Deputy Audience Development Editor, Small & Medium Markets

McClatchy’s audience growth team for small and medium markets is looking for a smart, strategic leader who strives to meet audiences where they’re at – whether that’s in the comment section of our websites, in local community rooms or in an Instagram Live.

As part of this audience team, you’ll work regularly with your fellow producers and newsroom editors on distribution plans, social media promotion, newsletter production, experimentation and more. The ideal candidate has an understanding of the balance between growing off-platform audiences and finding ways to retain the most loyal readers on our own platforms – or even taking it one step further and building a bridge between the two.

A typical day could include: helping a newsroom brainstorming audience-focused angles on breaking news, coaching a producer on writing a newsletter, parsing through readership data to find coverage areas of opportunity, and approving vertical video for our social media channels.

This role will help lead producers who work across 15 newsrooms from Washington to South Carolina. You’ll report to the team’s Audience Development Editor and work in partnership to develop content strategy and workflows for the team. This is a fully remote position.

If you meet some but not all of the below skills and experience, we encourage you to apply if you think you’re the right candidate for this role. Highlight your relevant experience and skills in a cover letter.

A successful candidate should meet many of the following criteria:

3-5 years of working in a social media and/or audience journalism role. Some management experience preferred.
Strong communication skills, attention to detail, news judgment and journalistic ethics
Familiarity with analyzing data, interpreting trends and providing actionable insights to producers, editors and reporters. Experience with subscriber strategies in this area is a plus.
Strong understanding of what it means to be audience-focused, including: proven track record of identifying engaged audiences, coaching newsrooms on how to reach them (both through content and distribution), and executing a plan to grow and retain that group.
Desire to always be experimenting, especially with newer tools like AI and platforms like Threads and Bluesky (and whatever the next new thing is)
Experience working with various distribution platforms, including social media, newsletters and push alerts
Working knowledge of SEO best practices
Comfort with moving between tasks and juggling multiple responsibilities each day
Focus on building positive, effective relationships with your direct reports, as well as other McClatchy teams you’ll encounter in the day to day work, in a virtual environment
A bonus skill that will set candidates apart: Experience with content coaching, especially if it involves news reporters and/or editors
College degree, or equivalent work experience

The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $60,000 and $75,000 per year. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, department equity and relevant education.

To apply: Please submit a persuasive cover letter, resume and 3-5 samples of relevant work.