Editorial Director, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk

Journalism

Background: The Missouri School of Journalism hosts the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an innovative, award-winning environmental reporting network covering agriculture, water, climate and other environmental issues across America's largest watershed. Through a partnership with Report for America, we have journalists in more than 15 outlets across the region working collaboratively to cover critical issues. In three years, our reporters have produced more than 1,600 stories, including more than 150 collaborative pieces. Our work has been published by more than 400 news outlets, from small rural newsrooms to large national media.

The Job: The Editorial Director works with partner newsrooms and their reporters, who work part-time with the Desk, to maintain this innovative cross-platform beat reporting program. This position is responsible for the Desk's editorial output, including recruiting and retaining partner newsrooms, supporting journalists, providing editing and project management, and overseeing the distribution of the content across the region. The Editorial Director directs individual stories across various platforms and group projects strategically tackling major environmental issues. The Editorial Director reports to the Executive Director and works with an Assistant Director and other members of the Desk team.

We seek a highly organized and collaborative editor who is committed to the innovative vision of the Desk. This position requires excellent communication skills, a sharp editing eye, and the ability to think creatively about challenges and solutions in a dynamic media landscape. Professionalism, flexibility and empathy are needed to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders.

The Editorial Director is a staff employee of the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. The location is remote within the 10 mainstem states of the Mississippi River Basin (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana).

The Desk is funded by private grants and gifts, including from our lead funder, the Walton Family Foundation. Regardless of the source of funding, the Desk is editorially independent.

The Characteristic Duties
* Lead, inspire and edit the journalists working with the Desk. This includes assigning and editing stories across multiple mediums.
* Serve as a central point of contact for editorial leaders at the participating news outlets.
* Develop and maintain a consistent and effective coverage strategy.
* Identify and reach new audiences through news products on a variety of platforms.
* Develop and oversee the Desk's content distribution network.
* Set up regular training opportunities for reporters, including conference workshops.
* Coordinate with specialists in data, visuals, and engagement to boost storytelling capacity.
* Work collaboratively with the Desk's central staff, including an Executive Director, Assistant Director, Operations Manager and others to execute all the functions of a small newsroom.
* Promote our work with external partners and represent the Desk in a variety of settings.
* Supervise a part-time Data Journalist.
* Complete administrative functions and other duties as assigned.

Full-time, Monday-Friday, 8-5, with occasional weekend and evening hours

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 4 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

Demonstrated success in working collaboratively with peers; experience organizing and managing multiple priorities
Excellent oral and written communication skills, including editing in AP Style
Excellent interpersonal skills for building and fostering internal and external relationships
Deep understanding of journalism ethics and practices and experience with nonprofit journalism
Strong leadership and management skills, including the ability to manage workers in a variety of remote locations and mentor less-experienced team members.
Strong work ethic and the ability to work independently as well as with teams.
Ability to think strategically, set goals and use metrics to track progress towards meeting those goals.
Strong experience with the beats of agriculture, water, climate and environment, and experience reporting, producing and editing investigative work.
Knowledge of the issues, cultures, people, geography and news opportunities in the Mississippi River Basin.
Experience with and credibility in journalism in the region.
Experience in multiple journalistic mediums.
Experience leading multi-partner collaborations.
Experience developing new products.
Ability to solve problems, manage complexity and be resilient.
Commitment to the vision of the Desk and ability to serve as an ambassador for the project at all times.

Salary Range: $75,000 - $80,000/year

Grade: GGS-11

University Title: Senior Strategic Communications Consultant

Internal applicants can determine their University title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

Required application materials are (a) a cover letter describing your vision for leading the Ag & Water Desk, b) a CV/resume; c) a list of three references; d) 3-5 relevant work samples. Applications must be made online and will not be considered without all application materials. For questions, please contact Professor Sara Shipley Hiles at hiless@missouri.edu

Columbia offers small-town friendliness with big city features and a high quality of life for people of all ages and interests. Founded on education and known as an ideal college town, its location also makes it an attractive spot for businesses and travelers. Located on Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 63, Columbia is right in the middle of the state and the nation. Just a couple hours' drive from St. Louis and Kansas City, Columbia is Boone County's largest population center offering big-city culture, activities, and resources with a low cost of living. Columbia is home to a variety of restaurants and entertainment venues and hosts more than a dozen festivals each year. If you want to grow your career, continue your education, raise a family, and retire, Columbia is a good place to be!

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please call the Director of Accessibility and ADA at 573-884-7278.