Director of Content, WUFT/WRUF Media Properties

Classification Title:

Media Props Content Officer

Job Description:

Come Join a Creative TEAM at the Gator Nation

College of Journalism and Communications, Division of Media Properties is looking for a creative and talented leader to join our group! We want an experienced, motivated, energetic, and hard-working person to join our team as a Director of Content.

The Opportunity

WUFT-TV/FM and WRUF-AM/FM/TV, operated by the University of Florida Division of Media Properties (College of Journalism and Communications), seeks an experienced content and programming leader to ensure our diverse group of media platforms engage the viewers and listeners of not only the Gainesville-Ocala, Florida market but that of the entire state and region. Our unique position in the marketplace, as the founder and host of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN), places our operation at the core of public safety content distribution to Florida's public media ecosphere. In addition, our commercial radio operation in WRUF-AM/WRUF-FM constitutes an incredible professional immersion opportunity for our College's hundreds of students that actively contribute to this vibrant media environment at one of the nation's leading AAU institutions of higher education. Our Director of Content will serve as a key member of our senior leadership team and will oversee all the content strategy and audience acquisition for public television station WUFT-TV, NPR/public radio news/talk WUFT-FM, WUFT Classic (classical/arts format), GHQ (student/campus-focused CHR format), WRUF-AM/FM (ESPN/sports-formatted “Home of the Florida Gators”) and 1037, The Gator (100,000 watt contemporary country format). In addition, this position collaborates closely with the leadership of the media properties in relation to the operation of FPREN, the multiplatform public safety content service hosted at WUFT.

The University of Florida is a member of the Association of American Universities, is categorized in the Carnegie Commission's top tier of research universities, and is ranked #6 among public universities by U.S. News and World Report. UF has a student body of over 55,000 who come from all 50 states in the United States and more than 100 countries. The university and greater Gainesville communities enjoy a diversity of cultural events, restaurants, year-round recreational activities, and social opportunities.

The College of Journalism and Communications is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) and is home to four departments – Advertising, Journalism, Public Relations, and Telecommunication. The college provides hands-on learning immersion experiences through the Innovation News Center, The Agency, Frank gatherings, the Division of Multimedia Properties, the Summer Media Institute, undergraduate research, various extracurricular groups and activities, etc. To learn more: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/this-is-cjc/

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: The College of Journalism and Communications understands the importance of diversity as a contribution to the industries of journalism and communication in our increasingly multicultural nation and globalized marketplace. We value diversity and the development of competence in intercultural communication and behavior for all who are a part of our College, industry and society. We are committed to incorporating diversity and inclusiveness in our faculty, staff, students, curriculum, research, immersion properties and culture.

The City of Gainesville has been described as one of America’s best college towns and a hotspot for talented workers. Money magazine, Frommer’s and Forbes are just a few of the magazines that have named Gainesville the top city in the nation for livability. The city boasts a revitalized downtown whose culturally enriched environment rivals those found in much larger cities. Orlando, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and Tampa are all within a two-hour drive.

Responsibilities and examples of work for a successful candidate include, but is not limited to:

• Oversees the development of television and radio program schedules and coordinate with INC leadership on website priorities and content for all media properties web platforms.
• Lead and work with the staff associated with programming and operations for the television and radio stations (public and commercial).
• Ensures strategic programming and operations strategies are successfully implemented across all the media platforms operated by the University’s Division of Media Properties.
• Coordinates with others on the senior management team to ensure multiplatform strategies are executed successfully.
• Monitors on-air announcer content, engineering issues, proper programming and imaging, expired commercials, and competitors’ changes in programming that could directly impact the stations, while ensuring compliance with FCC rules and regulations.
• Ensures staff and content adhere to journalistic and public media standards. Set and maintain quality standards for programming and content on all platforms.
• Coordinate with the membership and development staff on the delivery of successful live and reproduced media events that utilize UF media properties distribution methods.
• Develop a blended, platform agnostic cross-promotion strategy that uses each UF media property to position and reinforce the value of multiplatform content across multiple dayparts and usage cases.
• Coordinate with media services staff on the production of effective promotional materials for all platforms.
• Responsible for ensuring compliance and quality oversight for all programming, productions, underwriting and digital content including FCC, CPB, PBS, NPR and other reporting requirements, as well as rights management of produced and acquired content.
• In conjunction with the Executive Director and Director of Operations, develops a multi-station strategy, tactics and budgets as it relates to on-air programming and ensure a successful execution of that strategy.
• Formulates an appropriate annual budget to support the strategy and monitors expense on a monthly basis with the Director of Finance.
• In conjunction with the Executive Director and Director of Revenue, analyze industry research for programming goals and strategies; develop, recommend, and execute overall station and market programming strategies, station and client-partnership for promotional on-air and external marketing campaigns, including social networking and electronic media postings, while monitoring trends in programming formats.
• Prioritize and assign tasks for department staff. Supervise all staff providing “live hosting” on all platforms.
• Supervise the curation and programming functions for all streamed services, whether performed by UF staff or contractors.
• Recruit, train and provide professional development opportunities for direct reports.
• Review and evaluate staff performance against job descriptions and periodically update goals and objectives.
• Coordinate staff time division with other units. Collaboratively manage employee schedules to ensure baseline services are maintained 24/7 x 365.

Expected Salary:

$80,000-$110,000; commensurate with qualifications and experience

Minimum Requirements:

Master’s degree in an appropriate area and six years of relevant experience; or a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area and eight years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in an appropriate area with extensive experience in both public and commercial media programming and operations.
• Experience working with automated/centralized television master control scenarios and digital automation systems/computer based music scheduling software in addition to on air hosting.
• Experience with ProTrack, Wide Orbit and Axia Livewire systems.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

In order to be considered, you must upload your cover letter and resume.

Application must be submitted by 11:55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

Health Assessment Required: No