Executive Director, Talent & Development

Job Description

Would you like to build a newsroom culture of the future? Do you have ideas about how to create an environment where journalists can do their best work? Do you want to work in a supportive environment in an ever-evolving organization?

We're looking for someone who deeply understands the challenges our staff face from burnout to online harassment and systemic discrimination, and who has a proven track record of building a high-achieving, inclusive newsroom. The right candidate will help us create a space where our staff feel supported and have a clear path to growth and where everyone is encouraged to bring their authentic selves to work.

The executive director of talent & development will be Vox's accountable leader for making it one of the best newsrooms in the industry at inclusion, career development, and hiring by working closely with Vox Media's core services teams.

As a member of the senior leadership team at Vox, you'll be responsible for ensuring diversity across functions and teams, and at every level, as well as ensuring that all employees have equitable access to context, to leadership, and to decision-making. It's important that we give all employees the confidence that they can advance their capabilities and careers at Vox, without gaps based on identity.

You'll be successful in this role if you can effectively collaborate with senior leadership, editors and hiring managers to take day-to-day challenges and turn them into lasting changes. It's essential that you are a team player, who wants to see the entire organization evolve. A kind, but direct communication style is appreciated.

You'll wear a lot of hats at Vox: Talent scout. Coach. Chief communicator. Process visionary. Innovator. Idealist. We can guarantee this job will never be boring. The majority of Vox staff work in New York or DC, but we will also consider remote applicants for this position.

What you'll do:
• Partner with senior leadership to understand current and anticipated editorial and business goals for Vox and translate those to recruitment, hiring needs, and budget related to team and culture.
• Work closely with managers on developing and maintaining career ladders
• Establish a culture of learning by leading skill shares and trainings across the newsroom
• Identify opportunities, create systems, and manage the budget for professional development.
• Work closely with Vox hiring managers to provide strong guidance, clear expectations and oversight to build deep, diverse talent networks in highly competitive spaces.
• Oversee Vox's fellowship program.
• Track talent retention and career development across the newsroom, working closely with Vox Media Business Partner in People and Culture to coach individual managers as well as create systems to improve employee retention.
• Create the structure for a high-performing culture committed to regular feedback and radical candor.
• Create systems and norms for the Vox's newsroom that put into practice the inclusive values Vox Media has established for a hybrid office/remote culture.
• Ensure our managers have strong onboarding plans for new hires.
• Working with Vox Media People and Culture team to ensure our editorial policies and practices, such as book leave or freelance policies, are up to date and clearly communicated with staff.
• Establish and guide key meetings, like Vox manager trainings + conversations and team all hands; and for other ways of bringing us together.
• Build a strong, shared culture across the newsroom bringing together our audio, video and text teams.
• Optional for experienced journalists: Up to 20% of your time can be dedicated to editorial content creation in text, audio or video.

What you'll bring:
• A dedication to creating a culture of high editorial standards and a commitment to editorial excellence.
• Experience managing teams of journalists and creators.
• A vision for how things can be better and the determination to make significant change.
• A collaborative work style.
• Experience coaching managers through challenging situations.
• A commitment to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace.
• Appreciation of nuance and the ability to work through problems with conflicting priorities.
• Innovative spirit who likes to forge a new path.
• Education in change management theory is a plus.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rzn7x7-18-189-180-244-42 in your application.