Bureau Chief - Mountain West / Great Plains

Full Time Job
As the Bureau Chief for the Mountain West / Great Plains Region you’ll be responsible for generating, editing and producing engaging material from NPR and non-staff reporters and producers in the Mountain West/Great Plains region. Along with being an editor and coach/trainer for public radio member stations, you’ll recruit and identify journalists who can play a closer role in the public radio information service. The Bureau Chief will also assist in management of NPR reporters in the region, under the direction of the National Desk in Washington DC.

Preferably, this position will be located in the Mountain West/Great Plains region.

Responsibilities:

• Organizes and produces material as required by NPR News.
• Tracks ongoing flow of news, maintains contacts with news sources, keeps current with topics of interest to the desk and maintains files of future events and issues.
• Supervises preparation of on-air material and is responsible for editorial integrity and quality
• Ensures that all material aired meets NPR program’s standards and practices, including standards of fairness, objectivity, balance, consistency and technical quality
• Provides editorial guidance to freelance reporters and others as assigned to ensure that they can properly organize and focus their stories.
• Listens to prepared stories, suggests changes that make pieces concise, coherent, comprehensive and interesting, copy edits stories and listens to taped elements. Determines when a story is ready to forward to the National Desk.
• Maintains close communication with shows regarding placement, length and all other questions regarding stories. Works closely with the show producers on identifying the stories that work best for their needs.
• Partners with Digital Media to generate original material for the web as determined by story assignments.
• Must help to build an editorial structure allowing NPR and stations to work seamlessly and collaboratively on spot news and enterprise work across audio and digital.
• Conducts station and regional training sessions regularly, including a minimum of 12 in-person visits to stations in the region each year.
• Works with station News Directors in providing feedback on specific station reporters and in helping accomplish goals for the reporter’s growth and development.
• Identifies new and diverse talent in the region and works with National Desk staff and NPR’s Training department to help develop new voices for air.
• Identifies regional talent that should take part in additional training opportunities at NPR.
• In conjunction with Regional Editor, coordinates reporter assignments with other National Desk editors.
• Attends professional conferences, participates in training workshops and panel discussions, contacts appropriate professional groups on behalf of NPR and the journalism
• Participates in NPR regional conference calls and planning meetings as organized by regional editor. Communicates with NPR regional reporters about story ideas, helps shape the content and scope of story proposals and suggests stories and specific areas of inquiry.
• Works with other staff reporters, hosts, producers and editors on stories from the region and advises on proper approach to stories, subjects to be discussed and treated, and individuals to be interviewed.
• Monitors progress of assigned stories to ensure that the stories are of the highest quality and that reasonable production schedules are maintained.
• When necessary, heads team of production staff working on special projects.
• Provides administrative support to Supervising Editor as needed.
• Conducts outreach, answers correspondence, represents NPR and the National Desk in public forums and maintains station relations.
• Assists staff in establishing freelancer contacts and coordinating reporter’s schedules

Qualifications and Required Skills:
• At least 6 experience as a news reporter or editor covering national stories, including work on:
• National affairs, including, but not limited to: economics, growth and development, urban affairs, transportation
• Regional politics and issues
• Daily news – including experience working on daily deadline
• Breaking news stories including live coverage
• Enterprise stories, including the generation of story ideas and the research and development of such stories.
• Feature reports, including the development of topics and the organization and presentation of lengthy articles or programs.
• Thorough knowledge of news-writing techniques. Considerable skill in feature and copy editing. Skill in oral presentation.
• Demonstrated success in training and development of reporters
• Daily national network news experience
• Thorough knowledge of digital broadcast, writing and audio production strongly preferred
• Previous supervisory experience, preferred

Education:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience

All applications must include a resume and cover letter to be considered.

NPR offers a competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits package including health and wellness benefits, retirement, and work/life balance programs, as well as opportunities for career growth and development.

NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer that affirmatively seeks to hire veterans and people with disabilities. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin.