Job Description
News Director Southern Oregon University
POSITION SUMMARY: Date application must be received for priority consideration by: October 15, 2024
Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: December 1, 2024
Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled:
Job Family Group: Administrative and Professional
Division/Department: President's Office/Jefferson Public Radio
Compensation Range (commensurate with experience): $5,833.33-$6,666.67 monthly or $70,000-$80,000 annually @ 1.0 FTE
FLSA Status: Exempt
Appointment Basis: 12-month
Time Type: Full-time
Benefits Eligible: Yes
Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration: Renewable
This position must possess and maintain a current, valid Driver License: Yes
This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes
Lead Work/Supervisory Responsibilities: Yes
Work Location Type: On-campus
Work Hours: M-F (8:00a - 5:00p) Hours are subject to change with notice.
Worker Status: Must be able to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT: - Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) a letter providing some detail of the applicant's qualifications and interest in the position; and (2) current resume/CV
- For inquiries and additional information, please contact Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.
- To view SOU's very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit
- Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, , demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.
POSITION DESCRIPTION: Jefferson Public Radio (JPR) is a network of 23 public radio stations and 36 translators serving a 60,000 square-mile area of Southern Oregon and Northern California. JPR is licensed to and operated by Southern Oregon University (SOU), whose main campus is located in Ashland, Oregon. JPR operates from a state-of-the-art broadcast center on the SOU Ashland campus and also operates a satellite studio facility in the Cascade Theatre in Redding, California. JPR provides three fully separate, full-time program services and is an NPR member station. Learn more about JPR's history and public service mission at ijpr.org.
JPR seeks a News Director (ND) to lead and manage JPR news content across broadcast and digital platforms. The ND reports to the Executive Director, serves on the senior management team and works with station leadership and staff to support the station mission. The ND manages day-to-day news coverage and collaborates with the Executive Director to develop and implement JPR's news strategy. The ND supervises all news department staff.
The ND helps establish and maintain ethical, editorial, artistic and technical standards for broadcast news programs. The ND assists with news programming decisions and news operations. The ND, as JPR's top news authority, is responsible for the journalistic quality and integrity of all station news activities and platforms.
Minimum Requirements - A four-year degree in journalism or related field, or equivalent, required.
- Minimum four years full-time professional experience in journalism - preferably in a multi-platform news environment.
Preferred Requirements - Master's degree in Journalism or related field.
- Experience managing a news department, either as a News Director or Senior Editor.
Essential Functions Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive:
(65%) Editorial Planning, Scheduling, Editing - Direct the activities of the news staff to develop story ideas, track issues and events, select reporters for coverage and schedule stories for broadcast and publication on JPR digital platforms.
- Serve as the primary editor to ensure news reports are produced in an effective, timely and responsible manner consistent with JPR journalistic standards.
- Recruit and manage freelance journalists.
- Serve as liaison to news departments within external organizations, such as NPR, PRI, APM, The Northwest News Network and other public radio stations.
- Content Creation | Produce spots, two-ways, features, special programs and web/social media content.
(15%) Management, Administration of Personnel, Budget, Technology - Set goals and monitor performance of news personnel.
- Recruit, hire and train news personnel within established SOU human resource structure.
- Manage the news department budget - including annual planning, monitoring and authorizing expenses.
- Assist in maintaining equipment and information systems vital to news planning, reporting, production and presentation.
- Lead and coordinate public emergency and crisis coverage.
- Oversee documentation of news activities for FCC and CPB compliance.
- Attend weekly management team meetings.
(15%) Executive Producer, The Jefferson Exchange - Serve as Executive Producer of JPR's daily civic affairs program, The Jefferson Exchange.
- Work with producers and host to achieve consistently interesting, informative and dynamic segments consistent with program goals.
- Develop structure to share content from program across other JPR news platforms.
(5%) Community Relations and Support - Promote the JPR news department to JPR donors and listeners.
- Ascertain public needs related to regional news and build community engagement.
- Assist JPR administration and development departments in writing grant applications and funding proposals to generate resources for the JPR news department.
- Participate in on-air fund drives, station events and fundraising activities as appropriate.
Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities - Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing.
- Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist.
- Expressed ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, under pressure of deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
- Great ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information. Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
- Takes initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
- Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
- Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, online systems, social media platforms, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
- Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
- Willingness to and work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization and multiple outside agencies.
- Working knowledge or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
- Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment utilizing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.
- Journalism: Significant journalistic experience, including managing multi-platform news. Knowledge of public media news programming standards, values and style. Broad knowledge of local and regional issues. Experience in broadcast production, web content, news writing and news editing.
- Management: Strong leadership skills, including the ability to build an effective team, train multi-media journalists, collaborate across channels and platforms, adapt to change, champion innovation, effectively communicate orally and in writing, possess active listening skills, develop collaborative partnerships, set goals and achieve results.
- General: Strong computer skills, including using digital editing software, radio automation and standard word processing and spreadsheet development. Ability to operate digital radio control boards and field recording equipment.
- Pleasant speaking voice and the ability to work within a live program environment
Physical Demands - Normal office activities such as sitting/standing at a desk, using a computer, answering phones, and communicating in person both in writing and via phone with others.
Special Conditions - Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
- Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
- Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
- This position classification has been defined as exempt and is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
- The person holding this position is considered a mandatory reporter under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
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SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources.
Diversity Statement: Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.
SOU Land Acknowledgement We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together - who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon ( ) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians ( ) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We [you may say I or the name of a program/department] encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on, and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.
Notice to Prospective Employees Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the 'Clery Act'), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.
An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR)can be accessed at the following link:
. A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy please visit the Campus Public Safety Office at 382 Wightman Street, Ashland OR 97520. For more information call 541-552-6258, or email
clerycoordinator@sou.edu .
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About Southern Oregon University
SOU provides career-focused, comprehensive educational experiences to over 6,200 students. Along with an emphasis on student success and intellectual growth, SOU is committed to diversity, inclusion and sustainability. Theoretical and experiential learning programs provide quality, innovative experiences for students. At SOU, students build strong community connections through internships, mentorships, field studies, capstone projects, volunteer opportunities and civic engagement.
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