President & CEO, Public Radio Industry

Community Radio for Northern Colorado

Greeley, CO

Community Radio of Northern Colorado (CRNC), operator of NPR-affiliate KUNC and The Colorado Sound is seeking an innovative, broad-minded, energetic, and strategic leader. The right individual for this position must be passionate about the mission of CRNC and possess significant business, financial, management and leadership skills.

The successful candidate must have a track record of achievement, as a leader with a complex organization or business, ideally one that is related to media, content development, and/or public engagement. S/he must be able to develop and implement a vision for how KUNC and The Colorado Sound can reach more people, adapt its delivery platform strategy, and deepen its impact on the communities it serves while ensuring a viable long term financial structure.

The candidate must possess the skills necessary to be a strong and credible advocate for the station, and a superb communicator with both large and small groups. S/he must be able to navigate effectively on a local, state, and national stage, and bring the credibility to work with media, business, government, and philanthropy. The individual must demonstrate political acumen without being overtly ‘political.’  Experience in developing and implementing successful fundraising strategies is also important.

The following skills and competencies are noted:

Mission Alignment and Media Knowledge

• Embraces CRNC’s mission to “strengthen the community by cultivating the mind and spirit - informing, inspiring and entertaining.”
• Brings knowledge and credibility in public radio and the media industry.
• Possesses knowledge and ability to successfully lead CRNC in its continuing efforts to implement the digital transformation that is changing public radio.
• Maintain credibility with journalists within the region and beyond.
• Passionate about engaging and representing the diverse communities of the region as well as connecting to the key issues of contemporary society.
• Lives the values and mission of CRNC and shares the organization’s unending commitment to integrity, diversity, curiosity, accuracy, excellence, and impact.

Strategic Leadership

• Proven ability to analyze the mission and business drivers of an organization, develop a vision for the future, and lead the team to develop a strategy responsive to a fast-changing, external environment.
• Demonstrated track record of leading innovation and ability to inspire team members to explore new ideas.
• Ability to “see around corners” and chart the course for future challenges and opportunities.
• Experienced at successful change management while respecting the existing culture of the organization
• Possesses excellent judgment. Shows wisdom and maturity in making decisions, while maintaining a balanced perspective and weighing a multiplicity of factors to achieve an optimal outcome.
• Continually monitor and propose periodic updates to the organization’s strategic plan to reflect the changing market, technology advancements, and business conditions.
• Steward CRNC’s reputation and build its brand and presence in and beyond through thoughtful, effective and strategic communication, active engagement with stakeholders, and conscious outreach beyond core constituents.

Fundraising

• Proven ability to identify, cultivate, and successfully engage individual donors and institutional funders.
• Demonstrated success connecting a funder’s interests with organizational goals in a manner that builds long term sustainable support.
• A persuasive, inspiring, and credible proponent of the organization.
• Ideally, has been involved in a campaign or an equivalent funding effort focused on institutional initiatives and capital goals.
• In collaboration with the Board of Directors, lead development efforts and target, cultivate and close new funding sources to build significant financial support from institutions and individuals.

Relationship Building, Outstanding Interpersonal Skills, and Strong Ability in Communications

• Has experience working with a nonprofit governing board and skilled at leveraging the talents of a committed and supportive Board of Directors.
• Knowledgeable about effective Board practice and governance; has experience helping a Board build consensus and develop strategy.
• Has a proven capacity to develop and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of important constituencies, partners, and funders; able to leverage those effectively to accomplish CRNC goals.
• Demonstrates an exceptional capacity to communicate and connect with people at all levels.
• Understands the experiences, values, and motivators of others. Has a transparent, open, and authentic style that brings people together. Exhibits the emotional intelligence required to lead an organization.
• Effectively builds coalitions necessary to accomplish goals through persuasion, networking, and broad influence.
• Able to inspire trust and respect at the highest levels across multiple sectors and disciplines.
• Confident, yet humble. Is institutionally minded rather than focused on self. Possesses a sense of humor with the ability to see the lighter side of difficult situations.
• Direct, effective communicator and good listener.

Operational Leadership and Business Acumen

• Able to engage and inspire the team to participate as CRNC continues to transform for the future.
• A willingness to connect the past with the future while propelling momentum around the acceptance of change in an evolving media landscape.
• Skilled at developing and leading an energized, motivated, collaborative, and committed team.
• Has an eye for talent and can develop and retain, and recruit as necessary, top talent across the organization who will bring positive change, ensuring that CRNC reflects the diversity of the community it serves and its listening area.
• Is committed to high standards as it relates to ethics, laws, standards, legislation, and emerging trends that may affect organizational practice.
• Recruit, develop, and retain top caliber and diverse team members, and continually reassess organizational structure and needs and the competitive environment evolve.
• Manages performance. Translates goals into actionable performance objectives that are easily understood, sets prompt execution standards, and holds teams accountable for agreed-upon results.
• Instills financial literacy and discipline throughout the organization’s professional staff and network to protect and enhance fiscal soundness as a way of enabling mission fulfillment.

The successful candidate would be expected to have the following qualifications and characteristics:

• Leadership experience: Visionary and inclusive leadership. Demonstrated success in conceiving and implementing creative strategies that increase impact. Accomplished executive management, including the formulation and execution of strategy, new business development, competitive market strategy and market creation, and the establishment of key partnerships and collaborations.
• Professional experience: Demonstrated ability to lead successfully and nimbly in highly dynamic professional industries. Knowledge of issues currently at play in media and journalism. Deep understanding of the ethical and professional standards and practices that guide public radio and media.
• Business and financial skills: An understanding of budgeting and forecasting, resource requirements, and revenue generation, and an ability to align those in the context of a strategic plan. Ability to create a framework for prioritizing resources; the skills needed to communicate priorities to others.
• Substantial experience in revenue generation: A record of success working with individual and organizational donors. An entrepreneurial mindset, as evinced in the ability to leverage resources and monetize activities and programs.
• Experience in talent development and support: Demonstrated success in attracting, retaining, and developing staff. Successful experience in building structures and processes that are rational and transparent. A leadership style that relies heavily on empowering colleagues, cultivating mutual respect, and encouraging teamwork.
• Outstanding communication skills: Ability to generate excitement around ideas, and to inspire cooperation and compromise. Clarity of expression matched by diplomacy and tact.
• Personal qualities: Superb interpersonal skills; integrity; the ability to lead an organization with fairness and humility. Personal and professional energy, resilience, patience, and optimism. An ability to engage individuals and groups through one's personal style, humor, and warmth.

HOW TO APPLY:

CRNC is being assisted in this search by Livingston Associates.  Inquiries are welcome with Livingston Associates. For consideration, please visit the job posting and apply online at http://liv.jobs/yij4c

Apply by September 27, 2020

CRNC is an equal opportunity employer and encourages diversity in the workplace.

We offer competitive salaries and generous benefits including health & dental care, life & short-term disability insurance, 403b retirement, paid holidays, maternity/paternity/partner leave and more.

About CRNC

After more than 47 years at Community Radio of Northern Colorado (CRNC), including serving as its president and CEO for the past 27 years, Neil Best has announced his plans to retire at the end of the year.  As a result, the CRNC Board of Directors have embarked on a national search to identify the person to best lead the station forward into a new era.

CRNC, operator of NPR-affiliate KUNC and The Colorado Sound, is a community-licensed not for profit 501 (c) (3) public radio station.  Located in Greeley, Colorado, its primary service area is the northern Colorado corridor and Colorado mountain communities. Colorado Radio Northern Colorado (CRNC) is the parent of two distinct radio stations—KUNC and The Colorado Sound, and a growing digital media presence. Initially established by the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), the station became independent in 2001 when a group of community volunteers raised $2 million in just 20 days to purchase KUNC's license from UNC and preserve the station's independent voice.  It has grown steadily ever since. Currently the organization fits in the mid-tier of public radio stations with annual revenues of just over $5 million. The organization has approximately 35 FTEs.

Search Assistance by Livingston Associates

Inquiries are welcome with Livingston Associates

http://livingstonassociates.net/

http://liv.jobs/yij4c