Director of News Technology

Job Description

The Director of News Technology is responsible for the strategic management and daily oversight of newsroom technology operations. This role serves as a critical bridge between the News and Engineering departments, with an even distribution of focus across both areas. The Director advocates for the newsroom’s technical needs, oversees personnel in key operational roles, and ensures that newsroom tools and systems support efficient, innovative, and high-quality journalism.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Acts as a liaison and translator between editorial and engineering staff.
• Leads technology-related strategy and support for newsroom content creation.
• Directly supervises key personnel involved in field operations, production, and post-production.
• Manages software systems critical to newsroom workflows and advises editorial teams on best practices, emerging digital trends and other technological opportunities.
• Evaluates and implements tools that support content creation, delivery, and performance measurement.
• Partners with news leadership on budgetary decisions related to technology procurement and upgrades.
• Serves as the primary point of coordination between the News and Engineering departments.
• Translates editorial needs into technical requirements and advocates for solutions that improve newsroom efficiency.
• Supervises the Chief Photographer, including responsibility for:

- Scheduling and management of photojournalists

-Maintenance of news vehicles and drone operations

-Field equipment upkeep and logistics

• Supervises the Production Supervisor(s), including responsibility for:

-Scheduling and management of newscast directors

-Maintenance and updates of control room hardware and software

-Studio scheduling and coordination

-Manages the editing staff (production technicians), including scheduling, training, and

performance coaching.

-Administers and supports newsroom editing systems (e.g., Edius, BitCentral).

-Serves as the station's lead iNews administrator, responsible for user support, maintenance,

and training.

• Manages the implementation, upgrades, and staff training for third-party newsroom software including:

-Megaphone, Tagboard, Dataminr, WSI, LiveU and other content or transmission tools.

- Oversees systems related to tower cameras, weather data integrations, and visual story

telling platforms.

-Evaluates existing workflows and identifies opportunities for technology-driven

improvements.

-Leads adoption and integration of new tools and software enhancements.

-Collaborates with news managers to streamline editorial processes and reduce technical

friction.

-Approves purchases through Coupa in coordination with the VP of News.

-Provides input on capital planning and vendor relationships related to newsroom technology.

Job Requirements

Required Skills and Abilities

• Strong understanding of both editorial workflows and technical systems.
• Background in one or more of the following disciplines: photojournalism, production, editing, IT, or engineering.
• Demonstrated experience managing teams and cross-functional projects.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to translate between editorial and technical language.
• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and leadership capabilities.

Education and Experience

• At least 10 years of experience preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Radio/TV, or related discipline preferred.

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