News Director

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The Commercial Appeal/commercialappeal.com, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is looking for a News Director to oversee its award-winning and talented news team. The right candidate loves coaching and developing journalists who reveal important news, create stories with power and clarity and bring crucial context that helps our audience make sense of life in our city, in this time. This senior editor role gives you the opportunity to impact lives both inside and outside the newsroom.
We want a transformational leader to help shape and implement the strategic vision for Memphis while setting and executing coverage priorities. The right candidate has a track record of guiding innovative, revelatory investigative and enterprise work and knows how to retain loyal audiences and cultivate new ones.
This senior editor will work with the MCA Editor, the South Region digital strategist and audience team members to grow audience in Memphis.
The Commercial Appeal, the region’s dominant news organization, is located in Memphis, population 600,000. The CA covers Shelby County, a vibrant, diverse county of 1.1 million people where Memphis is the county seat. This area is major logistics anchor, home to 30,000 workers from FedEx, the region’s largest corporation and a significant global player based in Memphis. In addition, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and AutoZone are international companies based in Memphis. The entertainment and food scenes are unrivaled, and Beale Street is an iconic entertainment district. The city is also home to the NBA’s Grizzlies.
Responsibilities:
• Leads other editors and coaches in guiding reporters and photographers and oversees the content creation team.
• Guides the news organization in covering topics and issues most important to key audiences. Works with the digital strategist and audience team members to adjust content direction as data dictates. Works with marketing and advertising colleagues on content initiatives, ranging from new products to native advertising and content sponsorships.
• Oversees content strategy, aggressively using data and leveraging audience analysts to make sure content decisions focus on the needs of the target audiences:
• Directs content creation team and works collaboratively with the digital strategist and the audience team to ensure a steady flow of quality content to provide the right elements on the right platforms at the right time.
• Collaborates with the production team to ensure the right mix of content to maximize user experiences each day.
• Directs and champions investigative and First Amendment journalists.
• Monitors real-time metrics to develop a clear picture of audience needs.
• Provides excellent customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.
• Represents the newspaper to community leaders and members of the community.
Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, marketing or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• More than five years of media management experience.
• Proven proficiency in applying analytics to content strategy.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Exposure to deadline-driven environment.
• Exceptional planning and organizational skills.
• Social-media and SEO knowledge.
• Self-motivation and self