Jim Ray
jimray@ibiblio.org
Experience
Manager, Studio developers
msnbc.com Seattle
June 2009 to present
Lead a team of five developers and designers responsible for custom editorial development work. This includes building generic templates for use by editors as well as longer term custom development around specific stories, such as the Stimulus Tracker. Established and lead the development of a new framework for large scale data-based projects using Amazon EC2, Python and Django. Lead production of several high profile, sponsored projects with a variety of editorial, developer, sales and marketing stakeholders.
Editorial concepts producer
msnbc.com Seattle
March 2006 to June 2009
Helped to establish the first editorial team dedicated to creating new storytelling technologies. Worked with editorial, sales, marketing and technology teams to rapidly build new projects and evolve the design of msnbc.com. Worked on a number of high profile projects with ambitious deadlines, including several section redesigns and leading client-side development of the 2008 election sub-site. Lead producer on a six month story page redesign experiment, which is currently informing work on a broader site-wide redesign.
Broadband media producer
msnbc.com Seattle
January 2004 to March 2006
Worked as a writer, developer and producer for a number of long-form multimedia storytelling projects. As a producer, work varied from developing new story ideas to building interactive content, writing scripts, working with designers, and editing audio and video content. Helped conceptualize, build and report for msnbc.com's ambitious and award-winning Rising from Ruin package, a year-long look at the rebuilding of two Mississippi towns devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Editorial information systems web developer; multimedia producer
Chicago Tribune Chicago
May 2002 to December 2003
Hired to a two-year residency program with the Tribune to research, design, develop and maintain the editorial department intranet. Built tools to help researchers and reporters better communicate and collaborate.
Lead developer on a multimedia CD-ROM memorializing September 11. Worked with a team of photo and copy editors, videographers and designers to produce a Flash MX based CD-ROM, which was distributed in the Sunday newspaper.
Freelance multimedia developer
Durham, NC & Chicago
August 2001 to December 2003
Worked with a variety of freelance developers, designers, programmers, and photographers to build multimedia modules for the web, using Flash, Javascript, HTML, and server side scripting, mostly using PHP. Projects included corporate web design and development, multimedia storytelling, and Flash-based portfolio projects.
Education
University of North Carolina, School of Journalism & Mass Communications
Bachelor of Arts, Multimedia Journalism
Graduated May 2001
Fellowship
ibiblio.org & webslingerZ Chapel Hill, NC
March 2000 to May 2001
Helped to maintain the infrastructure of one of the oldest and most heavily trafficked web servers in the world. Redesigned the Open Source Metadata Framework (OMF) project. Built a database driven Collection Index from flat HTML files. Contributed design work to several smaller projects.
Teaching assistant
Intro to Multimedia (JOMC 88) and Multimedia Design and Production (JOMC 189) Chapel Hill, NC
August 2000 to May 2001
Worked directly with beginning and advanced students in the multimedia lab, providing help and instruction with Macromedia Dreamweaver 4, Flash 5, and Bias Peak audio editor. Gave lectures on advanced actionscript programming and using audio on the web.
Junior systems administrator
UNC Student Stores Chapel Hill, NC
August 1998 to October 1999
Maintained over 100 Macintosh, Linux and Windows clients as well as Unix and Windows NT servers. Wrote some Perl programs to handle system maintenance and administration.
Tools
I write valid and standards-based markup, CSS and Javascript using Coda and Textmate. I've used the various suites of Adobe tools for over a decade now, including Photoshop, Illustrator and Flash. I prefer using Mac OS X but can operate Windows without having to ask questions. I can set up, secure and manage a Unix/Apache/SQL based web stack.
I consider keeping up to date with changing standards such as HTML and CSS a responsibility. I understand and use object oriented programming techniques and design patterns like MVC. I adore frameworks that make my job easier, particularly jQuery and Django.
I'm well versed enough in social networking to know better than to list that among my professional skills.
I consider clear, honest communication to be one of the highest virtues. I prefer direct, plain-spoken language.