VP News Director

Job description

OVERVIEW OF THE COMPANY Fox TV Stations FOX Television Stations (FTS) owns and operates 29 full power broadcast television stations, including stations in 14 of the top 15 markets and duopolies in 11. Eighteen are FOX Network affiliates, and together the stations produce approximately 1,300 hours of local news every week. FOX LOCAL, the company's free ad-supported digital and streaming product, extends that news, weather and local content across connected TV & mobile devices. LiveNOW from FOX expands the FTS portfolio even further as the only national streaming services to be truly live 24/7, covering breaking news and events as they happen. JOB DESCRIPTION FOX 2 Detroit is seeking a visionary, competitive Vice President, News Director to lead our newsroom in the vibrant Detroit market. We need an innovative storyteller and dynamic people-leader who can reimagine local news, move beyond traditional broadcast formats, and aggressively leverage digital and streaming platforms to elevate our brand. In this position, you will discover, nurture, and develop compelling, consumer-focused content that enlightens and empowers our audience daily. Reporting directly to the SVP/General Manager, you will serve as an empathetic, high-impact leader dedicated to mentoring talent, driving continuous growth, ensuring journalistic integrity, and executing a forward-thinking digital strategy. Key Responsibilities Executive Leadership & Team Development: Oversee all daily newsroom operations in close collaboration with the SVP/General Manager; actively coach, mentor, and empower journalists, producers, and managers to maximize their professional growth. Culture & Conflict Resolution: Constructively resolve workplace challenges, address team concerns with tact and diplomacy, and champion a fair, balanced, and collaborative newsroom environment. Multi-Platform Strategy: Partner with the Executive Producer of Streaming to execute a modern, digital-first content strategy across broadcast, web, social, and streaming platforms. Operational Management: Direct the news department’s budget, expenses, technology integration, and long-term strategic planning. Journalistic Integrity: Set and uphold strict standards for journalistic ethics, accuracy, fairness, and libel/privacy compliance. Community Engagement: Build strong relationships with internal department heads, corporate leadership, and key Detroit community leaders. Labor & Talent: Negotiate personal service agreements (PSAs) and navigate labor contract administration. Qualifications & Requirements Leadership & People Management Proven track record as a strong, compassionate leader with exceptional supervisory, team-building, and motivational capabilities. Demonstrated ability to navigate sensitive workplace situations with high emotional intelligence, sound judgment, and professionalism. Passion for talent development—discovering, recruiting, and actively cultivating high-performing journalism and production talent. Excellent interpersonal, written, and presentation skills with an approachable, open-door management style. Experience & Background Minimum of 5 years managing a newsroom team, with a track record of launching successful new programs. Proven leadership experience within a Top 30 TV market. Demonstrated success transforming traditional news operations into digital-focused, multi-platform operations. Practical background managing multiple hours of daily live newscasts and broadcasts. Technical & Operational Skills Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, or a related field preferred. Strong technical acumen across newsroom computer systems (including iNews preferred), broadcast technology, and engineering workflows. Thorough knowledge of media law, privacy issues, and journalistic ethics. Hands-on expertise in newsroom system optimization, budgeting, purchasing, and cost control. Forward-thinking insight into the future of local news, streaming, and digital distribution. Why FOX 2 Detroit? Be part of a dynamic, forward-looking media organization that values bold storytelling, continuous innovation, and investing in its people. If you are a visionary newsroom leader ready to build talent and shape the future of local journalism in Detroit, we want to hear from you. #LI-AP2 We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable law. Pursuant to state and local pay disclosure requirements, the pay rate/range for this role, with final offer amount dependent on education, skills, experience, and location is $165,000.00-195,000.00 per hour. This role is also eligible for various benefits, including medical/dental/vision, insurance, a 401(k) plan, paid time off, and other benefits in accordance with applicable plan documents. Benefits for Union represented employees will be in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreement.