The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Editor-in-Chief (EIC), as the highest-ranking newsroom leader, is responsible for driving content strategy and quality across all platforms. The EIC is expected to show an insatiable desire and proven ability to drive audience loyalty and growth through high-quality and relevant local business news. Leadership and innovation must be particularly pronounced on digital platforms.
With the entire newsroom staff reporting to the Editor-in-Chief, the EIC position is far-reaching and demanding. Some key EIC competencies and responsibilities include the mentorship and development of direct reports; hands-on editing and guidance around coverage decisions and, always, a digital-first mindset.
To be successful, the EIC must possess sharp news instincts, have a burning curiosity about local business and people, a deft editing hand and an ability to be equal parts journalist, leader, entrepreneur, and brand builder. A member of the leadership team, the EIC is expected to collaborate with the Publisher to identify and address new business and audience opportunities to extend the brand.
In a world where the media landscape is in a constant state of evolution, the EIC must embrace change, learning and trying new tools and technologies to disseminate news, while never losing focus on our hyper-local mission of delivering business intelligence to our readers.
Duties and Responsibilities, work schedules and/or location may change based on evolving business needs
· 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 and, soon, 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.
· Audience. 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 tight relationship with our audience through blogging and Editor’s Notebooks.
· Ensure vitality of print through thoughtful packaging, long-form journalism, exclusive interviews.
· Management. Work with other department heads, 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.
· Regularly participate in and attend Business Journal sponsored events.
· Take on any other assignment made by manager(s).
· Work cooperatively and collaboratively with all colleagues and professionally with sources.
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 an online 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
To apply, go here.
