The Dallas Business Journal Editor in Chief (EIC), as the highest ranking newsroom leader, is primarily responsible for driving product strategy and product quality across all platforms, and for relentlessly building an audience. The EIC is expected to show an insatiable desire and proven ability to drive audience loyalty and growth, especially in the digital arena. The EIC must be equally at home in both the print and digital spheres — but leadership and innovation must be particularly pronounced on digital platforms where business journals have the most growth potential.
Responsibilities
The EIC position is far-reaching and demanding, with competencies and responsibilities that include:
- Molding, then generating, best-of-breed media products
- Serving as a key public face for the organization
- Mentoring and developing talent
- Knowledgeably optimizing digital content reach and impact
- Hands-on editing and content shaping
- Constant innovation
- Aggressive marketing of the product, its offerings, and its people
To be successful, the EIC must possess sharp hard news instincts, have a burning curiosity about business and people, a deft editing hand and be equal parts leader, entrepreneur and marketer.
The EIC will lead the DBJ newsroom along with a Managing Editor (ME), Assistant Managing Editor (AME) and Associate Editor. The ME, AME and Associate Editor will report directly to the Editor in Chief and will be responsible for the production of our print and media products on all platforms, as well as share audience-growth objectives and goals. As part of the leadership team, the EIC fills a critical position in the Business Journal organization and in collaboration with the Market President & Publisher helps identify and address new business and audience opportunities to extend the brand, be it in print, online, social media, events, video or other. The EIC is expected to attend key client presentations and DBJ Signature events. The EIC’s role in these gatherings is to represent the product and articulate the content and audience strategies.
- Create content and product vision. The EIC must define a clear and compelling vision for the look, feel and voice of our portfolio of products, including the existing weekly print newspaper, daily emails, website, signature & content events, tablet and mobile.
- Change agent. Must drive staff adaptation to new mediums, new platforms, new skill sets, new story forms, new ways of doing things. Persuasively, diplomatically, strategically, the EIC must guide the business journal operation into new markets, new competencies, and new areas of opportunity.
- Newsroom leader. It is paramount that the EIC take a proactive, hands-on approach in developing and leading the reporting staff. Our ability to produce products that connect with our audiences stems directly from the EIC’s interaction with, and direction of, the reporting team.
- The Office of the Editor and, by extension, the EIC, shares cross-departmental responsibility for growing our print, digital and event audiences. This demands a close relationship with our audience through attendance at DBJ events, community speaking opportunities and Editor’s Notebooks.
- Ensure vitality of print through thoughtful packaging, long-form journalism, exclusive interviews.
- Work closely with Market President & Publisher, Advertising Director, Events Director to create business and marketing plans for the company.
- Seek out content syndication channels and partnerships for Business Journal content.
- National editorial and News Initiatives – EIC will be the primary newsroom conduit between the local market and ACBJ-corporate.
- Meet or exceed goals relating to audience-engagement such as page views, unique users, repeat visits, direct traffic, social media followings and growth, paid print subscribership, email newsletter circulation growth, event attendance, and other such measures.
- Participate in and attend Business Journal sponsored events.
- Take on any other assignment made by Market President & Publisher and other department heads.
- Work cooperatively and collaboratively with all colleagues and professionally with sources
Skills/Experience:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
· Minimum of 5 — 7 years of management and/or team leadership experience required
· Daily, and preferably, weekly print experience for a business news operation
· Experience working in a digital news environment
· Beat reporter experience
· Inspiring, yet diplomatic
· Innovative, curious, collaborative
· Eager to connect directly with readers/audience
· Must be comfortable and thrive in rapidly changing and uncharted media environment
