Overview

tronc, home to numerous award-winning publications, is looking to hire an Executive Director, Print Production to join our newly created team called the Design and Production Studio (DPS), headquartered in Chicago.

The Executive Director of Print Production will oversee a significant new business unit that is at the heart of the company’s strategic future. Supervising a team of print production specialists and senior managers, the executive director will ensure that the Design and Production Studio (DPS) delivers on its goals of producing quality print products for all tronc markets while hitting aggressive financial goals. The executive director’s principal duty is to translate the needs of the markets and the company’s strategic and financial imperatives into the daily output of the DPS.This includes managing a staff of up to 100 print production specialists and their supervisors, as well as managing budgets and charting the DPS’ future.

The executive director will be the main point of contact for Publisher and Editor-in-Chief (PEIC)'s across the company. An executive director of print production must possess initiative, proven management skills, leadership qualities, tact, ability to think strategically, superior news judgment, business acumen, creativity, communication abilities, attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy, the ability to multitask and perform well under constant deadlines with no supervision, a strong command of the English language, and editing skills that conform to accepted journalistic techniques, ethical standards and the style of the publications.

Our eight daily metros include The Baltimore Sun; Chicago Tribune; Newport News, Va.’s Daily Press;  Hartford Courant; Allentown, Pa.’s The Morning Call; New York Daily News;  Orlando Sentinel; and South Florida’s Sun-Sentinel. 

Responsibilities

• Translating the needs of the markets, the wishes of the client PEICs and the company’s strategic and financial imperatives into the daily output of the DPS.
• Managing print production teams: Assigning, directing and scheduling staffers, providing continual feedback to employees on their performance and completing formal annual performance reviews. Working to increase employee engagement.
• Ensuring that the DPS meets print production deadlines for all products. Overseeing all print news editing and production for DPS clients, including all shared news, sports and features content produced under the DPS
• Making ultimate decisions on the hiring, firing, promotion and development of employees across the DPS.
• Effectively managing change and crises, inspiring the staff to quality and maximum productivity, and minimizing legal exposure.
• Participating in the business side of the organization, including providing input on M&A, advertising, marketing, printing and distribution and product development, where appropriate.
• Applying creativity and independent judgment to staff management, print visuals and the print presentation of news and information in the most relevant, interesting way.
• Managing budgets, including compensation, expenses and travel. Planning annual spending and coming in at or below annual spending targets.
• Representing the DPS internally and externally and communicating the news organization’s mission, direction and strategic future.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of how a newspaper is put out
• Knowledge of how NewsGate3 and SNAP work in the newsroom and work together
• Organizational skills
• Ability to move copy quickly and cleanly
• Ability to coordinate well with others on deadline and forge teamwork
• Solid news judgment
• Ability to foster excellent communication with peers, supervisor(s), department and newsroom.
• Solid grasp of the rules of grammar, spelling, punctuation. Ability to write and edit accurately, with clarity, without bias.
• Knack for diplomacy
• Adherence to tronc’s and the team’s codes of ethics.
• Strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit
• Ability to multi-task and perform in a fast-paced deadline driven environment.
• Willingness to work evenings/weekends and irregular hours.
• Maintaining up-to-date skills on various digital platforms and keeping abreast of current events and newsmakers in news, sports and pop culture.
• A minimum of 10 years of editing or management experience at a news publication; knowledge and acceptance of tronc’s mission and strategy; excellent command of oral and written English. Must be able and willing to work irregular hours as necessary.