Executive or Managing Producer, Wisconsin Today

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Job category:

Academic Staff

Employment type:

Regular

Job profile:

Executive Producer

Job summary:

Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) is hiring a leader for its weekday, statewide talk show team. The successful candidate will be hired as an Executive or Managing Producer depending on their qualifications and previous experience.

The Wisconsin Today Executive Producer is a senior leader in the WPR News Department and is responsible for delivering a timely, relevant, Wisconsin-focused show of the highest quality. The show helps audiences develop a deeper understanding of the events, issues and ideas shaping our world and reflects and highlights communities across the state. The Executive Producer establishes and executes on a vision and strategy for the show, and expectations for team members. They are the primary representative of the team within the organization and the primary point of contact for internal collaborators. This role reports to the Executive Editor and supervises several direct reports.

A candidate hired at the Managing Producer level would direct the work of team members, make daily decisions, supervise several direct reports and report to the Executive Producer. The Managing Producer makes decisions about and directs the day-to-day work of the show team in alignment with the vision, direction and strategy established by the Executive Producer.

This position in Ongoing/Renewable.

This is a full time, 40-hour-a-week, hybrid position based in Madison, WI.

This position typically works between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM CST, Monday-Friday. Evenings and weekend work will be required as needed. This position works at Vilas Communication Hall on the UW-Madison campus at least two days per week with the option of working partially remote. The final schedule can be discussed in the offer stage, but fully remote candidates will not be accepted.

Any remote work requires an approved flexible work arrangement (FWA). A FWA requires successful candidates to possess their own high-speed internet and phone to perform the work on a university provided computer. Per University policy, transportation between home and assigned work location is not payable/reimbursable and will be at the expense of the employee.

This position occasionally requires travel to off-site locations.

Driver Authorization - It is expected that employees will make individual arrangements for transportation adequate to meet position responsibilities and essential job functions. Information about UW-Madison Driver Authorization can be found at

Key job responsibilities:

• Supervises the work of hosts, producers, reporters and/or support staff for the production of broadcast and/or digital content. May serve as back-up host or fill-in for producers when necessary

• Serves as a liaison to internal and external stakeholders. Collaborates with other content creators in pre-production through post-production processes

• Leads editorial planning meetings and generates program ideas for segments, shows, and digital projects

• Monitors and evaluates program content and employs editorial judgement to generate program ideas, and create, write, and edit content

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 FTE or equivalent employees

• Directs various administrative aspects that may include booking guests for interviews, maintaining team schedules and deadlines, and creating and/or maintaining program and/or project budgets

Department:

Wisconsin Public Media, Wisconsin Public Radio, News Network – Wisconsin Today

The WPR News Department strives to deliver journalism for news consumers who want to understand Wisconsin. Our newsroom and talk show teams produce work about Wisconsin and its residents that provides a deeper understanding of the events, issues and ideas shaping our world. That work provides unique value to our audience members they cannot find elsewhere and drives audience and revenue growth.

PBS Wisconsin and Wisconsin Public Radio are part of Wisconsin Public Media. The person in this position will be required to comply with the Wisconsin Public Media Code of Ethics: in addition to the UW-Madison code of ethics.

#WPR

Compensation:

Expected hiring range for this position is low- to mid-80,000s for an Executive Producer and in the low- to mid-70,000s for a Managing Producer. Actual pay will depend on experience and qualifications.

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. For a summary of benefits, please see

Required qualifications:

For Executive Producer Candidates:

• Experience managing journalists.
• Experience as a full-time reporter, producer or editor.
• Experience voicing live or recorded broadcast news content.
• Experience producing news interviews.
• Excellent broadcast and digital writing and editing skills.
• Organizational skills, ability to work within tight deadlines and manage competing responsibilities.
• Knowledge of journalism ethics, newsgathering and reporting techniques.

For Managing Producer Candidates:

• Experience as a full-time reporter, producer or editor.
• Experience producing news interviews.
• Excellent broadcast and digital writing and editing skills.
• Organizational skills, ability to work within tight deadlines and manage competing responsibilities.
• Knowledge of journalism ethics, newsgathering and reporting techniques.

Preferred qualifications:

For Executive Producer Candidates:

• Experience working in a daily news environment.
• Experience working in public broadcasting.
• Experience operating radio studio equipment and software.
• Knowledge of Wisconsin news, issues, culture and personalities.

For Managing Producer Candidates:

• Experience managing journalists.
• Experience working in a daily news environment.
• Experience working in public broadcasting.
• Experience voicing live or recorded broadcast news content.
• Experience operating radio studio equipment and software.
• Knowledge of Wisconsin news, issues, culture and personalities.

Education:

A Bachelor’s degree in journalism, marketing, communications or related field is preferred.

How to apply:

Click the "Apply" button to start the application process. Please note, there is only one attachment field. You must upload all of your documents in the attachment field, either as one combined document, or separate documents.

The following must be received for your application to be complete. These materials will be assessed for usage and grammar. Failure to submit the required documents will result in no longer being considered for the position:

1) A cover letter referring to your related work experience and indicating which level of the position you wish to apply for (Managing, Executive, or both).

2) A resume detailing your educational and professional background.

We are eager to learn more about how your experience may align with this position. Please submit a cover letter referring to your related work experience and a resume detailing your educational and professional background. Please keep in mind your cover letter and/or resume should address your experience and how it relates to the position qualifications. The application reviews will be relying on written application materials to determine who may advance to the first round interviews.

Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment.

Finalists will be asked to provide a short critique of provided talk show materials. Since this position is responsible for the editorial direction and standards for the show, strong news judgement and sense of narrative and interview arc is required. The writing samples and application materials will be assessed for spelling and grammar.

Finalists will be asked to provide a list of at least three professional references with titles, emails, and phone numbers (including at least one supervisory reference). Note that references will not be contacted without your prior knowledge.

Contact information:

Katherine Liu, View email address on jobs.institutedata.com, View phone number on jobs.institutedata.com

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Institutional statement on diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.


The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.


The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).


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