Director, Innovation News Center

Classification Title:

Director

Job Description:

The Opportunity

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is seeking a unique and inspirational leader to join the student immersion team as the Director of the Innovation News Center (INC).

This position is an executive-level role that supervises 10 full-time, professional news managers and reports directly to the Dean of the College. The director will guide coverage for an audience that extends across 18 counties in North Central Florida and oversee a newsroom staffed by unpaid undergraduate students. The Director will have a strong focus on the future as we are seeking someone who understands the influences acting on the Mass Communications industry and can help lead us forward by taking an active role in development of our mobile operations and other digital businesses. We are looking for someone entrepreneurial and open to experimentation and risk-taking.

Some key highlights of duties and responsibilities include (but are not limited to) mentoring and teaching students in an educational setting and lab environment as they report, produce, and deliver news, weather and sports content in English and Spanish. Lead the day-to-day operational and editorial management and strategic direction of our student-driven, professional-guided newsroom, the Innovation News Center. The Director will work across digital, broadcast and cable platforms using established and emerging tools to engage and build audiences. The Director will lead public services through NPR and PBS as well as commercial enterprise (TV, radio, web and mobile). The Director will utilize and establish analytic tools to interpret and apply usage data that will ensure we engage target audiences and analyze insights to help increase content engagement across platforms. Maintaining financial oversight, in collaboration with the dean’s office, of the center’s operations.

About the Innovation New Center (INC)

The Innovation News Center (INC) is a state-of-the-art professional newsroom at the University of Florida (UF) College of Journalism and Communications (CJC), which is one of the top communication programs in the country. The INC, home of the College’s news, weather and sports operations, is a two-story, 14,000-square-foot facility providing hands-on learning opportunities for more than 400 students each semester. Students work alongside professionals to produce and edit content for seven media properties and companion digital platforms, including the local NPR, PBS and ESPN affiliates, as well as the Spanish-language news operation of Noticias and the Fresh Take Florida news service. All properties are housed at the College.

The director provides a unique opportunity for an experienced professional to develop the next generation of journalists working in a real-world news environment. In addition to providing breaking news and enterprise projects to a region-wide audience through traditional channels, the director of news will lead efforts to integrate new storytelling approaches into the operation. To learn more about the INC: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/home/main-immersion/inc/

About the College of Journalism and Communications

Accredited by ACEJMC, the college has earned its reputation for excellence over the last half century on the strength of its programs, faculty, students and alumni; the stories they tell; and the difference they make around the world. Our 70 full-time faculty members and 175 part-time instructors serve in four academic departments: Advertising, Journalism, Public Relations, and Media Production, Management and Technology. We enroll about 2,500 undergraduates both in-person and on-line. More than 800 graduate students are earning master’s and doctoral degrees. Visit the College of Journalism and Communications website for more information: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/

The College of Journalism and Communications is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment, preeminent scholarship, cross-disciplinary education, superior skills development, and collaboration spanning the science and practice of communication to produce significant societal impact on a local, state, and global scale.

About the University of Florida (UF)

The University of Florida is the state’s sole member of the Association of American Universities. It is in the midst of a multi-year pre-eminence initiative that has created more than 500 new faculty positions and generated a $70 million partnership with NVIDIA to create the nation’s top research lab in artificial intelligence. In 2020, UF faculty generated more than $900 million in research grants.

The University of Florida offers a competitive salary commensurate with similar positions and includes a full benefits package. To view the university’s Total Reward benefit package, please click here: https://benefits.hr.ufl.edu/ .

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The College of Journalism and Communication is committed to a diverse and inclusive environment, preeminent scholarship, cross-disciplinary education, superior skills development, and collaboration spanning the science and practice of communication to produce significant societal impact on a local, state, and global scale. To learn more about CJC IDE efforts, please click on the link: https://www.jou.ufl.edu/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-about/ .

The University of Florida seeks applications and nominations from a broad spectrum of individuals including women, members of diverse ethnic groups, and persons with disabilities. The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty, staff, and student community

About Gainesville, Florida

As home to Florida's largest and oldest university, Gainesville ( http://cityofgainesville.org ) is one of the state's centers of education, medicine, cultural events and athletics. Gainesville and the surrounding area is home to about 250,000 people, a robust arts community, several museums, a world-class health care system anchored at UF, a downtown core known for its restaurants and brew pubs, excellent public and private schools, and abundant nature exemplified by clear, natural springs. Additionally, within 2 hours are attractions such as Disney World, University Studios, Busch Gardens, and historic St. Augustine. Explore Gainesville in 60 Seconds.

Expected Salary:

Commensurate with experience

Minimum Requirements:

Master’s degree in appropriate area of specialization and six years of appropriate experience or a bachelor’s degree in appropriate areas of specialization and eight years of experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Affinity for teaching and mentorship
• Deep knowledge of established and emerging platforms
• Ability to be a central driving figure for innovation in the College and media properties.
• Leadership experience in executing organizational, operational and cultural change, ideally within a news environment.
• Master’s degree in journalism or comparable field
• 7+ years of experience directly in reporting and editing/producing
• Significant professional experience in newsrooms that blends traditional and emerging media
• Demonstrated professional leadership/management
• Accomplished in maintaining high or growing audience share
• Experienced with a variety of online, mobile and traditional media
• Knowledge of legal and ethical responsibilities for digital and broadcast media
• Experience teaching/mentoring or supervising undergraduate students and/or entry-level journalists
• Strong news judgment and leadership/management experience

Special Instructions to Applicants:

• A statement on commitment to diversity and inclusion in newsroom leadership
• A letter of interest outlining professional and leadership experience
• Complete curriculum vitae or resume
• Names, addresses, e-mail addresses and telephone numbers of three references

For additional questions or more information, please contact Ted Spiker at tspiker@ufl.edu.

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

Health Assessment Required: No