WSAW/WZAW, the Gray Media-owned CBS and FOX affiliate in north central Wisconsin, seeks its next News Director to lead our award-winning team. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of newsroom leadership, including the development of effective processes and protocols that drive employee growth and enhance digital and broadcast content, and support sound editorial decision-making.

Duties/Responsibilities include (but are not limited to):

WSAW/WZAW, the Gray Media-owned CBS and FOX affiliate in north central Wisconsin, seeks its next News Director to lead our award-winning team. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of newsroom leadership, including the development of effective processes and protocols that drive employee growth and enhance digital and broadcast content, and support sound editorial decision-making.

Our next News Director will be transformational— elevating the urgency within the newsroom, owning breaking news and winning the story of the day. You will shape our strategies and ensure the team is executing our brand, Live. Local. First. You will set new expectations to elevate First Alert Weather and a digital first philosophy. As our news leader, you will mentor and inspire excellence, and be willing to hold the team accountable.

Within the community, you will be an ambassador of the station-- representing the station professionally and responsibly at a number of events and championing major station initiatives, including our annual Share Your Holidays campaign benefiting local food pantries and the NewsChannel 7 Diaper Drive.

This role requires exceptional news judgment, strategic planning skills, and the ability to manage all aspects of content operations, including financial, technical, and human resources.

The person we hire must make a daily, noticable impact on our product. Our next News Director will also ensure our newsroom is using all corporate resources and adopting best practices to become a leader within the company and our industry. You have a passion for the job and promoting a positive, collaborative and inclusive newsroom culture. You are committed to this vision of success. As the old saying goes, we “lead by example.”

Duties/Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Manage and oversee the News Department with integrity.
- Work closely with the news team to produce high-quality, relevant, local digital/broadcast news content that sets the station apart from competitors.
- Prioritize collaboration of the News Department with Marketing and Operations.
- Interact daily with all department heads in a mutual effort to achieve station goals, extend our brand, develop long-range plans, and implement station initiatives.
- Consistently recruit, coach, and develop talent.
- Maintain a strong connection with the corporate recruiting team while also developing your own local connections with local and regional colleges/universities.
- Communicate often and have a passion for providing consistent, constructive feedback.
- Skillfully use social media and digital tools to research, discover, and distribute content.
- Lead a culture that owns enterprise, investigative and data-driven reporting, embodies storytelling, and is nimble during breaking news.
- Ensure story selection, development and placement in newscast fits our both our brand and newsroom standards.
- Understand our DMA, key target audiences and where they live.
- Be a motivator who creates an inspiring and engaging environment.
- Celebrate creative storytelling on all platforms.
- Is willing to evolve and try new things. The way we’ve always done things, no longer cuts it.
- Perform other duties, as assigned, to drive and fulfill the mission while abiding by the values of this organization.

Qualifications/Requirements:

- Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Mass Communications, or related field.
- 2 years of previous experience in newsroom leadership is required. Candidates will have a proven track record of success as an Executive Producer, Assistant News Director, or News Director in a professional broadcast news outlet.
- Experience leading and teaching a team, using multi-media digital assets, and maximizing how news is covered and distributed.
- Experience developing a strategic and/or news content development plan for digital and broadcast news.
- Strong analytical skills, capable of processing research and ratings data to inform and refine content, coverage, and distribution strategies.
- Strong management, communication, and people skills required to supervise and interact daily with staff and the community.
- Must be able to demonstrate a strong working knowledge of community issues, as well as an unwavering commitment to journalistic ethics and standards.

If you feel you’re qualified and want to work with a great group of people, go to https://gray.tv/careers#currentopenings, you may type in the job title, station call letters, or click on "apply now", upload your resume, cover letter, and references

(Current employees who are interested in this position can apply through the Gray-TV UltiPro self-service portal)

WSAW-TV/Gray Media. is a drug-free company