Starting salary: $85,000/year
Location: Open

Open Campus is a nonprofit news organization covering higher education, with a special emphasis on local communities. As the director of revenue, you’ll develop and expand a diverse set of revenue streams to foster long-term financial sustainability.

Now two years old, we’re entering a new phase of growth, hiring a team of national reporters this summer to collaborate with our existing network of local higher-ed reporters. We have secured significant support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Arnold Ventures, Ascendium Education Group, Lumina Foundation, and the Joyce Foundation. As we expand, we’re looking for an entrepreneurial leader who can further diversify this philanthropic support while also building out advertising, sponsorship, and other earned revenue products.

We combine two teams — a national newsroom that knows a topic deeply with local newsrooms that know their communities deeply. Our local work connects with families, students, and civic leaders. Nationally, our multiple email newsletters reach targeted audiences of insiders. Both offer long-term revenue opportunities.

In this role, you’ll:

  • Catalyze national and local support for impactful journalism about higher education.
  • Cultivate new advertisers, develop advertising and sponsorship campaigns, and ensure they meet client expectations.
  • Explore diverse revenue streams, including major gifts, membership programs, and other funding opportunities.
  • Develop collaborative fundraising plans with newsroom partners to build local support for thoughtful higher education reporting in their communities.
  • Identify new potential funding partners, especially at state and regional levels.
  • Become one of the organization’s senior leaders, shaping strategy and product development.

The director of revenue will report to the editor-in-chief. Salary, plus annual incentive plan. We’re based in Washington, D.C., but you may work from anywhere in the U.S.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

  • A natural networker who has demonstrated experience building and nurturing relationships with clients, donors, or other business partners.
  • A clear communicator, strong problem solver, and effective negotiator.
  • Someone excited about our mission and skilled at pitching that to others.
  • Media sales experience preferred. Knowledge of the higher ed sector is valuable but not required.

We know there are important skills we haven’t thought of or strong candidates who don’t have this exact background. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us more.

Covering the full range of higher education also means we’re very interested in applicants who attended community colleges, regional public universities, historically Black colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions. Graduating from a fancy college is definitely not a requirement.

Open Campus is committed to building an inclusive culture that reflects the full diversity of the nation. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.

About Open Campus

Founded in 2019, Open Campus is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to higher education. We are building a local network of sophisticated higher-education journalists, supported by a team of national editors and reporters who are subject-matter experts. Open Campus local reporters are embedded in partner newsrooms. We currently work with seven newsrooms in six states. (See the map of our Open Campus network here.)

We believe limited journalistic scrutiny of the full range of American higher education fuels disconnection and distrust. That’s why we think more thoughtful, aggressive coverage of all parts of our system matters. Higher ed’s best chance to reclaim the confidence of more Americans is through greater transparency and accountability.

Benefits of working at Open Campus

  • 20 vacation days, plus sick leave and major holidays
  • Health insurance
  • Disability insurance
  • Life insurance
  • 401(k) with matching
  • Up to 6 months paid family leave

How to apply

Interested candidates should apply here by August 6, 2021. Have questions about this position? Contact Scott Smallwood at scott@opencampusmedia.org. Please note: We are not accepting résumés or applications via email. All candidates must apply here.