Director of Product

Nebraska Journalism Trust; Omaha (NE); Hybrid; USD 86,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health

Dental

Vision

401k match

Life insurance

Short term disability

Job summary

Nebraska Journalism Trust seeks a Director of Product to connect our journalism with Nebraskans by guiding newsletters, websites, audience analytics and events.

You’ll lead product roadmaps, CMS evolution, and tech investments while collaborating with editors, advancement and newsroom leaders to deepen audience engagement and trust.

You’ll also oversee partnerships, experiments, and the systems that connect CRM, donation platforms and audience data to turn readers into supporters.

Qualifications

• Experience leading audience, product, or digital strategy in newsroom or mission-driven org.
• Experience managing and developing a team.
• Comfort with audience analytics and data-driven decisions.
• Experience evaluating and implementing technology platforms like newsletters, CMS, CRM.
• Experience planning and executing live events.
• Respect for editorial independence and journalistic values.
• Collaborative, experimental mindset with interest in community engagement.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute long-term strategies to grow readership, newsletter subscribers, social audiences and community engagement across all Nebraska Journalism Trust brands.
• Lead experimentation around new products and distribution channels (podcasts, video, print, partnerships).
• Use audience data and analytics to identify opportunities and measure success.
• Own the roadmap for audience experiences and guide major platform initiatives (website, newsletters, CMS, audience tech).
• Lead projects like migrating newsletter providers or transitioning to Newspack and other tech investments.
• Manage the organization's audience technology ecosystem (newsletter platforms, website, analytics, engagement software).
• Evaluate and implement new technology with vendors and internal teams to ensure integration.
• Partner with fundraising to connect audience engagement with philanthropy and CRM/donation systems.
• Own live event strategy, planning and execution of flagship and statewide events, with partnerships and sponsorships.

Skills

Experience leading audience, product,

Digital strategy

Team leadership

Audience analytics

Technology evaluation

Live events

Collaborative mindset

Tools

Newsletter tools

CMS

CRM systems

Job description

Overview

The Director of Product is responsible for how Nebraska Journalism Trust connects its journalism with the people we serve.

This organizational leader sits at the intersection of editorial, audience, technology, development and events. They will oversee the systems, products and strategies that help more Nebraskans discover our journalism, become loyal users, attend our events and ultimately become supporters of our work.

Great journalism only creates impact when people experience it. At the Nebraska Journalism Trust, we believe in our bones that serving audiences means stories are a first step, not a final product. Serving audiences means creating products, experiences and relationships that earn trust over time. We believe that great journalism is the foundation on which we build relationships however Nebraskans demand. A killer story can be a longform piece on a website, a short form video, a mailer, value for our print partners, a live event and who knows what else. This role is intended to make sure we use every part of the buffalo.

The Role

Part strategist, part operator and part builder, this person will guide everything from newsletter strategy and website development to audience analytics, marketing, live events and emerging products. They'll help ensure our journalism reaches the right people in the right ways while continually experimenting with new approaches to deepen engagement.

This leadership role works closely with the Executive Director, News Director and Advancement Director and supervises the staff responsible for audience engagement, marketing and events. The Director of Product will help shape how Nebraskans encounter our journalism for years to come.

What You'll Do

• Develop and execute long-term strategies to grow readership, newsletter subscribers, social audiences and community engagement across all Nebraska Journalism Trust brands, prioritizing depth of engagement over surface-level interactions. We don't monetize like a traditional newsroom, and have the privilege of moving differently. We need to make the most of that key difference.
• Lead experimentation around new products and distribution channels, whether that's podcasts, video, print publications, creator partnerships or ideas we haven't imagined yet.
• Use audience data and analytics to identify opportunities, measure success and guide organizational priorities.
• Own the roadmap for the products our audience experiences, and guide major platform initiatives, including website improvements, newsletter infrastructure, CMS evolution and emerging audience technologies.
• Lead projects such as migrating newsletter providers or processes, our planned transition to Newspack and future technology investments, ensuring our technology serves our audience.
• Manage the organization's audience technology ecosystem, including newsletter platforms, website infrastructure, analytics tools and audience engagement software.
• Serve as the primary organizational leader for evaluating, implementing and improving new technology, working closely with vendors, developers and internal teams to ensure systems integrate effectively.
• Partner closely with our fundraising team to strengthen the relationship between audience engagement and philanthropy, and oversee the systems that connect our CRM, donation platform and audience data so readers can seamlessly become supporters.
• Own Nebraska Journalism Trust's live event strategy. Events are one of our most important forms of journalism and audience engagement, and you will oversee the vision, planning and execution of experiences that deepen relationships with our communities, including flagship events like Flatfest, Flatwater Forum and future statewide gatherings. This includes developing event concepts and programming, identifying journalism partnerships and speakers, recruiting sponsors alongside the development team, managing event marketing and audience growth, and creating memorable experiences that strengthen our relationship with readers.
• Work alongside editors and reporters to ensure our journalism reaches as many people as possible, and improve editorial workflows that affect audience growth.
• Help newsroom leaders better understand audience behavior, without allowing metrics to drive editorial judgment.
• Build a culture of experimentation: launch new newsletters, try new storytelling formats, improve our websites and find entirely new ways to reach Nebraskans. You'll help us identify opportunities, test them and learn quickly.

What Success Looks Like

After your first year, we'll expect to see measurable progress in areas like:

• Audience growth across our brands
• Newsletter subscriber growth and engagement
• Successful implementation of major technology initiatives
• Stronger integration between audience and fundraising systems
• Successful execution and growth of signature events
• Clear organizational understanding of audience insights and analytics
• A culture that embraces thoughtful experimentation

Who You Are and What You Bring

The Nebraska Journalism Trust is committed to building an inclusive team that reflects the full

diversity of communities throughout Nebraska. Members of traditionally underrepresented

communities are encouraged to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities. The list below is meant to provide a general overview of qualifications or desired traits; we will consider those who don’t check all of these boxes. People with nontraditional educational and career paths are encouraged to apply:

• Experience leading audience, product or digital strategy, ideally in a newsroom or mission-driven organization
• Experience managing and developing a team
• Comfort with audience analytics and using data to guide decisions
• Experience evaluating and implementing technology platforms, such as newsletter tools, CMS and CRM systems
• Experience planning and executing live events, or a strong interest in doing so
• Respect for editorial independence and journalistic values
• A collaborative, experimental mindset and a strong interest in connecting with communities across Nebraska

Compensation, Location, and Benefits

• Pay: starting at $95,000,
• Benefits: Health, dental, vision, with the company covering 80% for you and your dependents. A 401k with 3% match. Life insurance and short term disability coverage.
• Vacation: Four weeks off, 2 floating holidays, and 15 paid holidays including a week-long office-wide shutdown the last week of the year
• Remote Work: Flexible work schedule, with the ability to work from home averaging half the time in office (If Omaha or Lincoln based)
• A job with purpose. Here you will have the chance to spend your time shaping impactful journalism – and be shaped by it in return.