Job Opportunities at WFUV

General Manager

WFUV Overview

WFUV is a non-commercial, listener-supported public radio station, licensed to Fordham University since 1947. The station is a leader in contemporary music radio, offering award-winning Adult Album Alternative (AAA) format programming.  AAA playlists are much broader than the playlists of popular hit radio, and often rely on album tracks along with music released as singles. Stylistically, WFUV combines a wide range of genres, from rock and roots to blues, folk and local, featuring national and international talent. WFUV combines this compelling on-air programming with a commitment to news and public affairs, and a rare dedication to world-class student training from its state-of-the-art broadcast facilities located on the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in the Bronx.

Based on its weekly listening audience, WFUV is consistently ranked within the top 30 public radio stations in the nation and first among all non-commercial radio stations licensed to Catholic Universities in the United States. Attracting a sophisticated audience with members in all 50 states and more than a dozen countries, WFUV serves as an important cultural institution and an economic generator in New York. 

WFUV is one of public radio’s great success stories. Its audience has more than tripled since 1985, when Fordham made the commitment to transition from a college radio station to a public radio station. Audience has grown significantly during that time period, jumping to close to 350,000 currently from 238,000 in the fall of 2009. This growth can be attributed in part to the replacement of the original antenna at Montefiore Hospital with a fully functional antenna in December 2009 and the construction of a new booster in midtown Manhattan in March 2010.

WFUV General Manager
Position Summary

Reports to: Provost of Fordham University

Fordham University seeks to identify and recruit a General Manager of WFUV. The University is searching for a leader who will heighten the visibility of the radio station and bring it to preeminence. The new manager must be a strategic thinker who can engage the community; someone who understands how to work in a university setting; and who understands the complexity of programming including online and new media. Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit education, and should also understand the significance of the station to New York City, as it serves a wide and diverse group of listeners for whom issues of social justice, diversity, and service of underrepresented groups are highly valued. The General Manager will work to assure the fiscal integrity of the station and focus on fundraising efforts, working collaboratively with the university’s fundraising leadership. The General Manager must possess exceptional communication skills and an ability to work closely with external organizations and agencies as well as with University leadership, the station’s trustees, and the WFUV advisory boards and staff. In short, the new General Manager should be able to guide and lead WFUV to ever-greater prominence and preeminence.

The General Manager is responsible for the overall management of WFUV, including leadership of the staff and key constituencies. The General Manager:

• Oversees the station’s departmental managers, and indirectly, WFUV’s extended full and part-time staff and students. 
• Provides leadership to achieve WFUV’s mission and strategic goals, and raise WFUV’s profile across the region and beyond, as well as within its industry.
• Leads the station’s relationship with the university and WFUV’s advisory boards.
• Engages in all fundraising activities, in close cooperation with station and university fundraising leadership:
• Oversees the acquisition, implementation, maintenance and replacement of the station’s technologies, including new media.
• Represents WFUV interests with key state and national organizations and agencies, such as The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Public Radio, and the Federal Communications Commission.

The University seeks a leader with outstanding credentials in public radio or a related field who can build on the growth and success of WFUV as the station meets the new challenges and opportunities ahead.

Primary Accountabilities

Leadership

• Guide all facets of WFUV’s operation to ensure quality programming and services and adherence to mission.
• Lead WFUV staff and key constituencies in development and implementation of short- and long-term strategies to ensure financial success and maximum public service.
• Work with staff, university officials and advisory boards to develop and implement WFUV’s strategic plan, mission and vision.
• Pursue, secure and maintain new strategic partnerships.
• Represent WFUV’s interest with key state and national organizations and agencies including but not limited to:

• Federal Communications Commission
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• National Public Radio
• American Public Media
• Public Radio Exchange
• Public Radio International
• Eastern Regional Public Media
• Development Exchange Incorporated
• Radio Research Consortium

• Serve as primary liaison with key constituencies, including University administration, trustees, major donors, alumni and, as relevant, the broad music, cultural and educational community.
• Serve as an articulate spokesperson with local and national media.
• Work with staff and key constituents to enhance the station and university’s reputation.
• Strengthen and sustain working relationship and collaboration with relevant University departments/schools.

Fundraising/Financial Oversight

• In conjunction with University Development, provide significant leadership in the area of major giving, including identification and cultivation of major donors.
• Lead fundraising efforts, providing oversight through station development staff of all revenue areas, including pledge, underwriting, grants and other revenue streams.
• Develop, communicate and execute budgets.
• Have an excellent financial grasp, including how to read and understand financial statements and make organizational adjustments as called for.
• Be committed to financial integrity and transparency.

Overall Management

• Manage the financial needs of the station, including monitoring budget and projecting cash flow and capital expenditures.
• Manage station staff, directly supervising and evaluating key members, and indirectly supervising others.

Desired Characteristics

Industry Knowledge: Knowledge of WFUV’s format, broadcasting and the media industry, and trends in technology and media consumption, including:

• A deep commitment to and knowledge of Triple A music radio, public media, and ability to lead WFUV in this area.
• Technological competency in new media, and ability to evaluate and implement new technologies.
• Please note the search committee is open to the possibility of selecting a highly successful candidate with exceptional credentials in a non-industry field.

Fundraising: Effective fundraiser with demonstrated track record, knowledgeable of and expert at the General Manager role in fundraising and resource development, who is:

• Excited about building resources for WFUV.
• Strong as mission spokesperson and in relationship management aspects of fundraising (both individual and institutional).
• Is comfortable with asking for money for WFUV.
• Has a comprehensive understanding of fundraising strategies and methods in public media (membership, underwriting, and major and planned giving) and beyond.
• Able to develop WFUV’s organizational (staff and Advisory Board) fundraising capacity, and is effective at moving us beyond reliance on transactional membership-based revenues into philanthropic fundraising, including identifying and dealing with any internal cultural and operational blocks to success with major donor and planned giving efforts.
• Able to develop and communicate a compelling case for philanthropic support.

• Understands concepts related to capital campaigns and can help provide leadership for developing and executing a campaign for WFUV in the future.

• Is creative and capable at conceiving and developing alternative revenue streams.

Integrity: Earn and keep the trust of listeners and contributors, staff, and the university community. The General Manager must:

• Be ethical, authentic, courageous.
• Demonstrate sound judgment.
• Possess a strong awareness and sense of self.
• Have clear, high standards for self and others.
• Have a commitment to transparency as an individual and for the organization.
• Be able to identify, confront, analyze and resolve ethically ambiguous issues and potential or real conflicts of interest, for self and others in the organization.

Leadership: Mature, energetic, creative, individual with a high level of emotional intelligence, who will help WFUV continue to grow as an organization that is financially healthy and increases its public service, and:

• Provides direction and accountability for individual and organizational results.
• Has an entrepreneurial spirit.
• Comfortable with, and committed to, diversity.

Problem solving and decision-making: Expert decision-maker, who:

• Has the ability to prioritize and determine significance of a particular issue, understands who needs to be included in the problem solving process, and knows what and how much information is needed.
• Is able to effectively analyze and use data in the decision-making process, and will make decisions in a timely matter. 
• Is good at follow-through, clearly communicates decision, designs and administers effective execution, with appropriate pre-determined success measures and time-posts.
• Has level of personal strength to stick by decisions and/or know when a change of direction is needed.

Passion: An authentic person who is energized by the direction and public service mission of WFUV and:

• Has enthusiasm, zeal and commitment to the heritage and future of WFUV, public media’s potential/future including as a source for local content, and for new and innovative service delivery mechanisms.
• Has passion in a way that enrolls others and generates action by staff and in the community, including potential funders.

Relationship Builder: Effective, externally focused relationship builder, who:

• Continues growing WFUV’s presence in the region and beyond.
• Is committed to community engagement and collaboration, developing partnerships with individuals and organizations.
• Is committed to fostering Fordham students through their work at the station.
• Welcomes new ideas.
• Is committed to a deepening understanding of the university community.
• Is comfortable and effective with a wide range of stakeholders, from the single member to major donors, university community to advisory boards.

Vision/Strategy: Display ability to project WFUV’s needs out into the long-term future, understand trends in music, media, related fields, and has the ability to clearly articulate the station’s vision. Has a powerful understanding of and uses strategy in organizational life.

• Develops, executes and evaluates strategic plans, in concert with other stakeholders, and champions strategic perspectives.
• Possesses a global view of the organization, its history and culture, and shares this knowledge and overview with key players in the organization.
• Highly skilled at prioritizing, and accomplished at sequencing change.
• Able to enroll others in working together to execute vision, business and strategic plans.
• Balances vision with doing.

Communication: Highly developed interpersonal skills, including:

• A skillful listener.
• Enjoys and is comfortable in public situations.
• An organized thinker, effective writer and speaker.
• Personable, inspiring and respectful.
• An effective spokesperson for the organization.

Station Management: Ability to effectively attract, develop and get the most out of staff:

• Guides all facets of WFUV’s operation to ensure quality programming and services and adherence to mission.
• Sets high standards to develop a strong, team-oriented staff to perform the programming, production, engineering, fundraising, promotion, administrative, human resources and other vital functions of a public broadcasting organization.
• Effective at delegation, including developing and clarifying expectations within the organization.
• Able to adjust style as needed, collaborating, enrolling, delegating and directing as required by the situation.
• Demonstrates an interactive management style, fostering employee development and involvement.
• Serves as coach and mentor to WFUV staff and students.
• Ensures programming compliance with station standards and Federal Communications Commission regulations.
• Ensures compliance with EEO hiring practices and strategies to facilitate the achievement of a diverse work force.
  

Education
Bachelor’s Degree in Communications or related field required.
Master’s Degree in Communications or related field preferred.

How to Apply

Fordham University is being assisted by Livingston Associates in their search for the new WFUV General Manager. For consideration, please submit a letter of application, resume, salary requirements and contact information for a minimum of 3 professional references at Livingston Associates’ online application system.

Date for full consideration: Friday, March 2, 2012

Follow this link: Submit Resume to apply through Livingston Associates' online application system. 

IMPORTANT:
If you already have an account in Livingston Associates’ database, you must log in here: Submit New Resume.

Inquiries are welcome with Livingston Associates at (410) 243-1974.

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 15,100 students in its four undergraduate colleges and its six graduate and professional schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre at Heythrop College in the United Kingdom.

Fordham University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.