Engagement Producer - Part-Time

The Kansas City Star, winner of nine Pulitzer Prizes, is seeking a creative, high-energy journalist to join our team as a part-time engagement producer.

This person will be responsible for helping deepen the news organization’s relationship with local communities using digital and in-person audience engagement tactics.

This part-time position is based in the Kansas City metro area and reports to The Star’s assistant managing editor for engagement & experimentation. The ability to participate in in-person community events in the Kansas City area is an essential part of this position.

The successful candidate will bring a commitment to meeting the information needs of local readers, a willingness to represent The Star at community events, and audience-focused approach to newsletter writing.

This part-time producer will be expected to write and curate 1-2 weekly community newsletters featuring submissions from community organizations, help organize audience call out forms and submissions, and assist in organizing The Star’s in-person event programming.

Successful candidates will bring a positive attitude, an excitement to connect with The Star’s readers, a willingness to listen to community feedback, and an enthusiasm for experimentation.

You’ll join a reporting team that is fun, creative and always looking for new ways to connect with and inform our diverse audience across platforms. The newsroom you’ll join is deeply committed to listening to, engaging with and meeting the needs of our neighbors across the Kansas City metro area.

Kansas City is a vibrant, large city with a high quality of life – replete with iconic professional sports teams and a world-class arts scene – and a low cost of living. It’s a fantastic place to put down roots, and this job offers the chance to contribute to its future.

In this role, you will need to:

Curate and write 1-2 weekly community newsletters with submissions from community organizations that help to inform, delight and engage local readers

Champion The Star and our journalism at in-person events in our community

Think about audience first and always, with a commitment to tactics that grow The Star’s local readership

Create social media promotional materials for engagement efforts in collaboration with Audience team

Demonstrate a commitment to clear communication and organization, especially when working with partner organizations

Work well in a team environment, both virtually and in person

The successful candidate should meet many of the following requirements:

A familiarity with communities in the Kansas City area

Knowledge of audience engagement tactics and metrics to measure success

College degree or equivalent work experience

At least 1-2 years of reporting experience

Excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers

Must have reliable transportation. Must have valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required (at least minimum insurance required for the state in which the employee works)

Unwavering commitment to accurate, ethical journalism

Ability to work collaboratively to aggressively tackle stories with urgency

Comfort with a job that will be fast-paced and constantly evolving as our region grows