Faculty

The Poynter Institute seeks to expand its world-class faculty with someone who can lead our work on newsroom sustainability, with a particular focus on audience and revenue growth.

Successful candidates will be skilled communicators with a track record of driving audience and revenue growth and organizational change as a practitioner and coach. Along with public programs, a considerable part of the job is consulting and training that is customized to the needs of specific news organizations or related entities.

On a more general basis, Poynter faculty create and offer workshops, sessions, consulting and coaching on skills and topics relevant for newsrooms and journalists, and publish regularly. Poynter faculty contribute to the collegial environment of the Institute, attending meetings, advising senior leadership, attending events and teaching demonstrations in support of their fellow faculty, and sometimes sitting in on meetings with potential donors or custom clients.

Key Qualifications:

• A record of growing digital audience and revenue and driving organizational change;
• A commitment to local newsroom sustainability and to Poynter’s mission of strengthening democracy by improving the relevance, ethical practice and value of journalism.
• Strong public speaking presence; teaching, training and/or coaching experience preferred

This job is eligible for remote work in the United States. Candidates who advance in this process will be asked to demonstrate an example of teaching or a professional presentation. Be prepared to share ideas for how to engage with Poynter’s core audience of journalists: live and in person, hybrid with remote components, and asynchronous.

In addition to salary, we offer:

• Excellent professional development opportunities and the ability to progress in both your craft and career
• Generous paid time off, seven designated paid holidays, plus two weeks paid leave at the end of every calendar year
• Paid parental leave benefit allows for up to 24 weeks of compensated leave for birth moms and 16 weeks for spouses, partners, and adoptive parents
• Competitive benefits package including: employer-funded HRA/medical/dental/vision insurance/life insurance/paid holidays/FSA

Reports to the Vice President, Teaching & Organizational Strategy

EOE

No phone calls, please.

Annual Salary Range: Starting at $120,000, negotiable based on experience

Send resume and cover letter to: Facultyjob@poynter.org

Deadline to apply: August 9, 2024

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and deliver training and coaching focused on audience and revenue growth and organizational change for a range of media organizations
• Teach and coach with expertise and inspiration in-person and online.
• Manage multiple teaching programs to ensure high-quality, effective teaching and training.
• Create new knowledge, and then broadly share it through innovative and substantive teaching, publication, and service to the profession.
• Ensure an excellent and effective client, participant and customer experience.
• Work directly with journalists and newsrooms to create and deliver relevant training.
• Stay on the cutting edge through relevant reading, professional connections and practice.
• Develop and implement the Institute’s programs and curriculum in collaboration with the Vice President, Teaching, and other faculty and Poynter leaders.
• Take responsibility for self-development in gaining new skills and knowledge, with coaching from the Vice President.
• Perform journalism public service within the industry and the community under the auspices of the Institute.
• Consult on the hiring of faculty and the selection of visiting adjuncts, professionals and coaches
• Get quoted by and/ or make appearances on national and local media as an expert;
• Other duties as assigned.

RELATIONSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: The Vice President is responsible for monitoring the faculty member’s progress and performance and will conduct annual performance reviews.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: While not a formal supervisory role, works closely with Teaching staff and faculty.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL RELATIONSHIPS

INTERNAL: Frequent contact with Vice President, President, Assistant to the President, Teaching & Event Services staff and others. Poynter places an emphasis on collaboration with colleagues. There is occasional contact with members of the Board of Trustees.

EXTERNAL: Regular contact with journalists and members of the public around the country and overseas.

POSITION SPECIFICATIONS

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS: Must be able to organize teaching events, collaborate widely, speak publicly and teach. Ability to coach journalists of all levels.

Other requirements include:

• College degree (OR equivalent work experience)
• At least 10 years in media, newsrooms, or audience/revenue-focused roles
• Experience coaching others to drive performance
• A record of growing digital audience and revenue and innovation
• A high level of attention to detail
• A relentless focus on ensuring an excellent and effective client, participant and customer experience
• Ability to travel, including international travel
• Persuasive writing skills
• Strong public speaking abilities— or the potential to develop them
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Ability to analyze media business models
• Familiarity with a range of leadership styles; management experience is a plus.
• An existing network of media contacts

PROBLEM SOLVING/DECISION MAKING: This job requires a high degree of creativity, problem-solving, planning and execution of projects and programs, as well as the ability to actually do the things the faculty member will be teaching others to do. Successful candidates must be able to balance multiple projects, work independently and collaboratively. Successful candidates will have wide latitude for making decisions about their work.

WORKING CONDITIONS

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Position requires sitting or standing for extended periods while at the computer and answering and placing telephone calls. Requires moving throughout the building, outside business offices and public transportation (i.e. airports, taxi cabs) for teaching off-site. Routine interruptions and unforeseen assignments are to be expected.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Duties are performed in a non-smoking office environment. Domestic and international travel is required in order to fulfill position responsibilities (i.e. teach a custom program off-site, attend conferences, etc.