General Manager

Montclair State University•Montclair, NJ

1d•$175,000 - $200,000

About The Position

Reporting to the Dean of the College of Communication and Media, the General Manager is the senior executive responsible for the leadership, strategic planning, and overall management of NJ PBS, operated out of Montclair State University. This role is tasked with reimagining public media for the 21st century as a collaborative, community-rooted, and digitally innovative network that serves all New Jerseyans. The General Manager will lead a multiplatform ecosystem that transcends traditional broadcasting to include streaming, social media, podcasts, and community events, while fostering a “teaching hospital” model for the next generation of media professionals. Hiring is contingent upon the execution of the contract between the State of New Jersey and Montclair State University.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in journalism, communications, or a related field.
Minimum seven years of professional experience in the media industry.
Demonstrated success in leading digital transformation or executing innovative, multiplatform media strategies.
Proven ability to manage complex organizations, diverse staff teams, and multi-million dollar budgets.
Superior communication and public speaking skills, with the ability to build consensus among internal university stakeholders and external community partners.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
Familiarity with the technical and legal requirements of public media, including FCC compliance.
Prior experience in broadcast television or public media management.
Deep knowledge of the New Jersey media ecosystem, its diverse communities, and its unique geographic challenges.
Experience working with nonprofit boards and/or other groups on fundraising and development campaigns.
Experience working within or in partnership with a higher education institution to mentor students and integrate academic missions with professional output.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of an innovative operational and business plan to transition the station into operations at Montclair and set the path for a digitally-forward, multiplatform media organization.
Oversee all station operations, including broadcast, streaming, social media platforms, and business functions.
Expand content distribution beyond traditional broadcast to include YouTube, social media, podcast networks, and live-streaming of community and government events.
Ensure the newsroom has complete editorial autonomy and adherence to the highest journalistic standards.
Direct a multi-million dollar operating budget (projected at $6.7M in Year 1) and lead efforts to build diversified, resilient revenue streams, including individual giving, corporate underwriting, and foundation grants.
In partnership with other direct reports, manage critical relationships with essential operating partners, including NJ Spotlight News/WNET, the NJ Civic Information Consortium, the Center for Cooperative Media, Caucus Educational Corp., ONNJ, and other news and content providers.
Ensure the station remains in 100% compliance with all New Jersey Public Broadcasting Authority and FCC requirements.
Collaborate with faculty to oversee the integration of student involvement (internships, work-study, and course credit) into professional station operations.
Ensure the stations have a year-round presence in all 21 New Jersey counties through town halls, listening sessions, and community events.
Provide direct supervision to the leadership team, including the Programming Director, News Director, Revenue Director, and Administrator.
Execute strategies to reduce long-term dependency on state appropriations by building an operating reserve and growing the membership base.
Perform other duties as assigned. Management retains the right to add or change job duties at any time.