Description
KAZU Digital and Social Media Director
The University Corporation at Monterey Bay (“Corporation”): The Corporation is constantly looking for motivated employees with great organization and teamwork skills to join our team. The Corporation is a non-profit institution that is related and affiliated with the California State University, Monterey Bay. The University Corporation at Monterey Bay is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public benefits corporation that is a recognized auxiliary organization of California State University and was established in July 1994. The University Corporation’s mission is to further the educational purposes of the University.
The University: California State University, Monterey Bay is a mid-sized university in California’s Central Coast that grants undergraduate and graduate degrees. Powered by an inspiring Founding Vision Statement, CSUMB is part of the nation’s largest four-year public university system, California State University, which educates nearly 460,000 students every year. With a vibrant, diverse student body of over 7,000 students, CSU Monterey Bay is both a Minority Serving Institution and a Hispanic Serving Institution. Our staff and faculty transform students’ lives with a focus on student success and engagement through experiential learning, service learning, and a strong emphasis on multicultural and global perspectives. CSUMB’s sustainability goal is to be carbon neutral by 2030.
The Community: Monterey, with its moderate Mediterranean climate, is a diverse community on the picturesque central coast of California and rich in agriculture. Miles of beautiful beaches, spectacular mountain ranges, groves of redwoods, low-rolling foothills, and scenic valleys are characteristics that contribute to the quality of life enjoyed by over 432,000 residents and millions of visitors. Boasting such world-renowned attractions as the spectacular Big Sur Coast, Laguna Seca Raceway, 17-Mile Drive, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Cannery Row, the Steinbeck Center, the Monterey Jazz and Blues Festivals and Pebble Beach – possibly the world’s most famous golf course, it’s easy to see why so many choose to live here and an estimated four million visitors a year make the County of Monterey their destination of choice.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Digital and Social Media Director serves as the strategic leader for all digital content and audience engagement efforts at KAZU. This role is responsible for developing and executing a dynamic digital strategy that supports the station’s mission and enhances its reach across multiple platforms. The Director oversees the creation and distribution of digital content, manages and grows KAZU’s social media presence, and ensures best practices in digital storytelling, SEO, and accessibility. In collaboration with reporters, content creators, and campus stakeholders, this position drives innovation in digital engagement and leads station-wide initiatives to increase visibility and connect with diverse and younger audiences. The role also includes supervising digital team members, analyzing performance metrics, and serving as a key liaison for digital partnerships within CSUMB and NPR Digital Services.
Examples of Duties
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include, but are not limited to, the following:
Digital Strategy & Leadership
Develop and execute a comprehensive digital content and engagement strategy aligned with KAZU’s mission and goals.
Lead and coordinate station-wide digital initiatives, collaborating with content creators, reporters, and CSUMB stakeholders.
Monitor digital trends in public media and propose innovations that keep KAZU at the forefront of audience engagement.
Content Creation & Oversight
Oversee digital publishing workflows for news stories, audio content, and multimedia features.
Write, edit, and curate content for KAZU.org, newsletters, and mobile platforms.
Guide and enforce editorial best practices in digital storytelling, SEO, and accessibility.
Social Media Management
Manage and grow KAZU’s social media presence (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, Threads, YouTube, etc.).
Develop platform-specific strategies to expand audience reach, especially among younger and diverse communities.
Create compelling multimedia content to promote KAZU’s journalism, events, and initiatives.
Analytics & Performance
Track, analyze, and report on digital performance metrics using tools like Google Analytics, Chartbeat, and platform insights.
Translate insights into actionable recommendations to increase engagement and listener loyalty.
Team & Collaboration
Supervise digital team members, interns, and student assistants as needed.
Serve as the primary liaison for digital partnerships and collaborations within CSUMB and NPR Digital Services.
Train newsroom staff and interns on digital best practices and tools.
OTHER FUNCTIONS
Performs other duties as assigned.
PHYSICAL WORK ENVIRONMENT
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; to verbally communicate to exchange information.
WORK LOCATION
On-Site Position
Work Location: CSUMB Main Campus; 100 Campus Center, Seaside CA and Ryan Ranch; 8 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Monterey
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Knowledge Requirements:
Digital Media Strategy: Deep understanding of digital trends, analytics, SEO, and audience development across digital platforms including web, social media, mobile, and emerging channels. Experience with platform algorithms (Meta, X, YouTube, TikTok) and how they impact public media content distribution.
Public Media Environment: Familiarity with the values, ethics, and editorial standards of NPR and public broadcasting. Understanding of non-commercial media funding structures, sponsorship guidelines, and audience expectations.
Content Production and Management: Proficiency with CMS platforms (e.g., NPR Core Publisher, WordPress, etc.) and multimedia production tools (Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, audio/video editing software). Knowledge of how to package broadcast and original content for digital consumption.
Data Analytics: Strong understanding of metrics and tools like Google Analytics, Meta Business Suite, Chartbeat, and NPR’s digital reporting tools. Ability to translate insights into strategy.
Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement: Understanding of best practices for building inclusive and representative content that resonates with diverse communities, especially those within the Monterey Bay region and CSUMB student body.
Higher Education Culture: Awareness of the dynamics of being housed within a CSU campus, including working with faculty, students, and academic programming to amplify university-related digital initiatives.
Key Skills:
Strategic Planning: Ability to design and execute multi-platform digital campaigns that align with station goals, support fundraising, promote news and programming, and grow digital audiences.
Project Management: Strong organizational and time-management skills; able to lead cross-functional initiatives and meet deadlines in a fast-paced newsroom or content environment.
Content Writing and Storytelling: Excellent writing and editing skills tailored for web and social platforms, with a clear, engaging voice appropriate for public media.
Audience Engagement: Skilled in using digital tools and social media to build meaningful relationships with listeners, donors, and the community. Ability to respond thoughtfully to online audience feedback and inquiries.
Collaboration: Proven ability to work closely with newsroom, development, programming, and university partners. Comfortable mentoring staff, interns, and students in digital best practices.
Technical Proficiency: Working knowledge of HTML/CSS basics, graphic design, email marketing platforms (e.g., Mailchimp), podcast platforms, and social scheduling tools (e.g., Hootsuite, Buffer, Sprout Social).
Requirements
Qualifications
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, marketing, or related field.
Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in digital media, preferably in a newsroom or public media environment.
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Experience working with NPR Member Stations tools (e.g., Grove CMS, Core Publisher).
Knowledge of Monterey Bay region
Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the CSUMB Vision Statement and the core values of mutual respect, collaboration and service orientation, multiculturalism and diversity, community service and institutional excellence.
Experience mentoring interns or students in a university setting.
Bilingual English/Spanish a plus
