| Leads and manages the planning, production and presentation of news. 1. As Senior News Director, develops vision and strategy for news programming decisions and news operations. 2. Works in cooperation with station leadership and staff to support station objectives and organizational priorities. 3. Responsible for leading news planning and operations and collaborating with other content-producing departments as needed for effective broadcast and digital news coverage. 4. Develops strategies for reaching new audiences and innovating news coverage and products. 5. Develops strong digital news operation and cultivates digital mindset in news department. 6. Participates in station fund-raising campaigns and special events. 7. Helps define and maintain ethical, editorial, artistic and technical standards for news content. 8. Performs other job-related duties as assigned MQ: Education: Requires a thorough understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of an analytical, technical or professional discipline; or the basic knowledge of more than one professional discipline. Knowledge of the discipline is normally obtained through a formal, directly job-related 4 year degree from a college or university or an equivalent in-depth specialized training program that is directly related to the type of work being performed. Experience: Requires a minimum of five (5) years of directly job-related experience. Certification/Licensing: Requires technical certification or licensing directly related to the job, as specified on a job description addendum. Additional Posting Information: Houston Public Media is looking for an experienced news leader to be our new Senior Director of News across all our media platforms. This position reports to the Executive Director of Content Operations and leads the vision, strategy and operations of our news department.
The Senior News Director will be responsible for developing strategies centered on audience growth and engagement, regional coverage expansion, news staff recruitment and coaching, and expected to work closely with the station leadership team to achieve organizational goals. The Senior News Director should adhere to the highest standards of journalistic ethics and integrity and instill a deep commitment to journalism best practices in the newsroom.
This position will develop long-term plans and lead day to day operations, including breaking news, enterprise and investigative projects and digital news strategies. Our ideal candidate should have at least five years of experience in newsroom leadership, with a proven record of managing complex projects or departments. Excellent news judgment and a strong understanding of multi-platform news products are essential. Public Media experience is a plus, but not required.
Houston is the nation's fourth largest city, sixth largest media market and a constant source of major news with national and global implications. Our market includes Big Oil and the energy transition, NASA, and the world-renowned Texas Medical Center. We have World Series baseball, NFL and Big 12 football and we're hosting the 2026 World Cup. Foodies know the dining scene is the most diverse and delicious in the nation. Hometown notables include Olympian Simone Biles, Rappers Megan Thee Stallion and Lizzo, Film Directors Wes Anderson and Richard Linklater and moderately well-known singer Beyonce.
Leading a major market newsroom entails much more than a one-sheet job description could cover. If you are interested but not sure whether you meet the requirements, please apply! We're looking for an outstanding and experienced journalist-leader and sometimes a resume doesn't reflect all that you bring to the table. If you're still not sure, but want to find out more, email ljohnson@houstonpublicmedia.org. | 