Deputy Sports Strategist, Colleges — Center for Community Journalism (CCJ)

USA TODAY Co.

19d•$83,000 - $129,688•Remote

About The Position

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a diversified media company with expansive reach at the national and local level dedicated to empowering and enriching communities. We seek to inspire, inform, and connect audiences as a sustainable, growth focused media and digital marketing solutions company. Through our trusted brands, including the USA TODAY NETWORK, comprised of the national publication, USA TODAY, and local media organizations, including our network of local properties, in the United States, and Newsquest, a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the United Kingdom, we provide essential journalism, local content, and digital experiences to audiences and businesses. We deliver high-quality, trusted content with a commitment to balanced, unbiased journalism, where and when consumers want to engage. Our digital marketing solutions brand, LocaliQ, supports small and medium-sized businesses with innovative digital marketing products and solutions. USA TODAY Co. open roles are featured on various external job boards. When applying to a position at USA TODAY Co., you should be completing an application on USA TODAY Co. Careers via Dayforce. Job postings directing you to complete an application on other external sites may not be valid. To connect with us, visit www.usatodayco.com The Center for Community Journalism, part of USA TODAY Co., is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking candidate to join its operation as Deputy Sports Strategist, Colleges. The ideal candidate is a seasoned sports journalist with experience in the major college space who is cable of formulating coverage strategy based around audience and SEO as well as editing copy, coaching writers to improve and managing content coaches. This position will oversee coverage of nearly 20 major-conference programs covered by CCJ properties, including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, LSU, Notre Dame, Duke, North Carolina and Penn State (among others) and also formulate strategies that will be used in coverage of a number of smaller-conference programs. The CCJ is a collection of more than 120 medium- and small-sized newspapers and associated websites in USA TODAY Co., located geographically from Vermont to Washington state, from California and New Mexico to Florida. Its sports reporters cover local sports, including high school and college beats up to the major conference level. CCJ editors and content coaches manage and direct these journalists to help them best serve their communities – including the wider communities of fans of the college programs it covers. This position is remote and can be based anywhere in the US, except for Alaska and Hawaii. If you live near one of our local newsrooms, you may have the option to use that as a base of operations.

Requirements

Bachelor's in communications, journalism, digital media or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
At least 5 years of experience working in a news organization.
Ability to identify stories that sports fans in local markets are talking about and able to leverage those to differentiate in competitive marketplace.
Strong news judgment, great communication skills and ability to multi-task in a fast-paced news environment.
Demonstrated commitment to producing and promoting journalism that is impactful and authoritative.
Experience using analytics to help shape coverage decisions and story execution.
Ability to manage, coach and motivate sports journalists to strive for improvement and growth.

Responsibilities

Work within the USA TODAY Co. OneTeam Sports structure to set, implement and enforce strategies used by editors and on-the-ground sports journalists in coverage of college sports by CCJ properties.
Work to maximize audience around major college programs. Target coverage for each college program to cover sports and items of interest to each particular audience.
Work with the USA TODAY Sports Co. and its College Connect trending team to make sure important gaps are filled. Coordinate with these entities and others to maximize use of our network’s resources. Also, collaborate with sports editors from other properties within the network as the teams we cover play the teams they cover to ensure total coverage and collaboration on these games and major events.
Lead a team of writers who cover sports local to their properties, primarily beat writers who cover some major colleges in the CCJ footprint. Manage these writers and help them grow through coaching and feedback. Teach them time management and how to identify winning story ideas. Help them map their beats with an eye to audience and ownership of the events and personalities unique to each college beat.
Edit copy, often under tight deadlines, from writers across the country, including those who report to other editors and content coaches. This will include editing shifts where the person filling this position may catch copy from anywhere, including high school content.
Be part of the CCJ’s colleges coverage leadership team, learning best practices to share with writers and contribute ideas to help improve coverage.
Organize and lead Brown Bag learning sessions for writers and reporters to uphold our philosophy of “Each One Teach One” as we learn from each other and gain from our collective experience and wisdom.
Use metrics and analytics to identify what is working with various local market audiences, and what is not, to best tailor our sports coverage to meet audience. Target specific beats with room for growth and improvement and work with the writers and managers to maximize their abilities to serve our audience.
Coordinate and work with the other CCJ sports editors and content coaches, as well as others inside the company.
Be willing to work nights, weekends and sometimes holidays as needed.