Northwestern University Looking for Director, Medill State Local News Project Full Time

Job ID: 49701

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Department: Medill – Administration
Salary/Grade: EXS/11

Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is a leader in education and research. As the media industry experiences unprecedented change, Medill is at the forefront of innovation. Our expert teaching and thought leadership focus on enduring skills and values as well as new techniques and technologies that are changing the way stories are told and consumed in today’s digital world. In celebrating our 100th year in 2021, our experience in leading the fields of journalism and IMC is unparalleled.

Medill offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in journalism, and an undergraduate certificate and graduate degree in integrated marketing communications. The Medill community is tight-knit and supportive. It consists of 100 faculty, 50 staff, 1,200 students and 18,000 alumni. The diversity of the Medill community has been a source of innovation, excellence and leadership throughout our history. Today Medill continues its commitment to creating an inclusive environment and to providing equity in opportunities regarding research, teaching, administration and student services. We aim to welcome students, staff and faculty from diverse backgrounds and support them so they may thrive at Medill.

Job Summary:

The Director of the Medill State of Local News Project will help lead one of the most visible and consequential research initiatives about the U.S. local news industry and the communities it serves. The Director will lead a team of full-time and student researchers managing the nation’s most comprehensive database of local news organizations and exploring trends in news deserts and models for local news. The Director will collaborate with faculty and staff across Medill, as well as journalism organizations and other stakeholders. The Director will play a leading role in writing reports and newsletters highlighting findings and trends on the research. The Director will be a public face of this important project, presenting findings at national conferences, meeting with policymakers, and doing interviews with journalists. The Director will oversee all aspects of Medill’s annual State of Local News Report and a quarterly newsletter. The Director will work closely with colleagues involved in the Medill Local News Initiative and will assist in fundraising and grant administration that supports the project. This job requires someone who can see the big picture of the local news landscape in America, as well as the intricate details of the extensive local news database.

Please note: This role may require evening or weekend work. The position will be based at Medill’s Evanston campus. The Director will have a hybrid work arrangement and may split time between the Evanston campus office and working remotely. The specifics will be arranged with supervisor, but the expectation is that the Director will work in the office at least three days a week. Any hybrid working arrangement will be evaluated on a regular basis and may be changed based on business and operational needs.

Please note: The target budgeted salary for this position is $115,000 – $125,000 annually. Offers will be based on candidate experience and education, as well as equity within Northwestern University. This is a grant-funded position with a term end-date of June 30, 2026.

Specific Responsibilities:

State of Local News Project Oversight & Execution

• Oversees all aspects of the Medill State of Local News Project and the annual State of Local News Report.
• Leads the writing, editing and production of the annual State of Local News Report and a quarterly newsletter.
• Presents the research findings at local news industry and scholarly conferences, events and meetings, as well as in interviews with journalists around the globe.
• Assists the Director of the Medill Local News Initiative, the Dean and university development staff in fundraising and foundation administration for the project.
• Manages and maintains the extensive database of local newspapers, digital news organizations, ethnic media publications and public radio outlets.
• Handles requests from journalists, scholars, nonprofits and others seeking access to the local news database.
• Oversees the State of Local News Project channel on the Medill Local News Initiative website.
• Posts regularly on the Medill Local News Initiative’s social channels.
• Travels to industry and scholarly conferences for presentations and to related public speaking events.

Administrative/Supervision

• Manages a team of two full-time research associates and up to six student researchers.
• Assists in grant administration and grant proposals to foundation, corporate and individual donors.
• Manages the State of Local News Project budget and spending.
• Processes payroll and contractor payments related to the project.
• Collaborates with university marketing, communications and events staff on the release of reports and publicity tied to the project.

Miscellaneous

• Collaborates with colleagues across the school to help advance Medill’s strategic goals and improve the educational experience of our students.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university, preferably in journalism or communications.
• At least 10 years of experience working at a news outlet, journalism organization or university in a senior or strategic role.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Passion and understanding of the local news industry.
• Ability to work collaboratively internally with Northwestern colleagues and external journalism organizations and scholars.
• Strong communication and public speaking skills.
• Organizational skills necessary to maintain the accuracy and credibility of the local news database.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets and analyzing large data sets.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading either editorial or business strategy for a news outlet or journalism organization.
• Experience managing and executing projects.
• Experience studying trends in the local news news industry.
• Experience working directly or indirectly with a university.
• Experience working with foundations on grant proposals and reports.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Knowledge of the business side of news organizations and the industry.
• The ability to communicate effectively with both journalists and business leaders at news organizations.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.
Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information onEEO is the Law.