Description

About WHYY

WHYY serves the Philadelphia region with trusted journalism, eye-opening storytelling and intimate local arts programming. Our curiosity and commitment to this community is what drives our programming. It’s also what drives our hiring.

Below you’ll find an employment opportunity in the fast-paced setting of the Philadelphia region’s leading public media provider. The award-winning professional staff of WHYY sets the bar high in television, radio and online. Whether it’s preparing a program to air or a behind-the-scenes role in support, all positions are vital to continuing—and growing—our impact in our community.

WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone’s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about our Social Responsibility Program. It’s how we live.

About the Role

The Senior Manager of the Community and Engagement Team leads a team of community-focused professionals and others contributing to WHYY News’ community journalism efforts. This senior manager reports to the Vice President for News and Civic Dialogue and collaborates with other WHYY departments as assigned. The candidate has a track record of people management, events coordination and project management. The senior manager implements and refines strategies that inform the business objectives for WHYY News’ community building in concert with the Vice President of News and Civic Dialogue.

This team leader manages the Community and Engagement Team staff and oversees the project management workflows for civic dialogue projects, such as News and Information Community Exchange (N.I.C.E.), community fellows, curators and organizers. The team creates community-focused programs that serve external partners and connects the WHYY newsroom to a range of communities and vice versa. They manage the teams’ planning, production and promotion of place-based community conversations, events, programs and other assigned duties that may include but are not limited to broadcast, digital and face-to-face gatherings. This manager may be assigned to lead additional projects that intersect with building the news department’s community profile and funding capabilities, as assigned by the Vice President of News.

While the WHYY News editorial team will edit, manage and publish the content created as part of WHYY News’ community work, this senior manager will work with the Vice President of News, an assigned editor and community team members to coordinate journalism and content contributions from external community partners. The senior manager will collaborate with internal WHYY departments as assigned on topic-driven broadcast specials, film screenings and panel discussions. The position requires creativity, ingenuity, imagination, excellent time management and collaboration skills, in-depth knowledge of the Philadelphia region and its communities, project management experience, public speaking, moderating and presenting skills, and a deep commitment to civic dialogue and cultural competence. The goal for the Community and Engagement Team is to connect diverse communities across Greater Philadelphia to each other and to WHYY News.

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Manage the staff on the Community and Engagement team and ensure they develop and execute deliverables that meet project expectations. Work with the Vice President of News to develop projects that the team will undertake each calendar year, and follow up with status updates on the team’s tracking of calendared goals. The projects will be aligned with departmental goals.

Manage budgets on several grants, in concert with the VP of News, and meet a range of deliverables, including leveraging WHYY Media Labs and community spaces to connect with multicultural households.

Form and maintain strategic partnerships that enhance the organization’s community relevancy as it relates to audience diversity.

Identify and cultivate new community voices and introduce them to the newsroom’s source diversity efforts and database.

Oversee the development and growth of community and engagement programs at WHYY News.

Utilize Airtable and other project management tools to manage, track and provide status updates on project deliverables.

Perform quality control on projects from genesis throughout development to maintain professional standards and ensure project work aligns with departmental and organizational goals. Adjust targets, budget and financial projections as projects develop and/or change.

Create short-term and long-term plans to meet community project deliverables and team needs.

Demonstrated leadership and people management capabilities including willingness to give ongoing feedback to team members and receive feedback. Must be adaptable, organized, successful with problem solving and demonstrate active listening skills.

Must be forward-thinking, adaptable and self-starting in one’s approach to get project work off the ground and possess superior time management skills to get projects accomplished.

Represent the community and engagement team at external organizational and partner events.

Fill in to host, moderate and lead on-site community and engagement team programs.

Supervise contractors as applicable, such as Community Curators.

Work with an assigned newsroom editor to facilitate the inclusion and promotion of community contributions, such as essays and op-eds.

Demonstrate availability to represent WHYY News’ community efforts by attending community team events and convenings, including on nights and weekends as needed.

Work with Foundations and Corporate Relations team and the VP of News on funding proposals including development of project budgets and deliverables. Contribute to narratives and project summaries for grant reports.

Meet short and long-term deadlines as assigned.

Use social media to cultivate contacts and promote work.

Maintain regular and predictable attendance.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications