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Boston University · 7 hours ago

DIRECTOR OF LIVE LISTENING, WBUR Program & Production

Boston, MA

Full-time

Onsite

Director/Executive

$150K/yr - $211K/yr

8+ years exp

Boston University is home to WBUR, Boston's NPR and a public media leader. The Director of Live Listening is responsible for expanding audiences and revenue through live listening experiences, leading strategic initiatives that align with WBUR's priorities of editorial excellence and engagement growth.

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H1B Sponsor Likely

Responsibilities

Manage and optimize the formatics of WBUR’s live and recorded breaks to maximize live news airtime and deliver a compelling daily radio experience

Analyze story lengths, promotions, audience engagement tactics and break structures to enhance programming

Lead regular cross-departmental coordination meetings to ensure programming and audience messaging are managed with consistency and collaboration

Drive operational improvements by updating station procedures in partnership with Programming, News, Traffic, Engineering and related teams

Design and implement experiments to boost audience discovery, engagement and retention

Leverage listening data and audience research, including surveys to refine strategies for linear and emerging platforms such as WBUR’s mobile app

Analyze market trends and audience metrics to provide actionable insights guiding scheduling and programming decisions

Develop a comprehensive “Sound + Style” guide to define WBUR’s local identity, aesthetic, and on-air personality

Promote a modern, conversational writing style for all live-read copy to strengthen listener connection

Collaborate with Membership and Development teams to optimize news-driven messaging and breaks during fundraising, balancing audience experience and revenue efforts

Partner with teams across program production, podcasting, digital, live events and video to align audience growth strategies across WBUR’s platform channels

Recommend new workflows that showcase WBUR’s enterprise journalism and signature content

Guide audience journeys to live listening experiences to maximize overall engagement, impact and connection

Serve as a strategic thought partner to station leadership, driving innovation and audience growth

Oversee syndication efforts and manage the Syndication team to grow national program carriage and station relations

Represent WBUR in programming partnerships by cultivating relationships with distribution partners and industry networks

Identify and pursue new opportunities to expand WBUR’s presence and influence

Ensure programming aligns with WBUR’s mission, audience needs and public radio standards

Coordinate with editorial, marketing, membership, product and engineering teams to support programming goals

Manage budgets related to programming, content acquisition, and other operational costs

Ensure compliance with FCC guidelines and reporting requirements

Foster diversity, equity, and inclusion within programming and community initiatives

Lead innovation initiatives, adapting programming to evolving platforms and audience trends

Represent WBUR at industry events and public forums

Mentor on-air talent and production staff through regular aircheck and feedback sessions

Oversee program scheduling, including local, syndicated and special coverage

Evaluate and improve technical quality and production workflows to maintain broadcast excellence, including the daysheet, breaking news and voice tracking

Qualification

Content StrategyAudience DevelopmentLeadershipStakeholder ManagementAudience ResearchCross-Functional CollaborationCMS WorkflowsCommunication SkillsMentoringEmotional Intelligence

Required

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience; 8+ years in progressive leadership roles in news programming, content strategy and/or audience development

Passion for public media's mission and values, with strong commitment to editorial independence, diversity and public trust

Proven success designing audience-centered content strategies across broadcast and digital platforms

Excellent communication, organizational and editorial decision-making skills

Ability to manage complex, fast-paced news environments with composure and authority

Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration capabilities

Willingness and ability to mentor and support junior colleagues

Experience with audience research, analytics, CMS workflows and cross-platform programming is a plus

Collaborative leadership style with high emotional intelligence

Company

Boston University

Glassdoor4.3

Boston University is one of the leading private research and teaching institutions in the world today, with three primary campuses in the heart of Boston and programs around the world.

Founded in 2008

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

5001-10000 employees

http://www.bu.edu/dbin/stemcells/

H1B Sponsorship

Boston University has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)

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2024 (1)