Audience Engagement Manager

Sacbar; Seattle, Northern (WA, KY); Hybrid; USD 62,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental coverage

Retirement plan 3% match

WFH stipend

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

Professional development

Job summary

InvestigateWest is seeking an Audience Engagement Manager to lead our newsletter program, oversee social media and SEO, and shape distribution for major investigations in the Pacific Northwest. You will collaborate with editors and reporters to expand reach, develop partnerships, and plan community events that connect readers with our watchdog reporting.

You will use analytics to measure impact, grow memberships, and ensure content accessibility for rural, Indigenous, and underserved communities

Qualifications

• Experience in audience engagement and newsletter strategy.
• Strong writing/editing with fair, accurate reporting.
• Comfort using analytics (GA4) to guide decisions.
• Ability to build partnerships and run community events.
• Collaborative, able to manage multiple projects with priorities.
• Commitment to serving diverse communities and improving civic access.

Responsibilities

• Lead newsletter program and oversee social media, SEO, and distribution.
• Collaborate with editors and reporters on publication strategies.
• Monitor web performance, newsletters, and social impact.
• Engage community partners and audiences through events and programs.
• Grow membership and sustainers through campaigns and stories.
• Ensure content accessibility and extend reach to underserved groups.

Skills

Audience engagement

Newsletter strategy

Community storytelling

Writing & editing

Editorial judgment

Analytics

GA4 analytics

Partnerships

Event planning

Project management

Diversity & inclusion

Tools

GA4

Job description

About InvestigateWest

InvestigateWest is a nonprofit founded in 2009 to produce investigative journalism that sparks change across the Pacific Northwest. Our work has led to 15 new state laws and a number of other significant reforms. As local watchdog journalism shrinks, we produce high-impact investigations and partner with local outlets so that accountability reporting reaches the people most affected. (For more, watch this video.)

The role

The Audience Engagement Manager will strengthen the relationship between our newsroom and the communities we serve across three states. You will lead InvestigateWest's strategy across web and social platforms for maximizing the reach of our investigations, engaging with new audiences and measuring the impact of our work. You'll create lasting avenues for communities to take part in our journalism, especially rural, Indigenous and migrant communities. The role is also central to our strategy of collaborating with other newsrooms, and you'll work with other newsroom leaders to identify partnerships and republication opportunities. As part of our growing membership strategy, you'll help build the systems and campaigns that turn readers into members and monthly sustainers.

This is a hands-on job for someone who combines strong editorial judgment with community listening, comfort with analytics and an entrepreneur’s mindset. The position reports to the executive director and works closely with newsroom leaders.

What you'll do

• Distribution and audience growth: Lead our newsletter program. Oversee social media, lead SEO and discovery strategy and plan distribution for major investigations with publishing partners, listservs, influencers and community groups. Create companion content that makes investigations accessible and actionable, such as explainers, Q&A and short videos.
• Editorial collaboration and training: Work with editors and reporters on publication and distribution strategies that maximize reach and impact.
• Analytics and impact tracking: Monitor web, newsletter and social performance. Track impact beyond reach, including official government responses and policy changes.
• Community engagement and service journalism: Serve as a primary liaison between the newsroom, readers and community partners. Build relationships with community organizations, libraries, schools, civic groups and trusted messengers.
• Events and programming: Plan and produce community virtual or in-person events and, such as listening sessions, reporter Q&A, panels and forums. Work with editorial leadership on engagement products around major projects.
• Membership and revenue growth: Lead growth of our membership program, with an emphasis on small-dollar and monthly giving. Track and improve the performance of fundraising communications and package impact stories and testimonials for donors and members.
• Accessibility, inclusion and brand stewardship: Make sure content meets accessibility standards, and extend our reach to rural and low-income communities and people with limited broadband.

Who you are

We welcome candidates from journalism, community engagement, nonprofit communications, public media or civic information work.

The strongest candidates will bring:

• Demonstrated experience in audience engagement, newsletter strategy or community-centered storytelling.
• Strong writing and editing skills, sound editorial judgment and a commitment to fairness and accuracy.
• Comfort using analytics to make decisions (experience with GA4 and email and social analytics preferred).
• Experience with or interest in building partnerships and running community events or programming.
• A collaborative working style and the ability to manage multiple projects with clear priorities.
• A commitment to serving diverse communities and improving access to civic information.

What success looks like in the first year

• A consistent listening and engagement program running across all three states.
• Stronger, more strategic distribution for major investigations, bringing measurable audience growth and more readers who become members.
• A simple, reliable system for tracking metrics and impact that helps the newsroom learn and improve.

Compensation and benefits

• Salary: $62,000-$66,000
• 100% coverage of health insurance and 50% dental coverage
• 3% matching retirement savings plan
• $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
• Three weeks of paid vacation and 11 paid holidays
• Support for professional development

Location

This is a remote position. You can work from home anywhere in Washington, Oregon or Idaho.

Our commitment

We are dedicated to making our organization better reflect the region we cover, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive environment for people of different ages and backgrounds. We encourage members of historically underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.