Company

Cox Enterprises

Job Family Group

Editorial & Newsroom

Job Profile

AVP, Publishing Operations

Management Level

Assistant Vice Presidents (AVP)

Flexible Work Option

No remote option; must work at a specified Cox location

Travel %

Yes, 25% of the time

Work Shift

Day

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary of $189,100.00 - $315,100.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Job Description

Company Summary

Cox Enterprises is a privately held company with multiple businesses and revenues of >$23B. Cox First Media (“CFM”) is the leading authority on truth and news in Dayton, OH region through its brands The Dayton Daily News (“DDN”), Springfield News Sun (“SNS”), and Journal News (“JN”). The DDN was the first company purchased by Governor Cox in 1898 and started what is today Cox Enterprises. With over 500k monthly unique visitors to our websites, over 400k newsletter subscribers, and over 50k subscribers, CFM has vast reach and influence in one of the most dynamic, diverse and influential cities in Ohio. The CFM region is pivotal in the 2024 election as the coverage area includes Middletown, the hometown of Vice Presidential nominee, JD Vance, and SNS is the newspaper of record for Springfield which is the center of the Haitian immigration story. At the CFM, we pride ourselves on our Journalistic integrity, the quality of our reporting, and the servicing of our advertising and news customers.

Job Overview

The President and Publisher of Cox First Media is a dynamic leadership position reporting to the AVP of Growth Operations. This role oversees a team of over 70 dedicated professionals committed to producing high-quality journalism. The position is responsible for guiding CFM's strategic direction and serving as its public representative to the community. The ideal candidate brings a forward-thinking perspective on leading a journalism-first enterprise in today's digital landscape. They will leverage their understanding of emerging trends in media consumption and advertising to shape a vision that best serves both readers and advertisers, supported by data-driven insights. This leader will be tasked with positioning CFM and it’s flagship Dayton Daily News as a digital-savvy organization while preserving the journalistic excellence that has been the hallmark of CFM brands for over 125 years. They will build upon our strong foundation to ensure we continue delivering trusted, impactful journalism to our community in ways that resonate with modern audiences.

The President and Publisher will play a crucial role in navigating the evolving media ecosystem, identifying opportunities for innovation while honoring our rich journalistic heritage. They will inspire and empower our talented team to embrace new storytelling techniques and platforms, ensuring our content remains relevant and engaging in a rapidly changing information landscape.

Job Responsibilities

Set and lead the strategic vision for CFM in all aspects of the organization including Journalism, finances, sales, talent, technology and product.

Establish annual budget and long-range plan in conjunction with the AVP, Growth Operations and your CFM leadership team that are consistent with CFM’s strategies and growth objectives.

Focus and accelerate CFM’s digital transformation by making bold changes and thoughtful trade-offs.

Drive a culture of digital excellence in CFM’s products and journalism.

Lead and develop a senior leadership team that is focused and committed to the future of CFM.

Set annual performance objectives, provide coaching and development opportunities, and overall management of your team.

Effectively represent CFM in the community.

Qualifications:

BA/BS degree required + 14 or more years of relevant work experience required in related field

OR MS degree + 12 years of experience

OR Ph.D. degree + 9 years of experience

OR 18 + years of experience with no degree

Minimum of 5 years of digital Journalism experience.

Minimum of 10 years of working with journalism and/or digital organizations, including 10 or more years of experience leading a department or team.

Exceptional people skills with the ability to build relationships with Cox family members, Cox executives, the local community and nonprofit leaders at all levels; and the ability to maintain strict confidentiality.

Broad knowledge of the Journalism sector including an understanding of sub-segments within the sector and knowledge of emerging trends.

Ability to effectively represent CFM under a variety of circumstances, including interactions with the Cox family; nonprofit, business, and government leaders; and networking opportunities at conferences.

Demonstrated ability to organize and motivate others to make bold changes.

Willingness to empower and leverage the team with the ability to “roll up their sleeves” when necessary.

Digital journalism user and evangelist.

Extensive experience and knowledge building a successful digital journalism business, either digital-native or legacy transformation.

Ability to focus and prioritize efforts across a broad range of topics and activities.

Experience establishing and cultivating strong relationships with staff and stakeholders, and ability to use good judgment, take initiative, and make recommendations.

Excellent oral and written communication skills, along with organizational skills and attention to detail.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, parental leave, and COVID-19 vaccination leave.

About Us

As our primary divisions Cox Automotive and Cox Communications drive new waves of innovation, Cox Enterprises is entering spaces like cleantech, healthcare, esports and more. We're a family business guided by a legacy of bold innovation that’s driven by those who want to make their mark. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.