The Tiny News Collective promotes media diversity by making it easier for people from underrepresented communities to create local news organizations. We equip them with the necessary tools and knowledge to develop sustainable, community-focused media outlets. We support voices historically excluded from media and media ownership.

The Tiny News Collective seeks a membership director to help us realize our mission of building a more equitable future for journalism.

We believe that more diverse media ownership leads to more relevant, accurate and culturally conscious local news — so everyone can more fully engage in civic life, make more informed decisions, and better understand the world around them.

We welcome applicants from a broad range of professional and educational backgrounds. If you feel like you’re a good fit but worried that your experience might not be exactly aligned with this job description, please consider applying anyway.

Job description

Through a range of shared services, the Tiny News Collective helps early-stage founders build sustainable news organizations that reflect and serve their communities.

The Tiny News Collective provides a full-featured publishing platform, but we offer far more than technology. We help our members learn to navigate media, philanthropy, technology and business ecosystems. We provide legal support, expertise, training, community, mentorship, as well as extremely low-cost fiscal sponsorship – everything a founder needs to grow and thrive. We support founders from the moment they decide to apply to the day they outgrow us.

The Tiny News Collective serves a unique segment of the founder community. Our members build news organizations in communities with multiple intersecting challenges, complex historical relationships with media and long journeys toward building trust. Our founders are part of the communities they serve, but many of our members are new to running a business and leading an organization. Our members look to us for guidance on the best use of their very limited time and resources. 

The ideal candidate understands the needs of small news business owners. This candidate can represent the organization and its mission to external stakeholders, including to funders. And they can think strategically and collaboratively lead the organization through a rapidly evolving, local news environment.

The Tiny News Collective team works fully remotely but is united by shared values. An ideal candidate approaches leadership with an approach of “collaboration with,” rather than “power over.”  A deep commitment to growing culturally competent news and information is central, as is a deep commitment to the development of an ethically and civically committed platform.

Position Type: Full time
Compensation: $105,000
Location: Fully remote, must be based in the United States.
Travel: Intermittent travel to attend convenings, conferences and team events.
Application deadline: Applications will be accepted until March 25, 2024.

Responsibilities

1. Serve as a key member of the TNC leadership team and collaborate regularly with colleagues, consultants, partners, the board and other stakeholders. 
2. Collaboratively develop and execute TNC’s vision for the entirety of the membership experience from our first interaction with a potential member. That includes recruitment, application and selection, onboarding, managing all member services and programming and the offboarding experience.
3. Be the primary point of contact for TNC members and actively build relationships and engage with members so as to serve their needs more effectively.
4. Design, plan and facilitate delivery of programming and training for members, primarily virtually but with the option for in-person programming as TNC grows. That includes cultivating a roster of trainers, speakers and other presenters as well as acting as a facilitator.
5. Manage and coordinate the suite of member services TNC provides and work closely with partners and third parties to enhance offerings.
6. Plan, manage and produce member-facing communications tailored to varying needs and delivery methods.
7. Design and implement systems for maintaining accurate records about TNC members and for collecting quality actionable feedback from members. 
8. Collaborate with the TNC team to use data and information about our members to highlight and amplify their work.
9. Collaborate with the executive director on TNC’s overall strategic planning, priorities and presence to prepare for smart, planned member- and mission-driven growth.

Skills, experience and interests

Must haves

1. Has experience integrating diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging as part of decision making and professional development
2. Practices leadership as a collaborative process and inclusive decision-making and has experience working on small, entrepreneurial teams
3. Demonstrated understanding of the media landscape and a working knowledge of journalism entrepreneurship
4. Demonstrated skills at building partnerships and managing relationships with stakeholders
5. Demonstrated skills in community management and program design and implementation
6. Has experience building an organization, department or business-critical function
7. Has experience managing multiple projects effectively
8. Is a systems thinker
9. Has strong writing and communication skills and an attention to detail

A demonstrated understanding of the journalism funding space and/or fundraising overall is preferred.

Benefits

• Employer-reimbursed medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• TNC will provide the necessary equipment for this role
• 20 days paid vacation, not including health days
• 10 company holidays each year, in addition to the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
• 10 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Flexible work schedule—TNC is a remote-first organization with team members in many time zones. Beyond the need for meetings and events we all need to be remotely present for, we are flexible with schedules and employees work wherever they see fit.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and answers to our application questions in the application form below. 

Have questions about the role or Tiny News Collective before you apply? Feel free to connect with us during office hours!

The Tiny News Collective is a proud equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, and we particularly encourage applications from candidates belonging to communities historically under-represented in the media ecosystem. We actively seek a diverse applicant pool and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply. It is our policy to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, citizenship status, gender (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, pregnancy, credit history, salary history, caregiver status, marital status, partnership status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, religion, sex, genetic information, military status, unemployment status or any other characteristic as protected by law. With regard to the Americans with Disabilities Act and other related laws, we will endeavor to make reasonable accommodations for persons due to their religious beliefs; disability; pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition; or because the individual was a victim of domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking.