WDET On-Air Personality

Wayne State University; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayne State University is seeking an experienced WDET On-Air Personality to lead a live, multi-platform talk show that serves Southeast Michigan residents. The role requires vision, editorial leadership, and hands-on content creation, reporting to the Senior Producer.

You will host daily shows, contribute web content, mentor producers, and collaborate with station leadership to expand WDET's audience engagement through radio, social media, and events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism or equivalent work experience.
• Radio broadcast experience required.
• 7+ years of relevant experience in public radio.

Responsibilities

• Host daily on-air and digital platforms with engaging, multi-platform content.
• Lead program development in partnership with senior producer.
• Mentor content contributors and manage production staff.
• Collaborate with GM to guide editorial strategy and community outreach.
• Develop stories and engaging content to reach Southeast Michigan audiences.
• Participate in on-air fundraisers.

Skills

Leadership

Interpersonal skills

Communication

Digital/Social

Databases

Education

Bachelor's degree in Journalism or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

WDET On-Air Personality

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced WDETOn-Air Personality at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university locatedin the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from allbackgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Ourdeep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity,diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educationalopportunities which prepare students for success in a globalsociety.

Essential functions (job duties):

Job Purpose

Serve as the editorial voice of WDET while hosting a live daily,multi-platform news and current affairs-driven talk show. Providevision, practical leadership and participate in the hands-oncreation process of a talk show program that is consistent with the mission and goals of WDET, distinguishing and elevating WDETcontent and editorial POV. Serve as a key thought leader in WDET’sservice to Southeast Michigan residents and act as a key driver inhelping WDET achieve its overall audience service and engagementgoals across radio, social media, and live events. This positionreports to Senior Producer.

Essential Functions

(Essential functions are the primary duties/major jobresponsibilities that an employee must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation. The essential functions arelisted in order of importance.)

• Host daily and special programming for on-air and digitalplatforms and contribute regular web content, including bloggingand curation. Engage listeners through social media on a dailybasis. Cultivate standing credibility with the audience. Embody acommunication methodology that embraces a variation of discussiontopics from news stories to cultural entertainment on a local,national, and global scale.
• Working in partnership with the Senior Producer, provideday-to-day direction for program development. Actively supportprogram diversity in the shows content, perspective, and voices.Contribute to and participate in efforts related to multi-platformcontent delivery and integration. Participate in interviews andmentorship and act in the absence of the Senior Producer inmanaging program producers. Directly supervise and coach additionalcontent contributors including co-hosts.
• Working in partnership with the General Manager serves a vitalrole as part of WDET’s senior leadership team and providesstrategic guidance on the organizations’ editorial and communityservice plans. Build rapport with WDET community partners andcolleagues in the station to develop an environment ofcollaboration and innovation aligning with WDET’s overarchingstrategic initiatives. Cultivate the growth of WDET’s presence inlocal networking events and functions that will reflect a positiveengagement with community partners, audience, andcontributors.
• As part of the strategic leadership team, this position will beresponsible for cross-collaborating with WDET staff at meetings todevelop an innovative approach for generating stories and ideas toengage the audience.
• Represent the highest ideals of WDET’s mainstream, majormarket, multi-ethnic community service mission, vision, and values.Serve as a key thought leader in WDET’s service to the widest crosssection of Southeast Michigan residents.
• Working in partnership with the Program Director, provideleadership in the development of programming and engagement acrossradio, digital, mobile, and social media platforms. Empower WDET’scommunity with culturally diverse stories and current events toenrich audience engagement.
• Participate in development and execution of on-airfundraisers.

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education

Bachelor's degree

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Journalism or equivalent work experience. Advanced degree preferred.

Experience

Expert (established subject matter expert, 7+years experience)

Radio broadcast experience required. Working experience in journalism or clear ability to embody and embrace the principles of mainstream journalism as practiced in the public radioenvironment.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Leadership: Ability to articulate a vision, develop long-termstrategies, and motivate others around individual and teamgoals.
• Interpersonal: Demonstrated ability to be persuasive,professional, collegial, entertaining, and effective in a varietyof forms and formats (broadcast, written and public events.)Demonstrated ability to effectively connect with multi-ethnic,multi-cultural audiences and able to quickly establish a rapportwith guests and contributors who bring diverse voices andperspectives. Ability to build and maintain relationships at alllevels of an organization and across a diverse range of cultural,generational, ethnic, racial educational and socialbackgrounds.
• Communication: Ability to communicate clearly, concisely, andprofessionally both orally and in writing with a diversepopulation.
• Digital/Social: Experience and familiarity with digital tools,building community and online news consumption habits preferred.Demonstrated ability to use social media in a news and contentdelivery context, particularly as it applies to online engagementthat shapes stories, broadens the base of participation, andincludes a wider community in the content’s mission, vision, andvalues
• Ability to generate complex spreadsheets and manage databasesand working knowledge of database systems.

School/College/Division:

H72 - WDET

Primary department:

H8703 - WDET (H8703)

Employment type:

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Staff/Administrative

Funding/salary information:

• Compensation type: Annual Salary
• Hourly rate:
• Salary minimum: TBD
• Salary hire maximum: TBD

Working conditions:

Office environment.

Job openings:

• Number of openings: 1
• Reposted position: No
• Reposted reason: None (New Requisition)
• Prior posting/requisition number:

Background check requirements:

University policy requires certain persons who are offeredemployment to undergo a background check, including a criminalhistory check, before starting work. If you are offered employment,the university will inform you if a background check isrequired.