Milwaukee Biz Journal seeks an editor in chief

The Milwaukee 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.

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

Job Responsibilities

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 MBJ newsroom along with a Managing Editor (ME). The ME 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 MBJ 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 MBJ 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.

To apply, go here.

Chris Roush

Chris Roush was the dean of the School of Communications at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut. He was previously Walter E. Hussman Sr. Distinguished Professor in business journalism at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a former business journalist for Bloomberg News, Businessweek, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Tampa Tribune and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. He is the author of the leading business reporting textbook "Show me the Money: Writing Business and Economics Stories for Mass Communication" and "Thinking Things Over," a biography of former Wall Street Journal editor Vermont Royster.