WDSE-FM in Duluth is seeking a Station Manager.
This exciting opportunity is a full-time position located in the community of Duluth, Minnesota where the outdoors is celebrated! Reporting to the Senior Director of Content Strategies and Distribution, this leadership role is perfect for an individual with a proven track record in supervising teams, managing operations, and serving as a programming director for public radio stations.
In this position, you will play a key role in supporting the enterprise's vision, mission, and strategic plan. Your responsibilities will include ensuring compliance with standards set by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and other relevant guidelines, in addition to aligning with the organization's overall branding objectives.
As the Station Manager, you will contribute to maximizing revenue, increasing market share, enhancing ratings performance, controlling expenses, and providing essential financial analysis and forecasts. Your leadership will set a positive management tone, holding ultimate responsibility for the performance and accountability of all station activities.
Furthermore, you will actively support and coach your team to ensure they possess the necessary skills to excel at the highest level of professionalism and competence. Staying current with industry trends and competitive information related to programming and the station's overall sound will be a key aspect of your role.
Join us in this dynamic position where your contributions will be instrumental in achieving success and making a positive impact in the world of public radio!
Essential duties and responsibilities:
•Recruit, develop and retain a team of highly engaged employees in an accountable yet collaborative environment.
•Manage staff, prepare work schedules, and assign specific duties. Supervise, coach, and motivate the radio team.
•Serve as the Program Director:
In support of the station’s content strategies and in collaboration with various teams:
▪ Oversee content creation for elevating engagement with existing and potential audiences in measurable ways.
▪ Launching new programs as necessary.
▪ Establish metrics to track and evaluate audience-building efforts for all programming.
• Protect the FCC licenses of all broadcast properties by operating in full compliance with FCC policies, local and federal laws, and company policies.
• Oversee activities directly related to revenue generation, market share and audience growth.
• Review financial statements, and other performance data to measure productivity and goal achievement.
• Establish and implement operational policies, goals, objectives, and procedures.
• Represent the organization with various clients and at local and national conferences and events.
• Collaborate with the Leadership Team on all aspects of public radio operations including programming, production, development, promotion, and engineering.
• Manage terrestrial, satellite, internet, and radio broadcast operations.
• Serve as first contact to national networks and content distributors (NPR, APM, PRX, and others)
• Collaborate with marketing and implement on-air and online promotional strategies, campaigns and assets that maximize listening and achieve audience targets for broadcast and digital properties (web, mobile, digital-only streams, podcasts, etc.)
• Advance public service, business goals and inclusive excellence.
• Lead, assign, and supervise the creation of promotional content.
• Collaborate with engineering, marketing, and web development staff to create web and mobile asset creation, harmonizing online and on-air content strategies.
• Partner with others in the organization to develop strategies and tactics that diversify, grow, and engage audiences, especially audiences that have been traditionally underrepresented.
• Work with the development team on short- and long-term planning, as well as specific agendas for fundraising and membership engagement; including, participation in station fundraising activities, and working with membership and development staff in the creation of fundraising themes and messaging.
Required Skills and Qualifications:
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills with experience and comfort interacting extensively with senior management.
• High energy, collaborative, roll-up-your-sleeves leader with a high level of business integrity and ethics.
• The successful candidate will have 3+ years of successful radio leadership experience, and a degree from a college or university.
• Operating budget responsibility and demonstrated business acumen.
• Proven management experience and a track-record of developing and executing multi-platform programming strategies (radio/digital).
• Able to attract and retain topflight talent, inspire, and build teams.
• Knowledge of emerging technologies is essential.
• Flexible with a workweek schedule and based in Duluth.
• Operations knowledge, analytic abilities, and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of digital content production process, both from a technical and talent perspective.
• Ability and willingness to delegate effectively and to hold direct reports accountable.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and sensitivity towards working in a culturally diverse community.
• Proven track-record of team building and working across divisions to achieve goals and the highest level of performance.
Preferred Skills:
• Advanced degree in Media Studies or Business.
• Knowledge of audio and digital engineering practices and operations.
•Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of satisfaction.
Essential Physical Demands and Working Environment:
Ability to see, communicate, hear, and utilize electronic communication devices. While performing the duties of this job the employee is required to communicate effectively with others, sit and stand for extended periods of time. Use hands to manipulate a keyboard, telephone, paper, files and other equipment and objects. Ability to drive and available for occasional travel. Occasionally will push, pull, reach, and lift up to 50 pounds.
WDSE-FM is an equal opportunity employer. WDSE-FM does not discriminate against employees or applications on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, citizenship status, disability, medical condition, genetic predisposition or carrier status, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
