Twin Cities PBS (“TPT”) is one of the preeminent PBS affiliate stations in the country. Every day, TPT uses the power of media to advance the arts, spur learning, help young people succeed and help adults age vitally. TPT presents extraordinary PBS programming and also produces award-winning content for the national PBS system.
TPT aims to harness the power of story to entertain, educate and empower audiences to think critically and to engage with the communities around them. The goals of our content strategy are to create diverse & inclusive programming, serve our current audience, grow our future audience, and create a multi-platform approach that keeps them coming back for more.
TPT is currently seeking an experienced executive leader for our Chief Content Officer (CCO) position. This position will head a dynamic, creative and nationally recognized team of content producers across multiple platforms. The CCO will serve as the strategic leader and visionary in the development, production and multi-platform distribution of programs for regional, national and international distribution, including PBS Kids, PBS and APT, PBS Digital Studios, Next Avenue and TPT-owned platforms. The CCO will also seek to expand TPT’s footprint and opportunities beyond US public television, including international co-productions, and other streaming and distribution platforms. This position reports directly to the President/CEO.
The CCO promotes a culture that reflects TPT’s values, encourages outstanding performance and rewards productivity and innovation. Externally, the CCO represents TPT’s interests to selected partners, vendors, communities, national organizations, and other media organizations – serving as the public face for the service with frequent interaction with a broad range of constituents such as audiences, funders, and business and community leaders.
The CCO serves on the president’s advisory team and will be responsible for overseeing content and platform goals related to TPT’s four-year strategic plan and Audiences First 2030 Roadmap.
Work Location
The CCO position requires residency or relocation to the Twin Cities area in Minnesota.
Management Responsibilities
Reporting to the CCO are VP/National Productions, Managing Director of MN Media – Arts/Culture, Managing Director of MN Media – History, Managing Director of Next Avenue, Managing Director of Ready-to-Learn and an Executive Assistant.
Essential Responsibilities
Strategy and Vision:
- Serve as a senior member of the executive leadership team tasked with developing, presenting and executing the short and long-term content strategy for TPT. Participate in all executive level organizational wide strategic planning and initiatives.
- Provide senior-level oversight of content development, production, distribution and monetization for all long and short-form programming for multi-platform distribution to maximize TPT’s audience, brand impact and community service.
- Partner with the CEO to drive the development and management of the vision and strategy for TPT as a highly dynamic and highly successful multiplatform content organization.
Organizational Development and Management:
- Directly oversee the development and production of high-quality, original programming for multiple platforms for local, regional and national audiences, as well as talent management, recruitment and staff development.
- Act as a confidential advisor to the President & CEO on matters of content strategy.
Distribution and Audience Engagement:
- Build a strategic partnership with TPT revenue leaders to identify content areas around which to develop stand-out moments for signature programing with multi-platform strategies and diversified revenue streams. Create collaborative engagement between content producers and revenue generating teams.
- Implement the content strategy for children’s programming, local, regional and national program offerings and Next Avenue, leveraging experience and future trends to continue to evolve the market for the future.
Partnerships and Collaboration:
- Collaborate closely with centralized functions, including Finance, Marketing & Communications, Technology, Production Services, Legal, Human Resources, Operations and Revenue.
- Manage the content development, production, and distribution budgets. Collaborate with the Chief Advancement Officer to explore new business models, content collaborations, and other opportunities to grow revenue.
- Regularly engage with editorial leadership team to establish and develop multiplatform content that serves existing audiences and attracts new audiences to public media.
- Collaborate with the Chief Operating Officer to develop and ensure new programming is inclusive of the communities TPT represents.
Innovation:
- Stay apprised of innovations in the content and media world, including delivery systems and new distribution platforms in order to maintain industry-leading technical systems and processes.
- Champion creativity and innovation across the Content Team
Staff Development and Management:
- Lead and manage the Content Team, and all phases of the development and current production process to ensure creation of content that delivers on creative, brand, ratings, budget and revenue goals.
Build a strong partnership between the creative teams and production teams to ensure alignment around strategy, timelines, deliverables and fiscal oversight. Provide leadership and communication to both teams as priorities shift.
Lead a team of ambitious, creative content producers.
Hire, supervise, train, and manage direct staff through providing work direction, constructive performance coaching, mentorship, performance meetings, and ongoing feedback.
Foster a creative and productive work environment. Create development opportunities and individualized development plans for staff and training to enhance skills and foster growth. Engage in succession planning.
Align job responsibilities and staff skills to maximize effectiveness.
Qualifications
- 10+ years of successful organizational leadership and/or public media experience
- Senior level experience leading complex strategic and business initiatives in a multiplatform environment, including prior direct oversight of content development and production of television, digital and other media, as well as fundraising.
- Strong knowledge about the digital media landscape, including a deep understanding of trends, opportunities and category direction, as well as direct cross-platform expertise.
- Significant experience with strategic programming, content strategy and fiscal management, to deliver successful offerings in the rapidly changing and highly competitive media universe.
- Knowledge of the needs and challenges faced by media reaching diverse urban and rural populations, coupled with an understanding of the operating environment in widely distributed communities.
- Proven experience leading a creative or educational function that produces original short and long-form episodic TV and educational content.
- A successful track record of leading, building, mobilizing and managing creative, high- performing, diverse and inclusive teams.
- Strong management and leadership skills anchored in a clear and concise articulation of vision, goals, strategies, values/culture and roles and responsibilities.
- Knowledge of emerging technologies, federal funding requirements and children’s programming preferred.
- Keen understanding of TPT’s target audience (demographic and psychographic), including a deep appreciation of what drives/motivates this audience, how they utilize a wide range of traditional and digital media, and how their consumption patterns are changing.
- Exceptional degree of emotional intelligence, displaying a collaborative, transparent and communicative work style that results in excellence of execution and a supportive/effective work environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including proven presentation skills with Board and senior level external constituents.
- An excitement about and a commitment to the mission of TPT, and a strong desire to serve its various constituencies, including the community.
- Impeccable personal integrity and business ethics.
Compensation
The salary range for this position is $225,000 - $250,000 and includes participation in the comprehensive benefits plan and variable compensation plan with eligibility for payout in December 2024.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION / EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
Twin Cities PBS is proud to be an Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, Veteran and Disability employer, and is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please contact us at humanresources@tpt.org.
TO APPLY
Please apply online by submitting a resume and cover letter. Inquiries may be directed to Debby Edlund, Interim VP of Human Resources: dedlund@tpt.org
All inquiries will be treated as confidential.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)
