Assistant News Director

Nexstar Media Group, Inc.; City of Rochester (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Nexstar Media Group, Inc.'s WROC/RochesterFirst in Rochester, NY is seeking an Assistant News Director to lead multi-platform news, weather and sports programming, and to serve as News Director in the absence of the current leader.

The role emphasizes managing the News and Production Departments, planning and staffing, mentoring staff, shaping coverage strategy, and driving television and digital growth across RochesterFirst platforms.

Qualifications

• 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.
• Must be a critical thinker with excellent content judgement and decision-making skills.
• Minimum two years’ experience in news programming production, with some leadership experience preferred. (Depending on market size.)
• Ability to identify the developmental needs of others and to coach, mentor or otherwise help others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• 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.

Responsibilities

• Assists the News Director with management of all aspects of the News and Production Departments.
• Assists with planning, staffing, training, and performance evaluations for the News and Production Departments.
• Consults on decisions regarding hiring, evaluation, promotion and termination of employees.
• Develops content coverage strategy for WROC, RochesterFirst.com and the RochesterFirst streaming app.
• Assists in, and at times leads the editorial decision-making process for the multi-platform content operation.
• 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 television viewer rating, digital and streaming app growth.
• Determines programming and evaluation of equipment needs to produce quality programming.
• Responds to coverage questions.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership experience

Communication skills

Editorial judgement

Deadline driven

Team coaching

Multitasking

Active listening

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism or related field

Job description

WROC/RochesterFirst is hiring an Assistant News Director to join our award-winning team. With the credibility and strength of our 75-year trusted brand, WROC/RochesterFirst is Rochester, NY’s universal local source for news, weather, and information across all platforms.

Rochester, NY, ranked as the nation’s second most affordable housing market, offers an exceptional quality of life—with outstanding dining, lively entertainment, scenic parks and golf courses, and a friendly, welcoming community.

The Assistant News Director assists the News Director with all aspects of our multi-platform news, weather and sports programming production, and serves as the News Director in his/her absence.

• Assists the News Director with management of all aspects of the News and Production Departments.
• Assists with planning, staffing, training, and performance evaluations for the News and Production Departments.
• Consults on decisions regarding hiring, evaluation, promotion and termination of employees.
• Develops content coverage strategy for WROC, RochesterFirst.com and the RochesterFirst streaming app.
• Assists in, and at times leads the editorial decision-making process for the multi-platform content operation.
• 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 television viewer rating, digital and steaming app growth.
• Determines programming and evaluation of equipment needs to produce quality programming.
• Responds to coverage questions.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements & Skills:

• 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.
• Must be a critical thinker with excellent content judgement and decision-making skills.
• Minimum two years’ experience in news programming production, with some leadership experience preferred. (Depending on market size.)
• Ability to identify the developmental needs of others and to coach, mentor or otherwise help others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• 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.

Salary Range: $55K - $65K based on level of experience.