Job Description

Managing Editor of Audience Development and Growth

The Managing Editor of Audience will oversee the Houston Chronicle’s efforts across the teams poised to grow our reach and influence on digital platforms in the nation’s fourth largest city. Those teams include audience, breaking news, sports, weather and more.

This leader, who is a key person on our senior leadership team, should be obsessed with audiences (viewers, listeners, readers and commenters), understanding what they want from us and how we can meet their needs with the best news report in Houston. This leader should be able to articulate a clear philosophy on how to drive digital journalism – and a proven track record that supports that point of view.

This isn’t a role for a traditional managing editor; it’s a hands-on role for a creative, results-driven and operationally minded digital leader who isn’t afraid of scale.

This is an opportunity to bring your vision and join forces with a senior leadership team boldly reimagining what local news can be to make sure the Houston Chronicle is a powerhouse of digital journalism that serves all of Houston for years to come.

This senior leadership role is key to our future – and you join our news organization at a pivotal moment. The Medill School at Northwestern recently named our newsroom as a Bright Spot in Local Journalism. The American Press Institute recently included us in a creators cohort, and we wrote about our experiences as we innovate. And our dynamic investigative journalism has been recognized in several national journalism contests all within the last year, as well as our newsroom being named the best in Texas.

Some newsrooms are talking about change; we’re actually changing.

This leader must be obsessed with good digital reporting (in all formats – not just articles), helping all our teams drive good work that grows audiences. This person knows that audience-focused, inclusive reporting that breaks news always wins the day. And they know how to do it urgently, fearlessly and aggressively.

Among the skills you must have: This person must drive digital journalism, build diverse digital teams, coach with metrics and teach others in the room how to continuously level up. They must have a clear understanding of how to grow. They should embrace a culture of collaboration, experimentation and learning, helping our talented reporters and editors shine. And they must be obsessed with news at every turn, understanding a layered digital approach and platforms.

This role is part of our four-person senior leadership team that guides newsroom strategy and will report directly to the editor in chief.

The Responsibilities:

• Elevate our journalism to reach a wider audience on digital platforms
• Articulate a clear, actionable POV on digital reporting in many forms and for many audiences.
• Coach teams and ideas with metrics at the forefront of all decisions. Develop strategies to drive content on all levels.
• Embrace AI across the organization to help our journalists with their work and drive innovation.
• Work collaboratively with the Managing Editor of News and Strategy to oversee the daily operations of the Houston Chronicle, creating and implementing workflows that empower journalists to do their best work.
• Develop and create processes to support and grow our work, focusing on scale and revenue opportunities that come with scale.
• Embrace inclusive reporting and the diversity of Houston, developing strategies and reporting that focuses on reporting for communities not about communities.
• Be expert in digital story editing, understanding that this role is about finding the right approach to each piece and knowing when to think big and take risks.
• Demonstrate collaborative, creative leadership that centers learning, good journalism and innovation. This role requires transformational leadership.
• Administrate: This person will be responsible for administrative duties, budgets and more.
• Lead with Creativity. Push what we can do. Bring new ways to old problems. Be willing to take risks and embrace new platforms, possibilities and AI in our work.

To apply:

As part of your cover letter, please explain your philosophy of digital news coverage and share specific examples where you have driven digital growth among subscribers, new readers, listeners and viewers.

About the Houston Chronicle:

The Houston Chronicle, recognized for its Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism, serves its 2.3 million residents with content and marketing solutions across two of Houston’s largest websites — HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com, along with our magazine, television and newspaper brands. Our mission is to spark conversations that inspire action to create a better Houston. All our content and the innovative business solutions we provide invite Houstonians to join conversations about a community we’ve been committed to covering and helping prosper for more than 120 years. The community we all call home.

About Hearst Newspapers:

With 2,500 employees across the nation, HNP encompasses a network of 24 daily and 52 weekly publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union, several top digital-only news and lifestyle sites, marketing services businesses, and entertainment businesses such as King Features Syndicate.

At HNP, we are investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories – growing newsrooms, diversifying tools, evolving platforms – to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired.

Be a part of something bigger – your headline awaits.

Recognizing the diverse needs of our candidates, if you are interested in applying for employment and need assistance or an accommodation to use our website or regarding the application process, please contact us by email at hnpemployment@hearst.com. Please do not use this email address to inquire about the status of applications. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests for a reasonable accommodation through this email address.

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