Executive Director of Media Operations & General Manager, KUT 90.5 FM and KUTX 98.9 FM

Application Deadline: Saturday, Sep 15, 2018

Description

Executive Director of Media Operations & General Manager, KUT 90.5 FM and KUTX 98.9 FM

The University of Texas at Austin and its Moody College of Communication seek a visionary leader to serve as the Executive Director of Media Operations and General Manager of KUT / KUTX, Austin’s premier public radio enterprise. KUT, as the combined organization is known, is a wholly-owned licensee of the University operating as a self-supporting unit within its top ranked Moody College of Communication. Reporting directly to Dean Jay Bernhardt of the Moody College, the Executive Director will be fully responsible for all aspects of the stations’ vision, operations, and financing. S/he will have the opportunity to build on the current, significant strengths of a nationally recognized public media organization, pursuing innovation while remaining appropriately true to its distinctive heritage and community commitment.

KUT perennially ranks among the top five in per-capita listening nationally among NPR news stations; KUTX ranks second among NPR music stations. In addition to its broadcast service, KUT distributes its programming globally via www.kut.org and www.kutx.org, and mobile apps. Together, the stations reach nearly 400,000 listeners each week.

The Executive Director will ensure the station’s commitment to civic engagement and public service, both locally and nationally, by reinforcing KUT’s commitment to authenticity, craft, context and the unique power of the human voice in all its forms through intelligent explorations in local music, lifestyle, and culture reflective of the Austin experience. The Texas Standard, the Texas Station Collaborative, and KUT’s local coverage collectively make up one of the most well-respected public media news organizations in the country, and as such, the Executive Director will maintain the highest journalistic standards and editorial integrity to reinforce KUT’s commitment to being the news of record for Central Texas.

Additionally, the Executive Director will:

• Develop and execute a strategic plan that positions KUT’s public media properties and content to take advantage of technology disruption and changing audience habits in the broadcast and digital mediums.
• Provide collaborative strategic leadership and support to the operation of the KUT / KUTX media enterprises, including oversight for the Cactus Cafe, KUT.org and KUTX.org
• Collaborate with KUT senior leadership to maintain departmental fiscal accountability and revenue performance.
• Increase engagement with and donations from the KUT community of listeners, members and donors, using live events, personal outreach, social media, and other digital communications. Along with the Associate General Manager for Development & Marketing, support and actively participate in fundraising and other revenue generating activities.
• Maintain KUT’s market position and quality of programming by developing new and innovative ways to generate revenue from its growing audience of listeners outside of Austin, e.g. creating new products/services to monetize. Expand and enhance KUT’s reputation internationally by marrying local content with globally delivered media platforms.
• Support the historical community service mission of KUT Public Media with an eye towards diverse programming and relevant community engagement.
• Embody and sustain KUT’s culture of collaboration and appreciation of individuality and difference engendered in its programming, which strives to deepen understanding and connect people; support the University’s mission to educate and foster a more civil society.
• Uphold the University’s commitment to diversity and equity by ensuring that KUT is an inclusive environment in which staff and students from diverse backgrounds have the opportunity to excel within the standards established by its Diversity Statement and within the standards of the University of Texas at Austin.
• Ensure that KUT remains vibrant and competitive within the space of public broadcasting, while also engaging Moody College students, faculty, and staff in programmatic and operational activities that enhance the College’s curriculum and advance its academic mission.
• Serve as a member of the Moody College of Communication leadership team and participate in college and university initiatives while upholding UT Austin’s university administrative policies; review current practices for each functional area and implement changes where necessary to improve efficiency and effectiveness; review policies, procedures, and programs and make recommendations to revise, discontinue, or create.
• Provide collaborative professional advice and support as needed to the operation of Texas Student Media (TSM), including direct supervision of its Director. TSM is an umbrella organization composed of several student-produced media properties, including The Daily Texan newspaper; the humor magazine Texas Travesty; the Cactus yearbook; KVRX 91.7 FM; Texas Student Television (TSTV), and the alternative news site com.

QUALIFICATIONS

The successful candidate will be a creative, innovative leader with excellent communication and collaboration skills and a passion for public media.  S/he will, at a minimum, have a bachelor’s degree and at least 10 years of experience in media leadership and management. While a background in public radio is preferred, candidates with executive experience in broadcast and other media, are also invited to apply.

Qualified candidates for this position will also have:

• A firm commitment to collaborative and participatory leadership and demonstrated experience in fostering collaboration and building consensus amongst diverse colleagues
• A track record of developing successful partnerships with industry and community organizations
• A history of generating external financial support and/or managing externally funded programs as well as developing plans to secure future funding
• A high standard for individual and enterprise performance
• The ability to illustrate his/her success with diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in current or previous initiatives
• Prior leadership experience in academia and/or with student media is preferred, but not required

The full job description can be found here.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

The University of Texas at Austin and the Moody College of Communication have engaged Opus Partners (www.opuspartners.net) to support the recruitment of this position. Applicants are invited to email a PDF containing a brief letter describing their interest and qualifications and resume to jennifer.rumain@opuspartners.net. Nominations, recommendations, expressions of interest, and inquiries should be sent to the same address.

Applications received by September 15^th, 2018 will receive full consideration. UT policy requires that a background check be conducted on the selected candidate. All possible discretion will be exercised to maintain the privacy of applicants through the search process.

KUT is committed to fostering a work culture that constantly explores the full diversity of human experience and has set a strategic objective to extend its audience reach, use and diversity, and give voice to the changing characteristics of our community. KUT’s full diversity statement can be found here.

The University of Texas at Austin is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

The University of Texas at Austin is a tobacco-free campus; for more information visit http://www.utexas.edu/tobaccofree/.

For additional information about this position, please contact: