University of Arizona is hiring : News Director in Tucson

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Position Highlights

Arizona Public Media (AZPM) is seeking a visionary News Director to lead its award-winning, multiplatform newsroom in Southern Arizona. This is a unique opportunity to re-imagine public-service journalism in a region renowned for its vibrant communities, scientific innovation, and environmental significance. Backed by the resources of a world-class university and positioned in a dynamic, bilingual market, AZPM is poised for bold growth in digital storytelling, community engagement, and investigative reporting.

Position Highlights

Arizona Public Media (AZPM) is seeking a visionary News Director to lead its award-winning, multiplatform newsroom in Southern Arizona. This is a unique opportunity to re-imagine public-service journalism in a region renowned for its vibrant communities, scientific innovation, and environmental significance. Backed by the resources of a world-class university and positioned in a dynamic, bilingual market, AZPM is poised for bold growth in digital storytelling, community engagement, and investigative reporting.

Reporting to the Chief Original Content Officer, the News Director will set the editorial vision for all AZPM news content across television, radio, digital, and emerging platforms. This role oversees a team of approximately twenty full-time journalists, student fellows, and freelance contributors, fostering a collaborative, innovative, and welcoming newsroom culture.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA / ASU / NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

The University of Arizona has been recognized for our innovative work-life programs. For more information about working at the University of Arizona and relocations services, please click here .

Duties & Responsibilities

Shaping and executing the editorial agenda to inform and inspire various audiences.

Leading, mentoring, and coaching a talented reporting and production team.

Piloting new storytelling formats such as podcasts and web-first series and encouraging experimentation.

Serving as AZPM’s primary editorial spokesperson, upholding credibility, transparency, and compliance with industry standards and policies.

Managing daily news operations with creativity, consistency and journalistic integrity.

Adhering to AZPM’s Code of Editorial Ethics and Practices and AZPM’s Editorial Standards.

Developing local news programming and enterprise stories.

Working closely with the leadership in development and execution of content for AZPM's television and radio journalism.

Collaborating with other departments to coordinate news content across platforms, including azpm.org, YouTube, and other social meeting platforms.

Working with leadership to develop and execute regular, meaningful, and engaging news events throughout Southern Arizona including town halls, debates, community forums, and listening sessions.

Overseeing development and maintenance of web, and social media-based news content. Partner with AZPM leadership team in the ideation and development of content that aligns to the strategic goals.

Continuing to identify more effective and efficient approaches to operations and processes throughout the content production team.

Establishing and maintaining an innovative and highly collaborative atmosphere that promotes idea generation, open communication, respect for others, and excellence.

Recruiting, developing, and retaining a strong team, including on-air talent; providing guidance and coaching to maximize their performance and accelerate their professional growth.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

Strong understanding and knowledge of media law and journalism ethics.

Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.

Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines.

Proficient in newsroom software and content management systems.

Skill in budget management and resource allocation.

Strong editorial judgment and decision-making skills.

Excellent leadership and team management abilities.

Thorough understanding of news production processes.

Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills.

Effective problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent advanced learning attained through professional level experience required.

Minimum of 7 years of related work experience, including 3 years of managerial experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field.

10+ years of experience in a newsroom, with at least 5 years in a leadership role.

Proven experience of successful news programming and audience growth.

Experience with digital news platforms and multimedia storytelling.

Bilingual fluency (English / Spanish) or significant experience serving bilingual audiences.

Proven experience of leading investigative or data-driven projects that produced measurable civic impact.

Experience integrating student journalists into professional workflows.

FLSA Exempt Full Time / Part Time Full Time Number of Hours Worked per Week 40 Job FTE 1.0 Work Calendar Fiscal Job Category Broadcasting and Journalism Benefits Eligible Yes - Full Benefits Rate of Pay $65,687 - $85,393 Compensation Type salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE) Grade 9 Compensation Guidance The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education / training, key skills, and internal equity.

The Grade Range represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator. Career Stream and Level M3 Job Family Journalism Job Function Broadcasting & Journalism Type of criminal background check required : Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive) Number of Vacancies 1 Target Hire Date 9 / 8 / 2025 Expected End Date Contact Information for Candidates Bohdan Zacharij | bzachary@azpm.org Open Date 8 / 7 / 2025 Open Until Filled Yes Documents Needed to Apply Resume, Cover Letter, and One Additional Document Special Instructions to Applicant Please include a portfolio with your application. Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University’s campuses.Thesereports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.

Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.

Seniority level Seniority level Director

Employment type Employment type Full-time

Job function Job function Marketing, Public Relations, and Writing / Editing

Industries Higher Education

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