News & Audience Director

USA TODAY Co. Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire inform and connect audiences as a sustainable growth-focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands including the USA TODAY NETWORK comprised of the national publication USA TODAY and local media organizations including our network of local properties in the United States and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses.

We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand LocaliQ supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions. USA TODAY Co. open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at USA TODAY Co., you should be completing an application on USA TODAY Co. Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. To connect with us, visit www.usatodayco.com.

The Detroit Free Press

Part of the USA TODAY NETWORK has an immediate opening for a full-time news & audience director to catapult this award-winning newsroom to new heights of audience growth and impactful journalism. The news & audience director is a senior leadership role that reports to the newspapers editor and works in tandem with the digital director.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of news and enterprise reporters charged with breaking news and responding to major news events relevant to Free Press audiences in one of the most dynamic news markets in the country.
• Help shape and implement the news vision for Detroit while working with other newsroom leaders to set and execute coverage priorities, especially for major news events.
• Drive the tone and tenor of the digital report by working with both editors and reporters to make strategic decisions about daily coverage.
• Serve as a first responder to breaking news, editing a team of working reporters to deliver fast, accurate, relevant, and audience-focused coverage.
• Collaborate across teams to shape coverage on a wide range of topics from politics and celebrity news to wellness and personal finance.
• Take the lead on developing stories and major news events, making smart editorial decisions and pivoting quickly as priorities shift.

Requirements

• Bachelors degree in communications, journalism, or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• More than five years of frontline editing experience.
• Proven proficiency in applying analytics to content strategy.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Exposure to deadline-driven environment.
• Exceptional planning and organizational skills.
• Social media and SEO knowledge.
• Self-motivation and self-direction.
• Strong line-editing skills.
• Strong people-management skills.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Creativity and out-of-the-box thinking.

Application Instructions

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, dont limit your upload to a resume. Show us what youve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following in this order:

• Your resume - one to two pages.
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.
• Links to 3-6 online samples of your work. Show us what youve produced or had a hand in that best reflects what you can do in your desired role.

It is essential that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

USA TODAY Co. Inc. is a proud equal opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. We will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employees race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance, including height and weight, sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status, including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions, education, genetic characteristics, or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status, or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state, and local laws in the jurisdictions where USA TODAY Co. employs employees.

In addition, USA TODAY Co. Inc. will provide applicants who require a reasonable accommodation as a result of an applicants disability or religion to complete this employment application and/or any other process in connection with an individuals application for employment with USA TODAY Co. Inc. Applicants who require such accommodation should contact USA TODAY Co. Inc.s Recruitment Department at Recruitusatodayco.com.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the applicable location. Applications from outside these regions will be removed from our system after submission.