Executive Director: Colorado News Collaborative (COLab)

Status: Full-time, exempt; salary commensurate with experience; competitive benefits package

Location: Denver, Colorado

Background: The Colorado News Collaborative (COLab) is an independent media resource hub that serves all Coloradans by strengthening high-quality local journalism, supporting civic engagement, and ensuring public accountability. Founding partners include 10 tenants of the COLab Newsroom, opening Fall 2020 at Rocky Mountain Public Media’s new Buell Center for Public Media in downtown Denver, that represent a wide range of non-profit and public-interest news outlets. Additionally, COLab involves a substantial number of non-tenant partners representing the state’s largest statewide newsrooms and journalism membership organizations.

Through topical networks/collaborative projects and partner services, COLab works to increase capacity (journalism, collaboration, mentorship), sustainability (business models, succession planning, revenue diversification) and innovation (technology, audience, community engagement) in independent local newsrooms throughout Colorado.

Personal Characteristics and Attributes

The ideal candidate for this position is an experienced journalist who has worked as an editor and/or business leader in a range of local media, and is familiar with operations in both commercial and nonprofit news outlets. You are familiar with the current trends, issues, opportunities, and challenges surrounding local media. You have experience building coalitions, identifying common motivations and goals for a range of parties, and leading collaborative efforts that increase positive impact. You have a passion to preserve journalism for future generations. You are motivated by the public service mission of journalism and believe in its potential to increase civic participation and strengthen communities. You are dedicated to increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in local news coverage and workplaces, to better meet the needs of Colorado’s increasingly diverse residents. You are flexible, adaptable, creative, and seeking a position that brings professional fulfillment and the opportunity to help shape the state’s media landscape.

Core Responsibilities

The COLab Executive Director is responsible for the overall management of the organization and the COLab Newsroom including: executive leadership; strategic and overall planning; board and funder relations and fundraising; budgets and finances; strategic partnerships and business development; public relations, marketing, communications and brand management; human resources and staff management; partner collaboration and vendor relations; facility operations; program execution and project management.

Organizational Leadership and Advocacy

Embraces, articulates, and promotes the mission of COLab through personal outreach, public communications, speaking engagements, peer group participation, and more

Develops and maintains relationships with national, regional, and local partners to identify opportunities and draw appropriate resources to Colorado newsrooms

Develops and maintains effective partnerships and two-way communication with civic news organizations statewide

Funding and Sustainability

Demonstrates leadership in achieving COLab’s fund development plan through foundation grants, events, individual contributions, government grants and contracts, and earned revenue and sponsorship opportunities

Ensures compliance with all grant guidelines and donor restrictions

Creates, communicates, and implements an annual budget to ensure financial sustainability

Maintains strong and healthy relationships with the funding community

Works with board members to execute fundraising strategies and goals

Organizational and Board Development

Fosters an active and collaborative partnership with board members to meet the organization’s programmatic, operational, and financial goals

Identifies opportunities to bring and maintain diverse perspectives on the Board of Directors, and offers suggestions for committee and Board composition and succession

Develops and strengthens the organizational structure through board development and long-range planning efforts

Ensures board composition meets the requirement of reflecting the state of Colorado such as racial, ethnic, gender, economic and geographic diversity. 

Ensures organization operates within proper legal and fiduciary requirements

Programs

Provides editorial leadership for collaborative reporting, data journalism, and other editorial projects involving multiple newsrooms across Colorado

Regularly seeks input from COLab partners to identify common newsroom needs and develop programming accordingly

Works with COLab partners to develop innovative and creative solutions to meet their needs, including revenue generation and financial sustainability planning

Serves as the on-site point-person for COLab Newsroom partners:

• Hosts regular meetings among COLab Newsroom partners to share priorities and plans, and address opportunities and concerns
• Develops and supports member and public events
• Provides a single, welcoming point of contact for COLab Newsroom, including hosting tours, troubleshooting partner requests, overseeing the physical space, building and supporting the culture and community of COLab partners
• Oversees the coordination and communication with partners around building maintenance, cleaning staff, safety and security, common area management, and meeting room scheduling

Organizational Relationships

COLab is launching in 2020 as an initiative of the Colorado Media Project, a community-led, grant-funded organization operating under fiscal sponsorship of the Rose Community Foundation. By 2021, COLab will become an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a community-led COLab Board of Directors.

The COLab Executive Director reports to the Colorado Media Project Executive Committee in 2020, and to the COLab Board of Directors from 2021 forward.

The COLab Executive Director oversees all contractors and employees of the COLab, including two collaborative journalists/editors, a data journalist, and a development manager.

Qualifications and Skills

Senior leadership and management experience in leading nonprofit and/or commercial organizations, especially start-ups

Practical current and ongoing knowledge of civic news organizations in Colorado and nationwide

Proven ability to lead, manage, and complete fundraising campaigns

Proven ability planning, tracking, and adhering to an organizational budget and maintaining financial sustainability

Experience developing and managing a budget of at least six-figures

Familiarity with technology solutions for nonprofit operations

Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Strong interpersonal skills: an approachable, personable, good listener who enjoys brokering multi-stakeholder partnerships/relationships, social networking, and motivating others to participate in community events

Ability to work effectively with competing priorities

Ability to lead a hire and manage a team as well as  facilitate productive group interactions in a deadline-driven, partner-centered environment

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The Colorado Media Project is committed to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in our staff, volunteers, programs, and partners. We encourage applicants of diverse abilities, backgrounds, and life experiences to apply. CMP also is committed to equal employment opportunities and prohibits the unlawful discrimination against applicants or employees based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, marital status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.