Director of Audience

Hearst; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

The Dallas Morning News is seeking a Director of Audience to lead strategy and growth of our audience team as the newsroom deepens engagement with the community. This role reports to senior newsroom leadership and partners with Hearst Newspapers to drive subscriptions and analytics across platforms.

The ideal candidate will be a collaborative leader with a track record of growing audiences, managing deadlines, and coaching journalists to translate data into compelling, shareable stories that

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field.
• 5+ years of audience engagement experience.
• Turn audience data into actionable strategies for driving subscriptions.
• Deep understanding of SEO, audience analytics and social media.
• Innovate and iterate quickly as we seek to develop new strategies for engaging audiences.
• Strong news judgment and a commitment to accuracy.
• Track record of adapting quickly and moving at the speed of news.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement core strategies and goals for audience engagement.
• Democratize audience analytics across the newsroom using training, coaching and mentoring.
• Lead analysis of the performance of our journalism, understand our audience and improve engagement.
• Help set and manage audience goals for newsroom teams.
• Take a hands-on approach to breaking news across digital platforms.
• Build strong relationships with staffers and foster their growth and development.
• Display exceptional news judgment with the ability to recognize the digital potential of stories that will resonate with our audience.
• Work with editors to shape coverage that deepens engagement with our digital audience.
• Provide day‑to‑day leadership and supervision to assigned staff, ensuring goals are met.
• Handle all aspects of employee management, including recruitment, interviewing, selection, onboarding and retention.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations; provide constructive feedback and coaching.
• Oversee scheduling, workload distribution, and delegation of responsibilities to ensure balanced team performance.

Skills

Audience engagement

SEO

Analytics

Team leadership

Strategy development

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field

Job description

Title: Director of Audience, The Dallas Morning News

Opening Statement: The Dallas Morning News is looking for a transformative leader to power the strategy and growth of our audience team as the newsroom strives to deepen its engagement with the community.

The Director of Audience will play a key role in The Dallas Morning News’ efforts to innovate and experiment with new ways to attract readers and drive digital subscriptions. This leader also will develop strategies for democratizing audience analytics in the newsroom and for providing regular training to our journalists.

The Director of Audience will help set and manage audience goals for every team in the newsroom and work closely with Hearst Newspapers’ editorial leadership. This person should be a natural collaborator and a strong partner to other senior leaders on projects and initiatives.

A significant track record in growing audience and developing innovative strategies is a must, as is the ability to draw out the best in people you work with. Strong change management skills are essential. We are seeking a leader who is cool under pressure, comfortable with continuous deadlines, organized, enthusiastic, compassionate and creative.

As part of the newsroom’s senior leadership team, this leader will be central to executing newsroom priorities as well as developing key strategic efforts.

What you’ll do

• Develop and implement core strategies and goals for audience engagement


• Democratize audience analytics across the newsroom using training, coaching and mentoring


• Lead efforts to analyze the performance of our journalism, understand our audience and improve engagement


• Help set and manage audience goals for newsroom teams


• Take a hands‑on approach to breaking news across digital platforms


• Build strong relationships with staffers and foster their growth and development


• Display exceptional news judgment with the ability to recognize the digital potential of stories that will resonate with our audience


• Work with editors to shape coverage that deepens engagement with our digital audience


• Provide day‑to‑day leadership and supervision to assigned staff, ensuring operational goals and objectives are met effectively and efficiently


• Handle all aspects of employee management, including recruitment, interviewing, selection, onboarding and retention


• Conduct regular performance evaluations; provides constructive feedback and coaching to support employee development and accountability


• Administer progressive discipline and counseling as needed, in alignment with company policies and procedures


• Oversee scheduling, workload distribution, and delegation of responsibilities to ensure balanced team performance and productivity

What it takes

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field


• 5 years or more of audience engagement experience


• Ability to turn audience data into actionable strategies for driving subscriptions and expanding our reach


• Deep understanding of SEO, audience analytics and social media


• Ability to innovate and quickly iterate as we seek to develop new strategies for engaging audiences


• Strong news judgment and a commitment to accuracy


• Track record of adapting quickly and moving at the speed of news


• Strong communication and collaboration skills

About The Dallas Morning News

Since 1885, The Dallas Morning News (www.dallasnews.com) has been North Texas’ trusted source for credible, independent journalism — reporting with accuracy, fairness and integrity. Each week, we reach more than 4 million people across print, digital, and social platforms, covering the stories that shape life in Dallas and across the state. From politics and public policy to business, culture and sports, our mission is to inform, engage and reflect the diverse communities we serve.

Our staff works in the office at least three days a week. The Dallas Morning News believes a collaborative and inclusive work environment is essential to a thriving workplace. We support one another as we produce revelatory work with our community in mind. We are in search of a diverse group of candidates.

About Hearst Newspapers:

With 2,500 employees across the nation, Hearst Newspapers (HNP) represents a network of 28 daily and 50 weekly publications, including the Austin American-Statesman, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News, San Francisco Chronicle and Times Union (Albany). Our portfolio also includes several top digital‑only news and lifestyle sites such as Chron., CT Insider, MySA and SFGATE, along with marketing services businesses like Medium Giant and entertainment brands such as King Features Syndicate.

At HNP, we’re investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories — growing newsrooms, diversifying tools and evolving platforms — to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired.

The Dallas Morning News is looking for a transformative leader to power the strategy and growth of our audience team as the newsroom strives to deepen its engagement with the community.