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Cohort Manager (4517U) 73546

About Berkeley

At the University of California, Berkeley, we are committed to creating a community that fosters equity of experience and opportunity, and ensures that students, faculty, and staff of all backgrounds feel safe, welcome and included. Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff.

The University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's leading institutions of higher education, distinguished by its combination of internationally recognized academic and research excellence; the transformative opportunity it provides to a large and diverse student body; its public mission and commitment to equity and social justice; and its roots in the California experience, animated by such values as innovation, questioning the status quo, and respect for the environment and nature. Since its founding in 1868, Berkeley has fueled a perpetual renaissance, generating unparalleled intellectual, economic and social value in California, the United States and the world.

We are looking for equity-minded applicants who represent the full diversity of California and who demonstrate a sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds present in our community. When you join the team at Berkeley, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice that requires broad collaboration among faculty, staff, students and community partners. In deciding whether to apply for a position at Berkeley, you are strongly encouraged to consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles, our Principles of Community, and our Strategic Plan.

At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. To find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley, visit grow.berkeley.edu.
Departmental Overview

Berkeley Journalism is home to the groundbreaking California Local News Fellowship program, the largest publicly-funded journalism program in the country. The Cohort Manager for Newsroom Partnerships will join our small and mighty program team, focused on supporting early career journalists and the local newsrooms where they work. The position will provide editing support to fellows and build and maintain relationships with their newsroom editors. With the program team, the Cohort Manager for Newsroom Partnerships will play a significant role in selecting future fellows and newsrooms, ensuring an extraordinary fellowship experience, leading our robust training and mentoring program, and ensuring effective partnership with host news outlets throughout the state.

Berkeley Journalism is looking for a committed, experienced newsroom editor who enjoys working with early career journalists and is skilled at needs assessment and delivering tailored editing support. The person in this role also will design and execute a communication strategy with the editors in the newsrooms where fellows are placed.

You will build strong and supportive relationships with the fellows through consistent one-on-one, small group and cohort-wide experiences. You also will ensure open communication with the fellows' editors to solicit their input into the fellowship program and to ensure our programmatic support is meeting the needs of our newsroom partners. You will act as a coach, cheerleader and troubleshooter, helping to ensure the fellows are having a worthwhile professional experience and the newsrooms are benefiting from their contributions. You will help us learn from the fellows' experiences, so we continually improve the program and effectively tell the story of our impact.

You'll be part of a small, ambitious team that aims to transform the face of journalism by changing who gets to be a journalist - all while building an innovative program that serves as a model for the role that public policy could play in rebuilding local news in this country.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is October 23, 2024
Responsibilities

• Participates in selection and matching newsrooms and fellows for the California Local News Fellowship program.


• Partners with the program team to design and manage the overall fellowship experience.


• Acts as a coach, mentor and troubleshooter, helping to ensure the fellows are having a worthwhile professional experience and the newsrooms are benefiting from their contributions.


• Designs and executes the editing support that the fellowship provides to the fellows, working in close coordination with their newsroom editors. Editing will primarily take place on-on-one, but also could include small group workshops and cohort-wide training.


• Assess fellows' reporting abilities and create and manage support plans for any fellows who are struggling editorially. The support could come directly from you, or you may decide to pull in other resources, depending on the fellows' needs.


• Designs and executes a newsroom editor communication strategy. This will include building on-on-one relationships with editors throughout the state, but could also include newsletters and occasional group meetings to share information about the fellowship program and solicit their feedback on and input into the program.


• Provides support and coaching to fellows to help them identify their interests, skills, strengths and challenges as they launch their journalism careers.


• Works with the other cohort managers to design and develop fellowship ongoing training and mentoring, focused on building editorial expertise and professional development skills.


• Designs and documents the training and support delivered to the fellows so we can replicate and build on the curriculum in future years.

Required Qualifications

• At least five years of local news editing experience.


• Understanding of small newsroom dynamics, where reporters may be expected to deliver at a high level without significant internal support.


• General understanding of California communities and their information needs.


• Experience editing early-career journalists and tailoring editing support specific reports' needs.


• Experience editing print/text stories is required; audio, video and/or multimedia editing experience is a plus.


• Experience coaching and mentoring early-career journalists, formally or informally.


• Knowledge of needs assessment theory, processes, and practices


• Experience designing and leading journalism training and workshops.


• Excellent written and verbal communicator, both one-on one-and in groups.


• Strong ability to work with people from diverse cultures.


• Strong relationship-building and conflict management skills.


• Strong organizational skills; able to design and implement programs, comfort with technological tools, and effective communication about your work.


• Commitment to and enjoyment of working in a highly collaborative team.


• Advanced degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training

Preferred Qualifications

• Bi-lingual in English and Spanish

Salary & Benefits

This is a full-time, two-year contract position. This position is eligible for up to 40% remote work within the United States. Exact arrangements are determined in partnership with your supervisor to meet role responsibilities and department needs and are subject to change.

This position is eligible for the full range of UC Benefits. For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $90,000 - $125,000, annually.
How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.
Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. For more information about your rights as an applicant, please see the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission poster.

The University of California's Affirmative action policy.

The University of California's Anti-Discrimination policy.


To apply, visit https://careerspub.universityofcalifornia.edu/psc/ucb/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&JobOpeningId=73546&PostingSeq=1&SiteId=21&languageCd=ENG&FOCUS=Applicant