Deputy SE, St. Paul Pioneer Press

Position Summary:

The Pioneer Press is seeking an experienced leader and editor to run much of the day-to-day operations of the sports department, serving as the second-in-command behind the senior editor for sports. Strong editing skills are required, and a reporting background involving major and minor sports is a plus.

Major Functions:

Duties will include making out the daily budget, scheduling, planning, communicating with reporters, coordinating with other departments, getting first reads on stories, supervising special sections, overseeing the transition from the day to night operation, and running the department when the senior editor is unavailable. The deputy will report directly to the senior editor, assisting with all aspects of the sports section.

Among the skills required:

1) Strong organizational, planning and multi-tasking abilities.

2) The willingness to be creative, fresh and take chances while remaining professional.

3) A history of reacting quickly to breaking news.

4) An understanding of the importance of competition and in breaking news in a two-newspaper market.

5) A desire to work with and help others in a positive, open manner while being able to make decisions when needed on the fly.

6) A commitment to enterprise.

7) A vision for ways to work closely with the newspaper's Web site.

8) Contribute to the newspaper's core content goals including useful, unique, diverse stories.

Education:

A college degree is preferred.

Experience:

A mininum of six years in newspapers, with previous experience as a manager. This position requires the ability to plan efficiently, juggle assignments and react quickly to breaking news. It requires strong editing skills and critical thinking skills.

Skills:

Job requires a high level of editing, planning and knowledge of specific beats (local and national). Team leader must be versatile and possess solid team work.

Decision Making:

Job requires ability to work with minimal supervision and direction. Position reports directly to Senior Editor/Sports.

Contacts:

The job requires the ability to develop informal relationships with readers who provide feedback and new ideas about the work we are doing. Due to the nature of this position, a successful completion of a background screen including a consumer report/investigative consumer report is required.

Supervisory Responsibility:

Provides direction and leadership to the staff, supervises more than 25 people when needed, be the lead editor of numerous special sections, manage daily story budgets when needed and work in cooperation with all other teams and departments at the newspaper.

Contact:

Mike Bass
Senior Editor/Sports
St. Paul Pioneer Press
345 Cedar St.
St. Paul, MN 55101

You may also apply via e-mail to:
mbass@pioneerpress.com.

 

who left?

 

Not sure, but someone who used to work for Knight Ridder.

 

And let the Mike Bass rants start. From everything posted in the past, the No. 2 guy basically sounds like he is going to be running the department

 

This will not end well.

I always wanted to post that on a thread.

 

Believe Gerry Ahern (former SE in Lansing, among others) held this position.

 

Any ballpark guesses on what this gig might pay?

 

Is this a big boy position?

 

Didn't Gerry come from Orange County? And not too long ago, if I remember correctly.

 

Gerry left Orange County last year. He might have thought he would be running things in St. Paul, although Mike hasn't been in charge that long up there. Hard to gauge this market with the McClatchy/Knight-Ridder consolidation.

 

Ever read a longer job description, or skills required?