealth are assigned to the following Roles in the Media and Production Services Career Group:

Media Specialist II

Media Specialist III

While Technical Directors within the Commonwealth are all located within the Media and Production Services Career Group, individuals may want to pursue other opportunities within the Commonwealth depending upon individual training, education, knowledge, skills, abilities, and interests.   

Other Career Group(s) that may be of interest are:

Engineering Technology

Electronics

Engineering Services

General Administration

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES AND TASKS

(Technical and Functional Expertise)

Skills
Note: The technical and functional skills listed below are based on general occupational qualifications for Technical Directors commonly recognized by most employers.  Typically, you will not be required to have all of the skills listed to be a successful performer.  Recruitment and selection standards for an individual state job must be based on the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities for that job as indicated in the job announcement and job description in the Employee Work Profile.

  1. Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  2. Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
  3. Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  4. Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
  5. Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  6. Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  7. Teaching others how to do something.
  8. Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  9. Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  10. Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Knowledge
Note: The technical and functional knowledge statements listed below are based on general occupational qualifications for Technical Directors commonly recognized by most employers.  Typically, you will not be required to have all of the knowledge listed to be a successful performer.  Recruitment and selection standards for an individual state job must be based on the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities for that job as indicated in the job announcement and job description in the Employee Work Profile.

The Knowledge of:

  1. Business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  2. Media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
  3. Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
  4. Principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Abilities
Note: The technical and functional abilities listed below are based on general occupational qualifications for Technical Directors commonly recognized by most employers.  Typically, you will not be required to have all of the abilities listed to be a successful performer.  Recruitment and selection standards for an individual state job must be based on the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities for that job as indicated in the job announcement and job description in the Employee Work Profile.

The Ability to:

  1. Speak clearly so others can understand you.
  2. Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  3. Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  4. Concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
  5. See details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  6. In a rapidly changing environment shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
  7. Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  8. Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  9. Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  10. See details at a distance.

Tasks
Note:  The following is a list of sample tasks typically performed by Directors.  Employees in this occupation will not necessarily perform all of the tasks listed. 

  1. Confer with operations directors in order to formulate and maintain fair and attainable technical policies for programs.
  2. Direct technical aspects of newscasts and other productions, checking and switching between video sources, and taking responsibility for the on-air product, including camera shots and graphics.
  3. Discuss filter options, lens choices, and the visual effects of objects being filmed with photography directors and video operators.
  4. Follow instructions from production managers and directors during productions, such as commands for camera cuts, effects, graphics, and takes.
  5. Monitor broadcasts in order to ensure that programs conform to station or network policies and regulations.
  6. Observe pictures through monitors, and direct camera and video staff concerning shading and composition.
  7. Supervise and assign duties to workers engaged in technical control and production of radio and television programs.
  8. Test equipment in order to ensure proper operation.
  9. Train workers in use of equipment such as switchers, cameras, monitors, microphones, and lights.
  10. Act as liaisons between engineering and production departments.

INTERESTED?

Like people, occupations have traits or characteristics.  These characteristics give important clues about the nature of the work and work environment, and give you an opportunity to match your own personal interests to a specific occupation.  When you choose a job in an occupation that matches your own interests you have taken an important step in planning a successful and rewarding career.

The occupation of Technical Director has Realistic, Artistic and Enterprising characteristics as described below:

Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

 Artistic — Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

LICENSURE, REGISTRATION, OR CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

Generally this is not required for Technical Director positions in state government.

EDUCATIONAL, TRAINING, AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES 

Technical directors must have an understanding of the principles, theories and techniques of television, video, and radio production, including directing, editing, using new technologies such as mixed media and principles of supervision.  The technical director must have skill in the use and operation of video, film and cameras, and broadcast-level studio, remote, and editing equipment.

Most employers prefer hiring individuals who have graduated from an accredited college or university with major studies in broadcasting, media, television, communications or a related field.

The State Council of Higher Education (SCHEV) lists many Virginia educational institutions offering programs in those educational fields mentioned above on their web site: http://research.schev.edu/degreeinventory/inventory_

Virginia's universities are the primary employers of Technical Directors.

For more information on the universities in Virginia, see the web site http://www.virginia.gov/cmsportal/education_836/education_1007/universities_1257/index.html

COMMONWEALTH COMPETENCIES

Competencies are a set of identified behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities that directly and positively impact the success of employees and the organization. Competencies can be observed and measured.  When consistently demonstrated, competencies make employees particularly effective in their work.  Competencies help lay out a road map to career success.  You can use the Commonwealth Competencies to help improve your individual performance by adopting behaviors that make high performing employees successful in their jobs. In this way, you can use the Commonwealth Competencies for your further professional development.

The Commonwealth Competencies are:

  1. Technical and Functional Expertise
  2. Understanding the Business     
  3. Achieving Results
  4. Serving the Customer
  5. Teamwork
  6. Interpersonal and Communication Skills
  7. Leadership and Personal Effectiveness

The above competencies may be applied to employees throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia.  They can be rank-ordered by agencies and hiring managers to represent the needs of a specific job.  The rank ordering will change depending upon the occupation, an organization's priorities, the actual job requirements, and the supervisor's preferences. 

Career success is both about what you do (applying your technical knowledge, skills, and ability) and how you do it (the consistent behaviors you demonstrate and choose to use) while interacting and communicating with others.  Hopefully, by studying the Commonwealth competencies, identifying your developmental opportunities, and working to refine your own competence, you can take charge of your career!

For additional information about the Commonwealth Competencies go to: http://jobs.state.va.us/cc_planningctr.htm.  For the competencies, we first list the competencies and then define each.  Finally, we list competency indicators; to describe what successful performance looks like. 

COMMONWEALTH CAREER PATH

Career opportunities in the Commonwealth are not limited to moving “up” to the next highest role and pay band, changing positions, or to becoming a supervisor.  That's because most roles describe a broad group of occupationally related positions that perform a range of work that requires increased knowledge and skills.  For that reason, Commonwealth roles describe the career paths within the same or higher-level role for the same or different Career Group.  The broad salary range and the Commonwealth's pay practices provide flexibility in recognizing career development and advancement. (Salary Structure)

For example: Technical Directors

     

PAY BANDS

MANAGER ROLES
         
     

4

Media Manager I
     

5

Media Manager II
         

Sample Career Path

Media Manager I

The Media Manager I role provides a career track for managers responsible for technical direction of radio and/or television programs to include engineering, editing and maintenance.

Media Manager II

The Media Manager II role provides a career track for managers responsible for providing leadership and creativity in directing multi-media services used by state agencies for promotional, educational and informational purposes.

ADDITIONAL OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND AT: 

O*NET (Occupational Information Network) 

http://online.onetcenter.org/gen_search_page

Virginia Employment Commission 

http://www.alex.vec.state.va.us/

Career One Stop

  http://www.careeronestop.org/

Virginia Career Resource Network 

http://www.vacrn.net/

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists:

http://www.aftra.org/aftra/aftra.htm