Audience Development Manager Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

City Cast DC is building something Washington hasn't seen before: a daily local news operation with the depth of a great newspaper and the intimacy of your smartest friend in the city. We're expanding our editorial team, growing our subscription base, and aiming to become the most essential source of local news in DC. We need a General Manager to lead it all with vision, business savvy, editorial integrity, and relentless hustle.

This is a rare opportunity to run a semi-autonomous local news organization - one with its own editorial team, sales operation, and marketing function - inside a well-resourced national network. The GM owns the P&L, sets the strategy, and is accountable for City Cast DC's growth as both a journalism organization and a business. You'll report directly to the CEO of City Cast.

Deadline to apply: July 17, 2026

Own the Business

• Own City Cast DC's full P&L - revenue, costs, and operating performance
• Set and execute the annual business plan, including subscription growth, advertising revenue, and operating budget
• Drive audience and subscriber growth through editorial and product excellence, keen marketing strategy, and an energetic community presence
• Work closely with City Cast HQ on strategy, capital allocation, and performance goals

Lead the Team

• Directly manage and develop the DC leadership team, including the Executive Producer and Sales Director.
• Oversee and coach a high-performing, mission-driven organization of reporters, editors, sales staff, and audience development professionals. Staff is currently 15 FTEs and will be growing. 
• Foster a culture of editorial ambition, accountability, and innovation
• Serve as the connective tissue between a growing local operation and the broader City Cast network, sharing back insights and successful tactics and strategies

Drive Editorial Vision

• Partner closely with the Executive Producer to ensure City Cast DC's journalism is indispensable, distinctive, and trusted
• Champion editorial standards, audience connection, and the City Cast voice across all platforms - podcast, newsletter, web, video, and social
• Be a visible and credible presence in Washington's media and civic landscape

Build the Brand

• Lead local marketing strategy in collaboration with City Cast's national marketing team
• Develop partnerships, advertising sponsorships, and community relationships that extend reach and deepen local trust
• Build and drive a successful membership and subscription strategy, turning engaged readers and listeners into paying supporters

Compete to Win

• Develop a clear-eyed competitive strategy for going up against established DC media brands - and winning audiences and advertisers away from them
• Identify gaps in DC's local news landscape and build products and coverage that fill them
• Stay close to the DC market: its politics, its neighborhoods, its personalities, and its needs

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in media, journalism, or a closely related field, with significant time in business or operational leadership roles
• Demonstrated experience owning a P&L or running a business unit, ideally in local media, digital media, or news
• Deep knowledge of Washington, DC - its political ecosystem, its neighborhoods, its media culture, and its audience
• Experience managing and developing multidisciplinary teams across editorial, sales, and/or marketing functions
• Track record of growing audience and revenue in a competitive media environment
• Strong instincts for editorial quality combined with fluency in the business side of media - subscriptions, advertising, sponsorships, and audience development
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a comfort operating in fast-moving, resource-constrained environments
• An active network of relationships in DC's media, civic, and political communities
• Genuine passion for local journalism and a belief in its importance to democratic life

Benefits

Base Salary Range: $160,000-$190,000

Total Compensation includes:

• Performance bonus tied to P&L outcomes (revenue growth, subscription targets, audience milestones)
• Full benefits package including health, dental, and vision coverage
• Pension (as offered across Graham Holdings affiliates)

City Cast is an equal opportunity employer committed to excellence through diversity. Read about our mission and core values here. We encourage everyone to apply.

City Cast is an affiliate of Graham Holdings.