Director of YouTube Content Operations

This is a Full Time Job

Director, YouTube

This is a full-time, in-person position located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to support release schedules and time-sensitive channel issues.

About Us

Committed to developing our people and fostering a long-term team of talented media professionals, we are seeking a hands-on YouTube leader to build and grow our video audience.

About the Director, YouTube

The Director, YouTube leads Audiochuck's YouTube content operation, working hands-on to run daily operations while executing our long-term, multi-channel strategy. The role is equal parts editorial and strategy: accountable for day-to-day channel execution, the editorial quality of everything published beyond the full episode (Shorts, thumbnails, titles, descriptions, and chapters), and the analytics that tell us what is working.

As Audiochuck scales its video audience, this role will develop recurring formats that keep viewers coming back, experiment with new platform features, and use performance data to shape what we make. The Director treats packaging as editorial: a thumbnail and headline are the front page of every video, and they must reflect Audiochuck's voice, tone, and standards for ethical true crime storytelling.

The Director builds and owns the annual YouTube operating plan, leads the launch of new channels as our slate grows, manages the Channel Manager and YouTube Producer, and serves as Audiochuck's subject-matter expert on YouTube.

This is not a Director of Strategy role. It's a builder's job in an organization that is figuring this function out for the first time, and you'd be the one figuring it out with us.

What You’ll Do

Channel Strategy & Execution
• Execute and be accountable for delivering on the long-term YouTube channel strategy
• Build and own the annual YouTube operating plan, including programming slate, publishing cadence, growth targets, and 6-, 12-, and 18-month benchmarks
• Lead planning and business cases for new channel launches, and build a repeatable launch playbook as the portfolio grows
• Own day-to-day channel execution, directing scheduling, publishing, and platform management
• Design structured tests of formats, packaging, and new YouTube features, then scale what works and retire what doesn't
• Pilot new video formats, series ideas, and on-camera talent, and coach talent from pilot through ongoing series

Packaging, Publishing & Shorts
• Own full-episode headlines and thumbnails, and approve scheduling and publishing of full episodes
• Stay hands-on in packaging, including drafting episode video descriptions
• Set the Shorts slate, decide which episode segments become Shorts, and approve clips, scripts, thumbnails, and titles
• Be accountable for Shorts production quality and original YouTube Shorts
• Hold every video, Short, and thumbnail to Audiochuck's editorial standards before it goes live, including factual accuracy, captions, and an on-brand voice

Audience Growth & Insights
• Own audience growth across Audiochuck's YouTube channels, including organic subscribers, returning viewers, and watch time
• Own channel optimization, including playlists, end screens, cards, channel pages, and back-catalog optimization
• Drive cross-channel promotion and linking across Audiochuck's shows and channels
• Build the reporting and benchmarks leadership uses to track progress against the operating plan
• Share insights with leadership: what the numbers show, why it matters, and what we should do next

Channel Health, Budget & Resources
• Monitor copyright claims and work with producers, music services, and legal to resolve disputes
• Consult on post-publication editorial decisions and ensure resulting channel actions are carried out promptly
• Manage the YouTube budget, including production contractors, editing tools, and vendors
• Lead the evaluation, selection, and management of YouTube vendors, and drive resource planning as the slate grows

Team Leadership & Collaboration
• Manage, coach, and develop the Channel Manager and YouTube Producer while contributing hands-on to daily operations
• Build the YouTube team as it scales, including hiring, onboarding, and career development
• Partner with producers, Publishing Ops, and Revenue Ops so video content moves smoothly from edit to publish
• Advise show leads and the executive team on YouTube strategy, risks, and opportunities, and keep teams current on platform changes
• Manage Audiochuck's relationship with YouTube partner managers and represent Audiochuck externally with creators, vendors, and industry partners

What Success Looks Like
• Audiochuck's YouTube channels hit their growth benchmarks, with organic subscribers, returning viewers, and watch time trending up across the portfolio
• New initiatives launch on schedule and reach their early benchmarks, using a launch playbook that makes each launch faster than the last
• Output scales without sacrificing editorial quality, and every video, Short, and thumbnail meets Audiochuck's standards for ethical true crime storytelling
• Content teams know how to make content that performs on YouTube
• Leadership has a clear, data-backed view of what's working and what comes next

What You’ll Bring to the Table
• 8 years of experience growing and running YouTube channels at a publisher, newsroom, podcast network, or other content company
• 4 years of people management experience, ideally building or scaling a team
• A track record of programming and packaging a high-volume channel slate that reaches millions of viewers, and of launching new channels or shows on YouTube
• Experience owning a budget, managing vendors and contractors, and presenting strategy and results to C-suite leadership
• Expert knowledge of YouTube discovery (recommendations, search, and browse) and how packaging, pacing, and publishing cadence drive audience growth
• Fluency in YouTube Studio analytics, including retention curves, CTR, average view duration, and traffic sources, and the judgment to act on what the data shows
• Hands-on experience with Shorts, Community posts, Content ID, copyright disputes, and YouTube monetization
• Sharp editorial instincts and a clean writing style, with examples of titles and thumbnails that won clicks without sacrificing a brand's credibility
• Comfort reviewing and making light edits in Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or comparable software
• Proven ability to lead cross-functionally while holding a high bar on quality and owning audience growth goals

Preferred
• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, Media Production, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience
• Experience in true crime, investigative journalism, or video podcasting
• Experience developing on-