Director of Content Strategy

Date Posted	September 11, 2026
Industry	Digital Media
Specialty	Not Specified
Remote / Telecommute	Hybrid
Job Status	Full-time
Salary	Not Specified

Description:

Deep South Today is a nonprofit regional news network supporting member newsrooms — including Mississippi Today, Verite News, The Current, and the forthcoming Arkansas Today — committed to free, non-paywalled access, rigorous editorial ethics, and accountability journalism across the region. DST is in a period of rapid growth, expanding its editorial network and building new capabilities, including video journalism, live events, cross-newsroom collaboration, and a more connected approach to audience engagement.

Position Summary

DST is seeking a Director of Content Strategy to work in close partnership with the Executive Editor & Chief Content Officer on the network's broader editorial roadmap and culture, and to lead four areas central to DST's growth: Deep South Today Studios, an editorial-driven events strategy, and a repeatable model for multi-newsroom collaborative coverage.

This is a senior editorial leadership role that will also include helping establish and execute network expansion strategy. Bigger picture goals like the content roadmap, organizational culture-building, and editorial expansion strategy are shared work with the Executive Editor, not responsibilities this role is expected to carry alone. This role would include direct management of the Director of Deep South Today Studios and overall ownership of DST Studios' continued buildout.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership with the Executive Editor

• Work closely with the Executive Editor & Chief Content Officer to conceptualize and shape DST's broader editorial roadmap and organizational culture as a thought partner and co-builder, not as the sole owner of these goals.

• Bring ideas, options, and a point of view to these bigger picture conversations, while final direction and ultimate accountability for the roadmap and culture remain with the Executive Editor.

• Translate the shared vision that comes out of this partnership into concrete execution across Studios, events, engagement, and cross-newsroom collaboration.

• Flag early where those bigger goals need the Executive Editor's direct involvement, rather than assuming this role can or should carry them alone.

Deep South Today Studios

• Directly manage the Director of Deep South Today Studios and take overall ownership of Studios' continued buildout.

• Set editorial and operational direction for Studios, translating its strategic goals into a slate the Director executes against.

• Own Studios' budget, staffing, and production standards in partnership with the Director.

• Track Studios' editorial and audience output against its funded goals, and regularly report on progress to the Executive Editor.

Editorial-Driven Events Strategy

• Manage DST's network-wide strategy for turning original reporting into live events like panels, community convenings, and co-branded series.

• Communicate constantly with top newsroom editors to conceptualize in-person programming, and then work with various Deep South Today support staff to bring those ideas to life from concept, editorial framing, partner and funder coordination, logistics and follow-up.

• With the Executive Editor & Chief Content Officer's direction, define success metrics for events (audience reach, editorial impact, funder relations) and report on them regularly.

• Partner with DST's Audience & Engagement Director to shore up and support a strong digital strategy across social media, newsletters and other existing platforms.

• Drive and foster adoption of that digital strategy inside the newsrooms themselves, encouraging and overseeing implementation among top editors so it all becomes a reality inside each newsroom.

Multi-Newsroom Collaboration Leadership

• Serve as the network's point leader for coordinating major cross-newsroom coverage projects.

• Build a repeatable playbook — working-group structure, timelines, a shared editorial calendar — so DST can stand up a multi-newsroom collaboration program.

• Act as the central point of contact across newsrooms during breaking or fast-moving coordinated coverage moments.

• Convene regular cross-newsroom editorial touchpoints so collaboration becomes a standing practice rather than a one-off scramble.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of journalism or media experience, including senior editorial leadership and experience managing multifaceted editorial projects; regional, local, or nonprofit newsroom experience strongly preferred.

• Demonstrable experience practicing radical transparency and constant communication across teams and with a variety of colleagues.

• Experience overseeing video/multimedia production teams or initiatives, ideally at the scale of a studio or video/audio unit.

• Experience building or running editorially-driven live events, ideally tied to reporting or funder partnerships.

• Strong fluency in digital audience strategy (social, newsletters) and demonstrated experience building in-person or community-based audience programming.

• A track record of securing buy-in and adoption for a strategy across independent teams, not just designing it.

• Demonstrated success leading collaborative projects across multiple teams or newsrooms, especially under time pressure.

• Excellent project management skills; comfortable building process and structure where little currently exists.

How to Apply:

We’re committed to building an inclusive newsroom that represents the people and communities we serve. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply for this position, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people who are differently abled.

Apply

https://deepsouthtoday.org/careers/director-of-content-strategy/