Minnesota Journalism Center Associate Director

University of Minnesota - Minneapolis, MN

Full-time - Mid Level

Remote - Minneapolis, MN

1,001-5,000 employees

Educational Services

About the position

The Associate Director of the Minnesota Journalism Center (MJC) is a key administrative role responsible for overseeing the Center's operations, strategic planning, and community engagement initiatives. This position involves collaborating with faculty, industry stakeholders, and students to enhance the health of Minnesota's journalism ecosystem through educational and research initiatives. The role requires a blend of leadership, communication, and strategic planning skills to foster relationships within the journalism community and to develop programs that address community needs.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate efforts and priorities across the MJC's outreach, education, and research areas.
• Identify needs in the professional journalism community and develop responsive programming.
• Strategize and make recommendations for improving program quality and efficiency.
• Develop protocols for evaluating the effectiveness of MJC programs.
• Prepare and analyze budget reports and make recommendations for program focus.
• Supervise student support staff and liaise with administrative staff.
• Lead the development of an effective communication strategy for the MJC.
• Conduct analyses for operational improvements in MJC communication materials.
• Develop external communications strategies to advance the MJC's mission.
• Create a content calendar and oversee content creation for various platforms.
• Manage multimedia production of journalistic content documenting insights from local journalists.
• Formulate proposals for expanding MJC publications about local news innovations.
• Represent the MJC internally and externally, maintaining relationships with stakeholders.
• Plan and oversee key engagement projects, including the development of the Center's advisory board.

Requirements

• BA/BS degree plus at least 6 years of experience as a professional journalist.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the local media ecosystem in Minnesota.
• Experience working with diverse communities.
• Ability to work across research, teaching, and engagement focus areas.
• Experience conducting research and educational outreach for journalism outlets.
• Experience supervising staff.
• Expertise in community-engaged journalism methods and approaches.
• Evidence of taking journalism professional research to practice and community use.
• Experience mentoring and teaching community-engaged journalism workshops.

Nice-to-haves

• MA or PhD in journalism or mass communication or related field.
• 10 or more years of experience as a professional journalist.
• Prior experience working as a journalist in Minnesota.
• Recognized professional leader in the journalism field.

Benefits

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with counseling sessions.