Assistant Director of The Ideas Network
JOB SUMMARY
The assistant director of The Ideas Network coordinates and leads statewide, live talk shows at Wisconsin Public Radio. This person partners with the network director to coach talk show staff and managers. They oversee presentation, content and ethical considerations on the talk programs. This person sometimes fills in for producers, hosts or executive producers; they flex quickly and seamlessly between creating content and fulfilling management duties. This person reports to the director of The Ideas Network of Wisconsin Public Radio. They will primarily work remotely for the time being and will eventually work in our office in Madison, Wisconsin.
EDUCATION
Bachelor's degree required, journalism or related field preferred.
MINIMUM YEARS AND TYPE OF RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- Minimum 2 years full time professional experience leading a team in journalism, broadcast or a related field
- Minimum 5 years experience in journalism, broadcast or a related field
- Demonstrated ability to lead and work productively and successfully with people from diverse backgrounds
- Superior communication skills, including excellent writing for broadcast and web
- Proven ability to work in both independent and collaborative settings
- Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize and manage competing responsibilities
- Knowledge of best practices in editorial decision making and ethical journalism
- Experience meeting daily deadlines
- Knowledge and understanding of Wisconsin news, culture, issues and personalities
- Experience with document sharing and virtual meeting software (e.g. Google docs, Slack, Zoom, etc.)
NOT REQUIRED BUT DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
- Experience managing a team of individuals with varying levels of experience
- Skills in coaching and development of managers who oversee their own teams
- Previous experience in broadcasting, podcasting or with live, call-in talk programming
- Experience interviewing guests or producing broadcast programs
ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Assists with the selection, scheduling, and production of multi-media content for the network, informed by organizational goals, audience data, and industry best practices
- Assists in the development of strategic planning initiatives and manages staff to support organizational strategy
- Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
- Serves on radio leadership teams to assure network alignment with organizational objectives and goals
- Assists in developing and refining broadcast and online content generated by the network
- Assists in directing network staff's adherence to regulatory (FCC) and ethical guidelines
UNIQUE RESPONSIBILITIES
- Fills in as producer, host or executive producer and department director as staffing demands
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Expected salary range for this position is $68,000 to the mid $70,000's for highly experienced candidates who exceed the qualifications. Actual pay and title will depend on experience and qualifications.
The person in this position will be required to comply with the Ethical Guidelines for All Staff of Wisconsin Public Radio and Television located here: https://www.wpr.org/wpr-ethical-guidelines, in addition to the UW-Madison code of ethics.
The University of Wisconsin is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.
Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply online at https://jobs.hr.wisc.edu by November 7, 2021. The job number is 242921. The following must be received for your application to be complete:
1) Resume;
2) A cover letter describing how your experience relates to the job duties and minimum and desirable qualifications.
3) At least three professional references with titles, emails, and phone numbers (include at least one supervisory reference). Please note references will not be contacted without your prior knowledge.
Questions? Contact: Kate O'Connor, Wisconsin Public Radio, 821 University Avenue, Madison, WI, 53706; 608-262-5221; hr@wpm.wisc.edu.