Assistant News Director, Wls

Job Description

ABC 7 Chicago is seeking an aggressive, enthusiastic, motivated and dedicated Assistant News Director who will supervise the daily operation of the newsroom and guide coverage across all platforms. Our Assistant News Director will execute the overall vision of delivering meaningful breaking news and impactful community-based stories in Chicago and will directly supervise executive producers and other news managers.

Responsibilities:

A successful candidate must have strong leadership skills, news judgment and thrives on creating content that stands out. You must also be familiar with the Chicago news market and be able to guide, coach and mentor our staff.

This position will report directly to the Vice President of News.
• Manage the daily operation of the newsroom and guide coverage across all platforms
• Collaborate closely with internal and external partners on all content, marketing and promotional strategies while implementing innovative tactics to be competitive in the Chicago market and grow audiences
• Lead news managers on all daily linear programming and digital and social news content; make operational decisions on content and logistics
• Responsible for all daily news coverage, including breaking news
• Supervise executive producers and other newsroom managers on both linear and non-linear news content and conflict resolution on any issues that arise in the newsroom
• Responsible for recruiting and hiring operational newsroom personnel in collaboration with VP of News.
• Oversee award-winning investigative unit and special projects

Basic Qualifications:
• The ideal candidate should have top market experience in a local news station, a proven record of ratings and digital success, strong leadership/mentoring skills and excellent news judgment
• Minimum of 5 years of local news management experience and major understanding of news content in the digital/social world
• Must be a strong leader with the ability to make decisions on daily content and logistics in a fast-paced environment
• Proven ability to excel in a demanding and ever-changing newsroom
• Detail-oriented with strong editorial and production skills with an understanding of the importance of marketing as it relates to daily coverage
• A keen understanding of which types of content and storytelling styles work best for various platforms
• Demonstrated ability work under deadline pressures and work in a rapid, fast-paced environment
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Must be flexible with working hours and adaptable to change

Required Education
• Bachelor's degree (preferred in Journalism) or equivalent work experience

About ABC Owned TV Stations:

This position is with WLS Television, Inc., which is part of a business segment we call ABC Owned TV Stations.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-r0my9m-18-118-23-89-42 in your application.