Director of Audience Engagement and Platforms

Director of Audience Engagement and Platforms

The Los Angeles Times is seeking a director of audience engagement and platforms, a key digital strategy role that manages our audience, home page, social media and social video teams as well as our relationships with news partners like Apple News.

The job involves helping lead daily news operations while also collaborating with others in the newsroom as well as our business-side departments on strategy and long-term planning.

The Times is looking for an experienced digital journalist who can uphold the standards of the Los Angeles Times while introducing the newsroom to new ideas, digital innovations and revenue-generating products.

A background in audience acquisition, digital subscriptions and platform management is a major plus.

The Times is California's leading news source and the largest newsroom on the West Coast. The successful candidate will be at the center of our efforts to expand our subscriber base, with an emphasis on Southern California.

Responsibilities :

• Oversee several digital teams : audience engagement, platforms, social video and partnerships.
• Build a comprehensive strategy for better audience retention, getting subscribers and readers to our platforms more often and making our products more appealing and useful.
• Work on daily and long-term programming and design of our home platforms (website, app).
• Work with the data analysis team to hone our audience, search and social strategies.
• Lead the audience engagement staff on breaking news and special projects, collaborating with departments across the newsroom.
• Advocate for digital innovation in storytelling and work with the business side of The Times on audience acquisition, retention, subscription services, events like the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and new products.
• Be the key liaison with Times partners like Apple News.
• Develop a social video strategy and for the live stream platform. Orchestrate, nurture and inspire creativity and innovation across platforms.
• Lead talent development efforts for current staffers.

Qualifications :

• At least seven years of experience with news audiences, news-related content and social platforms, with some of that time in management.
• A track record of building an audience, improving home platforms and increasing reach, retention and digital revenue.
• A deep knowledge of journalism standards.
• A deep understanding of current social media practices, SEO, headlines, push notifications, news alerts, subscriber exclusives, and how best to deploy those tools.
• An ability to collaborate with all newsroom departments as well as teams on the business side.
• An ability to keep up with a quick-changing business and pivoting to new ideas and experimentation.
• A deep understanding of the use of metrics to help guide strategy.
• A passion for finding ways to amplify our best journalism to serve readers and subscribers.
• A gift for developing productive, collegial team cultures.

This is a management role and will be based in El Segundo, Calif. The director may be asked to appear on TV and radio on behalf of the L.

A. Times and represent the organization at conferences, seminars, professional meetings and employer-sponsored events. Occasional night and weekend work is possible.

Qualified applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to Executive Editor Terry Tang. Your cover letter should outline, in brief terms, the approach you'd bring to the role or describe the strategy you'd apply to our audience engagement and platform efforts.

The L.A. Times is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We actively work to create an inclusive environment where all of our employees can thrive.

The pay scale the Company reasonably expects to pay for this position at the time of the posting is $155,000 to $165,000 and takes into account a wide range of factors including but not limited to skill set, experience, training, licenses, certifications, and other business or organizational needs.

Compensation will be determined based on the above factors along with the requirements of the position. At the L.A. Times, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role.

The Company is a mandatory vaccination employer for COVID-19 and its variants. The Company requires that its employees be fully vaccinated as of their start date.

If you require a medical or religious accommodation, we will engage in the interactive process with you. Proof of vaccination will be required prior to start.

If we make you an offer and you are not yet vaccinated, we will accommodate a delay in start date.

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