Director of Digital and Audience Engagement Job at Ocean State Media Group in Pr

Title: Director of Digital Audience & Engagement

Reports to: Chief Strategy & Audience Officer

Location: Providence

Position Type: Full time, Exempt

Ocean State Media is the locally owned and operated award-winning public media organization serving Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Formerly known as Rhode Island PBS and The Public’s Radio, Ocean State Media was established in 2025 to deliver in-depth local journalism and community connection. We are reimagining what public media can be. We listen first, partner with our neighbors, and make space for meaningful conversation. Wherever you are – on air, online, or out in the world – Ocean State Media is there with you, informing, engaging, and reflecting Rhode Island.

Position Summary
Reporting to the Chief Strategy & Audience Officer, Ocean State Media is seeking an experienced and dynamic Director of Digital and Audience Engagement to lead the growth of our online communities across multiple platforms, including our website, our newsletters, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and other social media.

The ideal candidate is an excellent editor, a skilled people manager, and a digital-first journalist with a deep understanding of engaging online audiences and SEO best practices and AP Style. This role will require a collaborative leader who can mentor and guide a team, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, engaging, and accurate content that resonates with our diverse audiences across platforms.

The Director of Digital and Audience Engagement will also work with other newsroom leaders to select the best platforms for our journalism, to help extend our radio and television reporting to other audiences, and to design and create content that is built to succeed in different environments. The Director will also coordinate content with the Education/Community and Development teams to ensure consistency in content and messaging.

Leadership & Strategy

• Partner with senior leaders across the organization to set and execute audience growth and engagement strategies.

• Lead and mentor the newsroom digital team to encourage growth and innovation.

• Champion an audience-first mindset in the newsroom and in other units, ensuring content is optimized for each platform and tailored to audience needs.

Digital Integration

• Oversee publication of Ocean State Media’s website, newsletters and social media channels. Collaborate with reporters, editors and other content creators to embed digital thinking into daily journalism from pitch to publication.

• Develop best practices and training around SEO, social media, digital headlines and analytics-informed storytelling.

• Create workflows and systems that improve collaboration between traditional broadcast teams and digital specialists.

Audience Development & Analytics

• Work with the Digital Insights Analyst to leverage audience insights and analytics tools (such as Google Analytics and social dashboards) to inform editorial decisions and newsroom priorities.

• Monitor and analyze key metrics (reach, impact, engagement, conversion) to evaluate performance and optimize results across multiple media platforms.

• Identify emerging digital trends, tools and platforms to ensure the organization remains innovative and competitive.

Platform Growth & Experimentation

• Oversee execution of content strategy on social media, newsletters, push alerts, the homepage and other digital distribution channels.

• Lead experimentation efforts in formats like short-form video, alternative storytelling formats and newsletters to better serve different audience segments.

Requirements:

• Minimum 10 years of newsroom or digital journalism experience, with at least two years in a leadership role focused on digital journalism, audience development or content strategy.

• Proven success in growing digital audiences, leading editorial teams and translating data insights into actionable strategies.

• Deep understanding of digital content strategies, platforms and analytics.

• Strong communication, organizational and leadership skills.

• Collaborative spirit, able to build relationships and work effectively across teams and departments.

• Willingness to learn and experiment, and a desire to help others in the newsroom do the same!

Benefits: Benefits include generous health, dental, vision insurance and PTO as well as 13 paid holidays.

Ocean State Media is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) provider, committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply.

Candidates should send a cover letter highlighting the work and life experiences they think most qualifies them for the position, a resume and references