News Director

Job Description

News Director

About Gray Media:
Gray Media is a leading media company that owns and operates high-quality stations in 113 television markets that collectively reach 36 percent of US television households. We constantly strive for excellence. Through upgrading to the latest technology and seeking new ways to stay on top in our markets, we focus on training and development of the best and brightest employees in the business.
We understand that life needs balance. That is why we offer our employees and eligible family members a comprehensive benefits package, including:
• Comprehensive Medical(Rx), Dental and Vision Coverage
• Health Savings Account with Company contributions
• Flexible Spending Account
• Employer-paid life and disability benefits
• Paid parental leave benefits
• Adoption and Surrogacy Benefits
• 401(k) Plan, including matching and profit-sharing contributions
• Employee Assistance Program
• Voluntary benefits, including Hospital Indemnity, Critical Illness, Accident Insurance, and supplemental life insurance coverage
• Paid Time Off, including Relocation PTO
• Focus on Caring
Salary/Wage:
$70K - $85K Annually (DOE)
Shift/Schedule:
Mon. - Fri. (or at the Manager's Discretion)
Job Type:
Full-Time
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About KKCO:
KKCO 11 News is the news leader in the Grand Junction market. The largest city between Salt Lake and Denver, our outdoor recreation and mild climate draw people from across the country here. Our area sees all four seasons and you can ski and golf on the same day during certain parts of the year. Home to the Grand Junction Jackalopes, the renowned Colorado Mountain Winefest and a huge summer country music festival, Country Jam, Grand Junction is a perfect community where residents enjoy the best of the outdoors and all the area has to offer. Our station has a history in our communities as being not only the news leader but a community partner. Our focus on digital allows us to reach far beyond our broadcast signal, to communities in southern Colorado and eastern Utah.
Job Summary/Description:
KKCO 11 News, Mesa County's dominant multimedia news organization seeks a News Director to lead the development of news content on television, OTT, mobile, and various other platforms. Most importantly, the candidate must aspire to lead a wonderful team of journalists, including veterans and those just starting out, to serve the local community with a continued tradition of excellence.
Duties/Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
• The successful candidate will be a hands-on news manager who has a proven track record for coaching and developing talent, solid journalism skills, planning, the desire and ability to own the big news story, and a passion for breaking news and weather on all platforms with a digital-first mentality
• The News Director leads and supervises all aspects of news, weather, and sports programming production on all platforms
• Manages all aspects of the News Department (other than Production)
• Plans and manages staffing, training, and performance evaluations for the News Department
• Makes decisions regarding hiring, evaluation, promotion, and termination of employees
• Develop a news coverage strategy for the station and all platforms
• Critiques newscasts daily to correct errors, improve coverage, and provide mentoring feedback to news staff
• Assigns projects to staff and verifies that deadlines are being met
• Ensures achievement of viewer rating goals
• Determines programming and evaluation of equipment needs to produce quality programming
• Responds to coverage questions
• Works with other senior station leaders to establish and reach station goals
• Performs other duties as assigned
Qualifications/Requirements:
• Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience
• Fluency in English
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Minimum five years experience in news programming production, with at least two years experience in a leadership role
• Experience guiding, directing, and motivating teams, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance
• Experience establishing long-range objectives and specifying the strategies and actions to achieve them
• Ability to identify the developmental needs of others and to coach, mentor, or otherwise help others to improve their knowledge or skills
• Experience preparing and maintaining departmental budgets
• Proficiency with computers, telephones, copiers, scanners, fax machines and other office equipment
• Ability to meet deadlines, prioritize assignments, and handle multiple tasks simultaneously
• Ability to effectively listen to fully understand employee needs and communicate with a team to shape a solution
• Must be able to pass motor vehicle background check
If you feel you're qualified and want to work with a great group of people go to https://gray.tv/careers#currentopenings, you may type in the job title, station call letters, or click on ''apply now'', upload your resume, cover letter, and references
(Current employees who are interested in this position can apply through the Gray-TV UltiPro self-service portal)
KKCO-TV/Gray Media is a drug-free company

Gray Media encourages all new employees to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus virus before the first workday.
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Jobcode: Reference SBJ-r0555j-3-142-54-53-42 in your application.