Civic News Company, parent company of the nonprofit newsrooms Chalkbeat, focused on telling the story of education in America; Votebeat, dedicated to in-depth reporting on elections and voting; and Healthbeat, covering public health and health policy both nationally and locally, is seeking a propulsive, collegial leader to join our mission as newly created role of Vice President of Growth and Community. This is an exciting opportunity for a mid-career newsroom leader with a robust background in digital media and journalism to integrate modern audience engagement strategies with community outreach, business development, and organizational growth.

This role reports directly to the editor-in-chief, Civic News Company.

The key responsibilities for this role include:

• Setting the editorial audience strategy, including: 

  • Overseeing a deputy who leads the audience team’s day-to-day work. 

  • Defining and implementing best practices for social media engagement. 

  • Driving newsletter growth and strategy. 

  • Leading efforts in data collection, analysis, and reporting. 

  • Expanding distribution through partnerships and external platforms. 

• Collaborating with executive leadership on organizational goal-setting and strategic direction. 

• Developing and executing an audience acquisition strategy.

• Partnering with editorial leadership across all three Civic News verticals to shape coverage informed by audience needs. 

• Evaluating and expanding our membership program, including:

  • Product and technology development

  • Editorial integration 

  • Pricing strategy and tier design

  • Creation of member-only content and events

• Strengthening community reach and supporting geographic expansion, including: 

  • Deepening engagement with our existing community and ensuring their needs are met. 

  • Expanding our audience through strategic partnerships and impactful events. 

  • Partnering with our geographic growth leadership team to find the next locations for our bureaus

What background and skills do you have? (We know not all strong candidates will have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!):

• 10+ years of experience in journalism, including 5+ years in a management role.

• Demonstrated success in driving audience growth and engagement.

• Experience in community management and outreach.

• Strong track record of high-level cross-functional collaboration.

• Deep passion for Civic News Company’s mission and values.

This full-time, remote-eligible position may be based anywhere in the continental United States. Civic News Company already has a presence: Chicago, Colorado, Indianapolis, Newark, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, New York City, and Washington, D.C. 

The salary range is $140,000 to $ 160,000; final salary will be determined based on level of experience and geographic location, with a generous benefits package, including:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance

• 20 days of PTO and a paid one-week recess

• 401(k) matching program

• Paid parental leave

Civic News Company recognizes a staff bargaining unit, Civic News Company, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America, East, a labor union representing thousands of members who write content for news and online media, motion pictures, and television. This position is not included in the Civic News Company bargaining unit.

About Civic News Company

At Civic News Company, our mission is helping people understand how America works so they can make it work better. Committed to equal employment opportunities, Civic News Company welcomes applicants and employees from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientations, and marital statuses. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply and contribute to our shared vision.

Civic News Company participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Civic News Company is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before Civic News Company can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Civic News Company can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.

About Civic News Company

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. We are mission-driven, in that we believe that every child deserves an excellent education, and that a strong press is vital to making that happen. Yet we are also fiercely independent, in that we do not take a position on the best path for achieving equity. Because we believe that education is fundamentally a local issue, our coverage is rooted in local communities. To date, we report from and about seven locations: Chicago, Colorado, Detroit, Indiana, Newark, New York, and Tennessee. As a nonprofit, Chalkbeat’s support comes from a diverse mix of sources, including sponsors who pay for opportunities to share messages with our readers and donors who believe in our mission. As most local news sources shrink, creating more so-called “news deserts,” Chalkbeat is building a sustainable model that is local, substantive, and independent.

Connections working at Civic News Company