Messaging Engineer Freelance Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Title: Director of On Air and Third Party Fundraising

Schedule Format - Location: Hybrid - San Francisco

Pay Information: Salary Range: $125,547 - $137,000

Position Summary:
The Director of On-air and Third Party Fundraising leads the strategy, planning, and execution of KQED’s audio-driven fundraising and third-party programs. With deep expertise in audio and membership programs, this role is responsible for designing and producing the radio membership drives and developing a year-round calendar of membership promotions across radio and TV. This role will also be tasked with looking at future initiatives and innovations in the fundraising ecosystem.
This role works in close partnership with the broader acquisition team to ensure audio and digital fundraising strategies are integrated, complementary, and collectively optimized toward membership growth goals. The ideal candidate is a strategic and creative audio professional with strong project management skills, a collaborative mindset, and a passion for public media. They bring a bold vision for growing on-air fundraising and spearheading the growth of fundraising programs.

KQED envisions a public media organization with a culture that centers on human dignity, equity, and belonging. This will enable us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling. 

We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color,  people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.

KQED Code of Ethics  https://www.kqed.org/about/code-ethics

The mission that drives us:

KQED provide citizens of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media.   We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.

This role will work hybrid between working in KQED's newly renovated headquarters and working remotely. 

Essential Functions:
•    Audio Fundraising Strategy & Membership Drive Execution
◦    Own the annual audio fundraising strategy, encompassing on-air pledge drives, podcast integrations, app presence, and broadcast spot campaigns.
◦    Plan, produce, and direct all radio pledge drives to meet or exceed revenue and donor acquisition goals.
◦    Develop and manage all drive materials, including messaging frameworks, scripts, segment rundowns, and production schedules.
◦    Oversee staff scheduling, live talent coordination, and host/producer training for on-air pledge programming.
◦    Coordinate pre- and post-drive messaging, including spot production, cross-channel promotion, and post-drive reporting.
•    Membership Promotion Strategy for TV & Radio
◦    Lead the development of an annual membership promotion strategy that defines what on-air promotional content — spots, interstitials, and campaigns — should be produced for both radio and TV.
◦    In collaboration with Programming, determine the right mix, cadence, and messaging for membership promotions across broadcast channels throughout the year.
◦    Oversee or directly produce radio membership spots; coordinate with TV production teams to ensure television membership promos are strategically aligned and properly resourced.
◦    Maintain and manage the monthly radio spot schedule, ensuring placement reflects current fundraising priorities and campaign moments.
•    Cross-Departmental Collaboration
◦    Partner with Programming and News leadership to balance editorial priorities with fundraising needs across the broadcast schedule.
◦    Coordinate with the Development team to align major donor gift opportunities with on-air campaign messaging.
◦    Work closely and collaboratively to align audio and digital campaign strategies, share audience insights, and coordinate campaign timing and messaging.
◦    Ensure audio fundraising efforts amplify and are amplified by digital campaigns (email, social, web), particularly around major drive moments.
◦    Coordinate with Product, Data, and Analytics teams to ensure audio-driven donor journeys connect properly to digital donation tools (e.g., Pledge-Free Stream, digital donor card).
◦    Manage relationships with external vendors and freelance contributors for campaign production, talent, and creative services.
•    Campaign Analysis & Reporting
◦    Create and maintain regular performance reports evaluating campaign outcomes, including revenue, donor counts, gift averages, and cost-per-acquisition.
◦    Deliver post-campaign assessments with actionable insights to inform future audio and promotional strategy.
◦    Manage budget development and tracking for drive -related revenue and expenses.
•    Culture & Leadership
◦    Foster a collaborative, creative, and mission-driven work environment within the Membership team.
◦    Champion innovation and continuous improvement in audio fundraising and promotional approaches.
Other Job Functions:
•    Serve as a point person for new strategic initiatives within the Membership department as assigned by the VP of Membership.
•    Perform other duties as assigned.
Candidate Qualifications:
◦    Professional Background
◦    7+ years of experience in public media fundraising, audio production, broadcast programming, or a closely related field.
◦    Proven success in managing on-air fundraising campaigns or similar broadcast-based fundraising/revenue initiatives.
◦    Strong track record of developing effective messaging and marketing strategies across audio and digital platforms.
◦    Visionary thinker with the ability to translate strategy into actionable plans for audio-first fundraising.
◦    Experience in fostering a collaborative, mission-driven culture with a focus on continuous improvement and innovation.
◦    Audio & Messaging Expertise
◦    Deep understanding of public media fundraising principles, audience behavior, and campaign strategy.
◦     Proficiency in project management, including staff scheduling, timeline development, and cross-team coordination.
◦    Experience with audio production workflows, broadcast spot scheduling, and promotional messaging development.
•    Collaboration & Partnership
◦    Demonstrated ability to work as a peer partner across teams — particularly with digital, programming, development, and product functions.
◦    Experience collaborating with or alongside digital acquisition or marketing teams to align campaign strategies.
◦    Skilled at managing external vendors and freelancers to deliver high-quality work on time and within budget.
◦    Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling fundraising messaging and facilitate cross-functional alignment.
•    Analytical & Operational Skills
◦    Proficiency in project management: staff scheduling, timeline development, cross-team coordination.
◦    Familiarity with CRM systems and data tools for donor tracking, performance analysis, and campaign reporting (ROI Solutions preferred).
◦    Comfort interpreting campaign data and translating findings into strategic recommendations.
•    Mission Alignment
◦    Deep commitment to the values and mission of public media, including service to diverse communities and audiences.
Physical Demands:
•    Ability to lift a minimum of fifteen (15) pounds.
•    Ability to stand and/or sit for extended periods.
•    Ability to bend, stoop, stretch, twist, sit, and reach.
•    Fine motor skills; good visual and auditory acuity.
The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully.
NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may be required to perform other related duties as necessary to meet the ongoing needs of this organization.
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