President and General Manager
Department: KUOW
Job Location: U-District
Posting Date: 09/03/2024
Closing Info: Open Until Filled
Salary: $300,000 - $400,000 per year
Benefits: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here.
ABOUT KUOW
KUOW Puget Sound Public Radio is Seattle’s NPR news station. We are an independent, nonprofit news organization producing award-winning journalism, podcasts, and events in service to the 3.9 million people in our coverage area. As a self-sustaining service of the University of Washington, our mission is to create and serve a more informed public.
This position is a senior executive officer within the University of Washington (UW). KUOW, a nonprofit corporation, is operated under an agreement between the University of Washington, the station’s FCC licensee, and an independent 501c3, Puget Sound Public Radio.
The mission of KUOW is to create and serve a more informed public. We pursue as our “north star” a fertile and vibrant ecosystem existing for community and democracy to thrive. KUOW’s intended impact is to be a platform existing to enable all in the Puget Sound Region to understand and navigate what is happening in the world around them, leading to their greater agency and empowerment.
The General Manager also serves in a non-voting ex officio capacity as President of Puget Sound Public Radio. The President/General Manager provides leadership to and oversight of KUOW including its content and programming, personnel, physical plant and technical support, marketing, community outreach, fund-raising, general administration, and racial equity initiatives.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
• Develop and implement strategic and long-range plans for KUOW, consistent with KUOW’s mission and Strategic Impact Framework (SIF).
• Provide leadership through communication of operational objectives and plans, both inside and outside of the organization.
• Ensure that adequate plans for the development and growth of KUOW are based on careful appraisal of content & programming, marketing and customer relationship management, revenue generation, technology expertise, racial equity goals and innovation driven by research and a creative spirit.
• Work in close collaboration with the executive and management teams to oversee the day-to-day operations of the station and ensure that sound managerial and financial disciplines are implemented, and that racial equity and inclusion are prioritized.
• Through a well-articulated plan for organizational excellence, oversee the recruitment, retention and development of the best talent with a racial equity, diversity and inclusion lens; inspire the team and the community around KUOW and its mission; be transparent about the organization’s goals and methods for their achievement.
• Assess KUOW’s development and fundraising efforts, which include individual memberships, underwriting and sponsorships, grants, major philanthropic and planned giving. Ensure that the full scope of KUOW’s future operating and capital needs can be covered.
• Oversee KUOW’s marketing and community outreach initiatives and communications activities (both internal and external) to strengthen and improve KUOW’s local partnerships, position, and influence in the community as well as the industry nationally.
• Maintain and energize a broad stakeholder community including the PSPR/KUOW Board, national public broadcasting organizations, business and civic groups, the educational community, and the general public.
• Engage in a collaborative working relationship with the governing board of KUOW (PSPR) through regular meetings and informal interaction to communicate financial status, strategic opportunities and challenges, and on-going accomplishments and activities.
• Work with the PSPR Board to develop/refresh strategic objectives; lead the KUOW management team to develop and propose to the Board KUOW’s annual operating budget.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
The President/General Manager reports to the University of Washington’s Vice President for External Affairs and is also accountable to the Chair of the Puget Sound Public Radio Board of Directors.
SUPERVISION (Direct) EXERCISED:
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Content Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Project Mgr., Office of the President & GM
POSITION REQUIREMENTS
This impactful and highly visible position requires broad-capacity, visionary, mission-driven leadership experience. This experience should be the result of a successful track record in public and/or commercial media, or a balance of experience in relevant not-for-profit or commercial organizations along with a demonstrated passion for journalism, cultural expression, and entertainment. The ideal candidate will:
Possess a Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of nine (9) years of experience.
Possess strong general management experience running an organization of similar complexity and size, or a demonstrated record of consistent growth and impact in a smaller organization.
Show a track record of being entrepreneurial at the core with well-developed personnel and leadership skills, creative risk-taking abilities, and sound business disciplines and strategic thinking.
Demonstrate a thorough understanding of today’s media landscape, and an ability to lead through transitions and challenges by innovating and adapting to changing markets or competition. Show experience with and understanding of the opportunities and risks associated with changes in audience consumption habits, shifts in distribution methods for content, new technology, the existential challenges around confidence in the press, financial pressures on the journalism and entertainment industries, transformations in the way people receive and engage with news, information, and culture and a general degeneration of trust in institutions.
Demonstrate ability to design and implement fundraising goals and strategies.
Have experience in personally soliciting major gifts and grants; invest significant time engaging with major philanthropic fundraising to more fully deliver on KUOW’s mission, and be able to work within KUOW’s unique structure and position within the University and the community to achieve goals.
Demonstrate a track record of success in fostering an open, collaborative, and diverse work environment in an organization that fosters creativity and innovation.
Have experience engaging and communicating with an array of stakeholders, influencers, and community leaders.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Deep passion for the role of quality, independent journalism in society.
• Collaborative leadership: an ability to build cohesiveness across management tiers, the generational cohorts of employees and throughout the organization’s structure
• Experience working effectively with a board of directors.
• A team player / coach who can establish themselves as the trusted leader of the Division Leads Group in particular, and of the larger leadership team and be relied upon to get things done. Identifies closely with, and is committed to, the achievement of KUOW’s overall mission.
• Superior oral and written communication skills and the ability to collaborate with various constituencies, internal and external. Strong presentation skills in settings from one-on-one to large audience.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND RACIAL EQUITY KUOW and the University of Washington are equal opportunity employers. KUOW is dedicated to building a culturally diverse staff and creating a working environment that promotes racial equity and inclusiveness. We believe attracting and retaining diverse staff is crucial to serving our community and fulfilling our mission. Women, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities and veterans are highly encouraged to apply.