President and CEO

Connecticut Public Broadcasting Inc•Hartford, CT

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Strategic Context Connecticut Public stands at a pivotal moment in its evolution as a public media organization. Over the past several years, the organization has significantly strengthened its financial position, expanded digital capabilities, invested in its people, and deepened its relevance in communities across the state. Connecticut Public today is widely regarded as an organization with an exceptionally strong leadership team, a positive culture, and an engaged board that exercises active fiduciary stewardship. The next President and Chief Executive Officer will inherit a rare leadership opportunity to build on significant organizational momentum, and guide the sustainable growth of a healthy organization. The next CEO must continue to innovate and evolve the organization to ensure long-term sustainability and impact. Key strategic issues include: Audience Transformation & Digital Acceleration. Under current leadership, Connecticut Public has expanded its digital footprint and platform presence. The next phase requires moving beyond digital presence to more significant audience growth and engagement, particularly among younger and more diverse audiences. Maintaining and Building on Public Trust & Civic Responsibility. Credibility is among Connecticut Public’s most valuable assets. The next CEO must protect the organization’s reputation for fact-based, nonpartisan journalism while navigating an increasingly politicized and scrutinized media environment. This is also a strong opportunity to deepen Connecticut Public’s expanding identity as a civic connector — leveraging physical space, community relationships, events and brand to serve as an essential institution across the state. For a bold leader, this represents a tremendous challenge and opportunity for driving meaning and impact. Revenue Model Shifts. Connecticut Public must continue to diversify revenue streams — including membership growth, major giving, philanthropy, and new sustainable revenue initiatives. The organization has successfully addressed shifting revenue trends to date, and must continue to diversify revenue as it navigates loss of federal funding, uncertain trends in underwriting revenue, audience migration from linear to digital platforms, and generational changes in giving behavior.

Requirements

Business and financial acumen. The finalist will have displayed skill in effectively managing budgets and allocating resources, and will ideally have P&L operating experience.
Communications expertise. Proven written, oral and visual communications skills, including superb listening skills.
Commitment to diverse and equitable workplace. Demonstrated understanding of the value of an inclusive and collaborative culture, and commitment to ensuring diversity across a variety of categories.
Demonstrated affinity to Connecticut Public’s mission as a direct result of public media experience, being an engaged public media listener/user, or having professional experience leading a mission-driven journalism or other relevant organization.
Fundraising experience. Demonstrated skill in generating financial and other support for a mission-driven organization or cause, as an executive, board member or in a related role. Alternatively, proven ability in sales or fundraising in the context of a for-profit company.
Innovation and transformation background. Effective digital leader with demonstrated understanding of the rapidly changing media landscape.
Media operating experience. Track record of outstanding organizational leadership, ideally in the context of a for-profit media company, a nonprofit journalism or public media organization.
The ideal candidate will bring a sophisticated, data-informed approach to audience development that moves beyond platform presence to engagement and long-term audience growth and loyalty.
This individual will have demonstrated an audience-centered operating philosophy that aligns content strategy, digital product/platform innovation, marketing, and revenue generation around audience engagement, growth and impact.
The next CEO must be an externally-oriented leader with a demonstrated ability to build relationships and partnerships that advance both organizational sustainability and mission impact.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated an inclusive and collaborative leadership style. This individual will bring outstanding emotional intelligence and a transparent communication style that builds trust across the organization.
The finalist candidate will be an inspiring team leader, able to retain and nurture top talent with a commitment to the ongoing professional development of others.
The successful candidate will have demonstrated an inclusive and collaborative leadership style. This individual will bring outstanding emotional intelligence and a transparent communication style that builds trust across the organization.
The finalist candidate will be an inspiring team leader, able to retain and nurture top talent with a commitment to the ongoing professional development of others.

Nice To Haves

Public media experience is desirable but not required.

Responsibilities

Maintain Connecticut Public’s commitment to being a premier public media organization that serves as a trusted broker of information, upholds the highest journalistic standards, and contributes to a more vibrant, civically-engaged region.
In partnership with the Board of Trustees, develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the organization. Continually monitor and update the plan to reflect changing market and business conditions.
Direct the development and implementation of operational plans that support the long-range strategies and annual objectives of Connecticut Public. Assure the long-term financial sustainability and health of the organization through commitment to strong and disciplined management, donor cultivation and stewardship, and best business practices.
Continue to nurture a high-performance culture that builds on Connecticut Public’s tradition of entrepreneurship and partnership in service to the community. The CEO will foster an entrepreneurial environment that promotes innovative thinking, experimentation, calculated risk-taking, accountability and operational excellence.
Provide clear management direction through inspiring leadership. Develop, communicate and execute a clear strategy with key metrics that drive operational improvement, and provide a consistent approach for evaluating and integrating new initiatives, partnerships, technologies and products.
Communicate on a regular basis Connecticut Public’s results, challenges and opportunities to key organization “stakeholders,” including regularly scheduled updates with the Board of Trustees.
Work in a highly collaborative manner with the Board of Trustees, strategically engaging individual members to support Connecticut Public in achieving its short- and long-term goals.
Build significant financial support for Connecticut Public from institutions and individuals. In collaboration with the Board of Directors and development team, lead Connecticut Public’s development efforts and target, cultivate and close new funding sources.
Promote a culture of collaboration throughout the organization and in support of Connecticut Public’s overall mission.
Maintain a high performing organizational culture that values diversity, transparency and accountability, and is built upon a strong sense of mission and purpose.
Recruit, develop, and retain top caliber team members to meet evolving challenges and opportunities.
Develop and maintain partnerships with PBS, NPR, CPB and other key players in the public media “ecosystem.”
With content leaders, continually assess and improve content, programming and distribution across all platforms to better meet the needs of the community and more diverse audiences. Maintain highest journalistic standards.
Focus on driving broader and deeper audience engagement in the region, especially with respect to diverse and underserved communities. The mandate is to continue to build a larger, more engaged and more diverse listener and user base across existing and emerging platforms.
Serve as the “public face” of the organization. Thoughtfully steward Connecticut Public’s reputation and continue to build its brand and presence across the state through effective and strategic communication and active engagement with Connecticut Public’s stakeholders.