Summary
The American Press Institute is hiring a new Director of Community Engagement to serve as the institute’s subject matter expert on how local journalism can meet community needs through sustained connection and convening.
This role will facilitate the expansion of API’s deep portfolio on community engagement and inclusion best practices. The ideal candidate will have rich newsroom experience in, and knowledge of, live journalism events, news products, coverage and reporting, as well as in creating feedback loops that respond effectively to the information needs of communities.
The candidate will take the lead in facilitating discussions and creating curriculums designed to help journalists and news leaders thrive in today’s complex media environment. They will bring both experience and joy to teaching professional journalists, understanding the importance of thoughtfully designed learning experiences that convey the why of critical new skills in community-centered journalism, such as conflict resolution, deep listening, conversation styles and restorative engagement.
The Director of Community Engagement will manage a portfolio of private training, such as Asset Mapping 101 and Community Listening in addition to developing new training sessions; support cohort learning groups; co-create and co-facilitate API’s Local News Summits; and support the nascent API Inclusion and Impact Fellowship and adjacent Inclusion Academy.
If your career has placed you at the intersection of journalism, engagement and education, we encourage you to apply.
Key responsibilities include:
- Building and maintaining relationships: Develop strong relationships with journalists and industry partners to support their professional growth. Create a learning community that offers guidance, fosters collaboration, and aligns training programs with the needs of news leaders. Promote knowledge-sharing and encourage commitment to the organization’s mission.
- Developing programs and curriculum: Design, manage, and facilitate a training portfolio that includes immediate support, long-term development and foresight around news leader needs. Identify and work with prospective news organizations to develop healthy and resilient workplace cultures; be responsive to learner feedback to iterate and evolve API’s curriculums.
- Training, coaching and thought leadership: Engage and connect with the fields of civic engagement, journalism and democracy in the US to inform API’s network and the local news industry of key findings, best practices, and research relevant to their daily work and challenges. Share multiple access points to your work and expertise through group training, 1:1 coaching and content publishing that enriches industry conversations and supports API programming.
- Creating effective collaborations within API: Work closely with colleagues to develop, define, and implement program strategies that drive meaningful and scalable impact. Enhance training initiatives through cross-team consultation and cooperation, ensuring they meet the needs of journalists. Collaborate with Product Strategy to link community engagement efforts with measurement tools like Source Matters for tracking source diversity.
Examples of work could include but are not limited to:
- Facilitating an API Influencer Learning Cohort that contributes experimentation, best practice and solutions to digital media and community trust challenges facing news organizations
- Supporting API Local News Summits through program design, news leader interviews and co-facilitation
- Contributing a Need to Know content series that highlights professional learning or curiosity through content optimized for action
- Grant collaboration, writing, reporting and feedback that prioritizes API’s commitment to supporting an inclusive democracy and society
- Leadership Coaching that supports news leaders through formal API programs and summits as well as 1:1 coaching sessions
- Developing curriculums that consider adult learning styles and prioritize engagement, connection and reflection, whether virtual, hybrid, in-person or asynchronous; topics of current interest include training on community feedback surveys, newsroom listening tours and fostering dialogue across difference
This person is:
- An experienced journalist and news leader, especially in a community-centered role, whether through product, engagement or solutions reporting
- An educator and facilitator capable of designing and delivering curriculum to adult learners as well as practiced in extemporaneous public speaking as it may relate to moderating or participating in panel discussions, delivering keynotes, or providing off-the-cuff support for API programming
- Confident with data, having some experience working with qualitative and quantitative data to measure success of community engagement work
- A reflective practitioner and lifelong learner with a willingness to respond to feedback, receive and act on coaching, and create new and novel learning experiences while also delighting in sharing wins and opportunities
- Mission-driven with a strong commitment to civic engagement, democracy and the role journalism plays in creating informed communities
- Organized with effective time and project management skills
- Intellectually curious with a commitment to reading and thinking deeply about journalism and the worlds that can inform it
- An engaging communicator and confident writer and editor with an eye for disseminating actionable insights across API’s brand presence and narrative
The Director of Community Engagement sits within the Journalism Strategy department — which includes API’s inclusion portfolio, local news summits, challenge funds, digital transformation program, live events, research and digital content strategy. The role will report to the Vice President of Journalism Strategy. This role will regularly involve collaboration with the Sr. Director of Partnerships, Director of Journalism Strategy and Director of Product Strategy. This role can expect to travel for industry and API events once a quarter.
Employment details
We believe that diversity in lived experiences, perspectives, knowledge, and ideas strengthens journalism, its businesses and our own organization. The American Press Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer, where we encourage applications from candidates from communities traditionally underrepresented in journalism and from people of every age, race, ethnic background, gender, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, disability status, medical condition, veteran status, and familial status.
This is a full-time position with a salary between $115,000 – $140,000 commensurate with skills and experience, and the following benefits:
- 20 days of paid time off, plus major holidays (12 per year) and one floating holiday
- Medical, dental and vision benefits
- 401(k) plan with a generous matching policy
- Medical and/or dependent flexible spending plan
- Paid parental leave available
- Employer-paid life insurance, short-term and long-term insurance policies
- Pre-tax mass transit plan
- Professional development opportunities (for example, conference attendance or stipends for course enrollment)
API’s primary office is located in Arlington, Virginia. Staff work a hybrid schedule for those in the DMV area on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. However, this is a remote role for those outside of the area, joining several other fully remote staff.
How to apply
We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. We also know there are excellent candidates who might not have all the skills and experience that we have outlined. If that describes you, please apply and tell us about yourself and share your ideas for this role. You may be the ideal candidate.
Please email your resume to jobs@pressinstitute.org. We also invite candidates to fill out our affirmative action form here. Please include this form with your application. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States. Please mention “Community Engagement Director” in the subject line so we can direct your application to the right people. Please be prepared to provide three professional references.
We will continue accepting applications on a rolling basis until we make a hire.
