News Director

Arizona Public Media (AZPM) is seeking a visionary News Director to lead its award-winning, multiplatform newsroom in Southern Arizona. This is a unique opportunity to re-imagine public-service journalism in a region renowned for its vibrant communities, scientific innovation, and environmental significance. Backed by the resources of a world-class university and positioned in a dynamic, bilingual market, AZPM is poised for bold growth in digital storytelling, community engagement, and investigative reporting.

Reporting to the Chief Original Content Officer, the News Director will set the editorial vision for all AZPM news content across television, radio, digital, and emerging platforms. This role oversees a team of approximately twenty full-time journalists, student fellows, and freelance contributors, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and welcoming newsroom culture.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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• Shaping and executing the editorial agenda to inform and inspire various audiences.
• Leading, mentoring, and coaching a talented reporting and production team.
• Piloting new storytelling formats such as podcasts and web-first series and encouraging experimentation.
• Serving as AZPM's primary editorial spokesperson, upholding credibility, transparency, and compliance with industry standards and policies.
• Managing daily news operations with creativity, consistency and journalistic integrity.
• Adhering to AZPM's Code of Editorial Ethics and Practices and AZPM's Editorial Standards.
• Developing local news programming and enterprise stories.
• Working closely with the leadership in development and execution of content for AZPM's television and radio journalism.
• Collaborating with other departments to coordinate news content across platforms, including azpm.org, YouTube, and other social meeting platforms.
• Working with leadership to develop and execute regular, meaningful, and engaging news events throughout Southern Arizona including town halls, debates, community forums, and listening sessions.
• Overseeing development and maintenance of web, and social media-based news content. Partner with AZPM leadership team in the ideation and development of content that aligns to the strategic goals.
• Continuing to identify more effective and efficient approaches to operations and processes throughout the content production team.
• Establishing and maintaining an innovative and highly collaborative atmosphere that promotes idea generation, open communication, respect for others, and excellence.
• Recruiting, developing, and retaining a strong team, including on-air talent; providing guidance and coaching to maximize their performance and accelerate their professional growth.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Strong understanding and knowledge of media law and journalism ethics.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Proficient in newsroom software and content management systems.
• Skill in budget management and resource allocation.
• Strong editorial judgment and decision-making skills.
• Excellent leadership and team management abilities.
• Thorough understanding of news production processes.
• Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Effective problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.
• Minimum of 7 years of related work experience, including 3 years of managerial experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Master's degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in a newsroom, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.
• Proven experience of successful news programming and audience growth.
• Experience with digital news platforms and multimedia storytelling.
• Bilingual fluency (English/Spanish) or significant experience serving bilingual audiences.
• Proven experience of leading investigative or data-driven projects that produced measurable civic impact.
• Experience integrating student journalists into professional workflows.