Netflix

I discovered a NetFlix job posting for the role of Director of Encoding Operations on the StreamingMedia.com job board – I decided to red-line the job post with the dialogue as I heard it play out in my head -  There is a true irony about the timing and wording of their post, especially in light of the recent announcement Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings made, “Netflix Inc. may allow customers to pay solely for online-video streaming by late this year or 2010 as more viewers watch content directly from the Internet“.  I suppose they have to get it working first though…

The special “skill set” as described is foreboding, to say the least – but jobs are tight and it seems like they are hiring,  so go for it if you qualify.

But, be forewarned – considering that NetFlix is already streaming video content, doesn’t it seem like someone has to have already made a lot of big decisions…   In fact, it reads to me like someone got “stuck” with a lot of tasks they hate doing doing and/or taking responsibility for and they want out of that role -  but do not want to be made to look bad by the new director (i.e. If you go in to your new role and find that everything is a hot mess and that a ton of money was already spent on shiny, well-packaged technology that doesn’t actually work…. you have to go in and make it all better, don’t say anything was mismanaged… be nice!! In the words of Fashion Icon Tim Gunn, “Make it work!” )

As posted on StreamingMedia.com – with comments by Nico in RED below:

As the Director of Encoding Operations, you will be responsible for the management and overall work flow of digital assets streamed to customers via PCs, Macs, and other consumer devices.[You wouldn't be streaming to customers "via" PCs, Macs, and other consumer devices. - you would simply stream to.... devices - people aren't streaming to Netflix,  Netflix is streaming out... ] Reporting to the VP of IT Operations, you will expand upon a proven track record in which your processes, insight, and leadership enabled your business to support and remain ahead of evolving consumer trends and technologies.[What????]

Key will be the ability to act dynamically and accurately to nimble business decisions when the needs arise to deliver new digital assets in one to many encoded formats. [Ok, why is that so key now when there are products out on the market that  are proven to work that you should already own at this juncture?   Right?  They've been doing this for a while, what are they using that down't scale... Uh oh!]
You will establish and leverage key internal relationships, notably with engineers who manage title work flow and staff in our L.A. office who acquire the assets and set priority/timing for title availability. [Someone has been arguing with their Engineers me fears...]
You will also manage vendor relationships, specifically with post houses with whom we partner for various aspects of the work flow and our CDN partners whose networks are used to stream content to our customers. [Has someone been having trouble FTP'ing those big files over without corrupting them?? Hmm??   Oh, and I was taught in Corporate Speak 101 not to call them "vendors" - it's kind of derogatory, we call them "suppliers" these days.]
You will guide/facilitate peer teams through a supply chain evolution, where long-standing processes used to support the DVD business are augmented or replaced in favor of an new digital asset work flow. [We knew that was going to happen, out with the old and in with the new ]
Tools will require augmenting and replacing, where you will be key to decisions which will affect multiple teams and their respective processes.  [You mean convince SMPTE's and Tech heads to accept changes in workflow?  Sure no problem!  They love change and learning how to use new products is their favorite.... Doesn't this job sound great???]

Key success factors include all of the following:

* Establishment and evolution of key metrics, ranging from operational to broad business insight [Don't they already know how to measure success - aren't their key metrics established...  maybe they should call SkyTide?]
* Track record, with examples of setting multi-quarter, multi-year objectives and meeting them [Ok, that's one normal bullet point ]
* Excellent communication skills, providing operational insight to core stakeholders while effectively educating/updating a broader team of interested parties on a recurring basis [Sounds like someone's got a lot of expalining to do and they want YOU to do it for them ))) ]
* Experience with build vs buy vs service decisions (making and influencing) [No one wants to take the blame for those decisions anymore ... I mean, take the credit....]
* Proven track record of process re-engineering, demonstrating how to creatively meet key deadlines when unexpected obstacles arise [Expect the unexpected.... you have to rebuild it but you can't take it down...got it?  Good!]

The individual will also:
* Be able to precisely speak to prior budget investments and articulate how investment decisions were made and why [This is my favorite bullet point...  You need to make them feel better about their past choices... It's like getting into a new relationship and finding out that your new love likes to dress up like a teddy bear and do it in the woods... just put on the bunny suit and do it )  --  it's LIKE that because it's going to be very, very awkward in the room when you do the retrospective on the spend and have to explain it to them... without making anyone look bad... ]
* Speak to SLA’s, what drove them, and how he/she developed architectures to support them [Again, what???  I think you may need a lawyer for this one...dude.....do you need someone to tell you what you just signed and why?  Eeek!]
* Be well connected in the digital asset/streaming industry, having spent ample time with colleagues and vendors to understand common and uncommon processes and diverse technologies [Why?  Don't they have enough "vendors" knocking on their virtual gates?  Gonna take my connects...I don't think so!!  Get yourself on LinkedIn and make friends... Creating new job positions in your company to make friends is not Kosher...]
* Be expected to establish credibility with engineers via a deeply technical skill set [In other words:  Make the mean Engineers stop hurting our feelings...  - Oh, so you are going to be Super Nanny, come in and make everyone get along and stop the yelling and hitting... NO FIGHTING OR NO TV AFTER SUPPER!]
* Be expected to establish credibility with non-technical leaders via excellent business acumen [make the suits understand that just because something didn't work doesn't mean anyone is to blame... quick, put up another job posting!  We need to hire someone to take the fall... Call it a... Director of ... Director of Encoding Operations!!!  That sounds legit!  Yeah, that's the ticket....]
* Be highly creative – not focused at all on the way it’s been done before [uh, ok.  But you just said to speak to prior....and SLA's and why ...how he/she...  oh, never mind...Don't focus on the past...Got it. ]
* Obsess on delivering needed results following deep, actionable analysis [yeah, sure... that sounds great.  Obsession in the work place is always good... that's how bunnies get boiled... I'm not judging, I am just saying.]
* Wow his/her peers via smart, efficient communication backed deeply by clearly presented data [WOW!!!   You speak good!!  Pretty pictures, deep pictures....Just so you know, and I am DEEPLY CLEAR, people say WOW when things suck too... like, WOW that sucked.]
* Remain impressively calm during support difficulties and/or competing priorities – quickly organizing needed teams and facilitating the outcome [Prepare to enter the hellfire... but they will call you Director! ]
* Plan for failure, thoughtfully providing documented plans for mitigation or rapid recovery in all situations affecting the business [Plan in your Pee breaks, ahead of time...if we ask you to hold it in, you better hold it!  Sucker!]

If only every job posting came with a warning label, what a wonderful world this would be.