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WKAR Senior Director of Content & Education

The Senior Director of Content and Education is a member of WKAR's senior leadership team and provides strategic and operational leadership for the organization’s content portfolio. Reporting to the General Manager, the Senior Director oversees television and video production, radio and digital news, classical music programming, education, and multiplatform content development.

The position establishes content vision and editorial priorities; leads department heads and creative teams; directs annual and multiyear portfolio planning; and aligns people, budgets, workflows, partnerships, and production resources with WKAR's strategic goals. The Senior Director also leads cross-functional collaboration and organizational improvement efforts designed to strengthen innovation, accountability, information sharing, and content delivery.

Working closely with Development, Communications, Digital, Operations, university partners, and external stakeholders, the Senior Director develops content and partnerships that advance WKAR's public-service mission, expand audience reach, generate meaningful community impact, and position WKAR for continued growth across broadcast, digital, educational, and emerging platforms.

This is primarily an in-person position. Limited hybrid work arrangements are considered in consultation with the General Manager. This position has standard working hours of 8-5 p.m., with occasional evening and weekend hours as needed.

Essential functions include but are not limited to:

• Provide leadership for WKAR's television and video production, radio and digital news, classical music programming, education, and multiplatform content operations.
• Lead, supervise, coach, and develop department heads, managers, and content professionals; establish clear expectations and foster an inclusive, collaborative, creative, and accountable workplace.
• Establish WKAR's content vision, editorial priorities, audience strategy, and annual and multiyear content plans in alignment with the organization’s mission, strategic goals, and community needs.
• Direct content portfolio planning and resource allocation across departments and platforms, aligning priorities with staffing capacity, production resources, schedules, budgets, and measures of success.
• Oversee the development and execution of broadcast, digital, educational, and community-focused content, ensuring projects meet established editorial, creative, ethical, accessibility, financial, and quality standards.
• Lead cross-functional planning and collaboration among Content, Education, Development, Communications, Engineering, Operations, and other teams to strengthen coordination, maximize resources, and increase audience and community impact.
• Design and improve organizational structures, workflows, decision-making processes, and information-sharing practices that support effective content development, accountability, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Use audience research, analytics, community input, and industry trends to guide content strategy, evaluate performance, expand audience reach, and identify opportunities to serve new and historically underserved audiences.
• Lead the exploration and responsible adoption of emerging platforms, formats, technologies, and production approaches that advance WKAR's multiplatform public-service mission.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with community organizations, educational institutions, civic and cultural leaders, funders, and public media partners to identify community priorities and create opportunities for content, distribution, funding, and impact.
• Collaborate with Michigan State University faculty, researchers, administrators, and students to connect WKAR's work with the university’s teaching, research, and public-service mission, including experiential learning opportunities.
• Represent WKAR in university, community, statewide, and national settings and serve as a senior ambassador for its content, education, and public-service work.
• Develop and manage departmental, production, project, and grant-related budgets; evaluate initiatives for strategic value, feasibility, sustainability, and resource requirements.
• Partner with Development and Communications on grants, underwriting, philanthropy, donor engagement, and other revenue-generating efforts, and oversee the execution and fulfillment of content-related funding commitments.
• Serve as a member of WKAR's senior leadership team, advising the General Manager and organizational leaders on strategy, audiences, editorial priorities, staffing, organizational effectiveness, partnerships, innovation, and resource allocation.

• Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year degree program in a communication or media production-related field.
• Five to eight years of experience leading or participating in content strategy development.
• Extensive knowledge of television and radio production requirements; experience in electronic media production; administrative, budgeting, and long-range planning; digital media technology; news and public affairs production; and experience working with community organizations and outreach partnerships; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience leading and supervising a team and collaborating across multiple teams.
• Experience developing, leading, and executing strategic content initiatives.
• Experience interacting with community leaders to create partnerships with national partners.

• Proven record of executive or senior-level leadership resulting in measurable team, audience, content, or organizational accomplishments.
• Five or more years of experience in public media, nonprofit media, journalism, education, or another mission-driven organization.
• Experience overseeing multiple content areas, departments, platforms, or professional disciplines.
• Experience leading managers and developing leadership capacity, team effectiveness, and succession readiness.
• Knowledge of public media editorial standards, audience-service principles, funding models, regulatory considerations, and the PBS and NPR systems.
• Experience using audience research, analytics, performance data, and community input to guide strategy and evaluate impact.
• Experience with digital transformation, multiplatform content development, audience growth, or emerging media technologies.
• Experience with grant development, grant management, fundraising, underwriting, donor engagement, or other revenue-supporting activities.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of people and personalities
• Experience fostering an inclusive and productive workplace
• Strong project management and interpersonal skills
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Strong customer and community commitment
• Focus on building content for diverse audiences

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

STANDARD 8-5

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