Communications Editor jobs in Wisconsin

About Us:

Civic Media has built a state-wide radio and digital media network in Wisconsin with the goal of championing the practice of democracy by empowering honest and informative local voices. We’re merging the legacy of radio with the immediacy of digital to deliver high-quality content to a growing audience via our 20 radio stations, websites, mobile app and associated social media platforms. We work in a fast-paced environment that values communication, integrity, vision, innovation and collaboration in order to fulfill our vision of being the media platform that informs, guides and inspires our audience through the complex landscape of information, commentary and civic engagement.

Position Overview:

We’re looking for an Editor-in-Chief who can present an outstanding, well-articulated vision for the type of content that will ignite the passions of our audience. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of publishing high quality, compelling media pieces in a variety of formats through respected media outlets, as well as experience managing teams of creative communicators to align behind a unifying creative vision.

The ideal candidate will be a superb communicator with strong persuasion skills to lead a team of journalists, digital content creators and on-air personalities in pursuing a bold and compelling message in ways that play to their individual strengths and abilities. We aim to earn our audience’s trust and bring people together, so this person must embody those qualities and understand how to actively contribute to building that type of culture in a media organization from the editorial desk.

Our future Editor-in-Chief will understand how to strike the balance between producing long-form pieces, carrying the gravitas of high quality journalism to establish the network as a thought leader in the media space, with an ongoing stream of short-form daily pieces that keep our digital and radio properties connected to their local audience. The candidate will possess a strong understanding of content creation principles and techniques in digital media that will aid in the promotion of our editorial team’s best work, working closely with the marketing team to consistently evaluate performance and experiment with novel approaches to reach more people and expand our audience.

The Editor-in-Chief will be expert at editing written news articles, on-air copy, opinion and editorial pieces, etc., and knows how to ensure appropriate fact-checking, source verification, and that other journalistic standards/processes have been met to ensure the highest standards and maintain audience trust.

We are a media startup, and as such, we expect this person to possess the leadership capabilities to bring the best out of the editorial team and colleagues in all other departments. Our dream candidate is resourceful and finds creative avenues to achieve our organizational goals of increasing our audience, increasing the time they spend with our content and increasing the awareness of the Civic Media brand.

Key Responsibilities:

• Define the network’s content creation strategy across all of our channels
• Establish and maintain a content calendar in collaboration with the company’s leadership team
• Create framework for planning engaging, relevant, and high-traction content in the context of current political, economic, and social environment that is in line with Civic Media’s core values
• Establish a small but mighty team of journalists, content creators and freelance creatives to achieve ambitious publishing goals
• Write and publish content that sets the standard for the rest of the editorial team
• Train and mentor other writers and content creators to produce high quality pieces at a steady, consistent pace
• Refine processes for creating content that can be published across on-air, digital, social, written, spoken, live, and asynchronous content channels.
• Identify, nurture and maintain working relationships with key experts and opinion leaders

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, English, or related field - familiarity with journalistic standards and ethics, or ability to learn same, is essential
• Experience in a leadership role
• Experience working in a multichannel media organization
• Team management and leadership experience
• Track record working in a growing and dynamic organization

Benefits:

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience (may range from $75,000 to $150,000)
• Comprehensive health, vision, and dental benefits package
• 401(k) with matching up to 4%
• Huge opportunity for professional development and growth
• Vibrant and collaborative hybrid work environment
• Opportunity to make a significant cultural impact

Location:

• Our primary Madison location is preferred, but we will also consider applicants who can work out of our other locations around the state (e.g., Waukesha, Racine, Wausau, Green Bay)

Please apply even if you do not meet all of the qualifications.

If you’re excited by the thought of joining a dynamic and creative media startup and play an integral role in shaping the future of journalism and media, we want to hear from you!

Apply now with your resume and a portfolio of written published pieces showcasing your personal written expertise, as well as pieces in which you played an editorial role.

Civic Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Experience:

• journalism: 3 years (Preferred)
• content marketing: 3 years (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Madison, WI 53703 (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• Madison, WI 53703: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Madison, WI 53703