The Dallas Media Collaborative is searching for a part-time Project Manager to coordinate and lead an emerging city-wide solutions journalism network. Over the course of the past year, the Dallas Media Collaborative members have combined resources to explore issues and solutions around affordable housing in the Dallas area. We seek a Project Manager to grow our work in its second year.

The Role

This is an entrepreneurial role: We’re looking for someone who is a creative problem solver and enjoys building things from the ground-up in collaboration with partners. There is an opportunity to expand this role beyond Project Manager as the collaborative moves from a start-up organization into a sustainable community service.

The Project Manager is expected to provide leadership for the member organizations to report, edit and publish news coverage about affordable housing. You will be responsible for cultivating relationships — both internally between collaboration members, and externally with the community and supporters.

Problem solving and proactive problem avoidance are critical, with a focus on clear and timely communication, both virtually and in-person. You will work closely with editors, journalists, professors, students and data scientists to help form the narrative arc of the collaborative’s focus topic.

What You’ll Do

• Act as point of contact for all collaborative communications with the national Solutions Journalism Network team.

• Develop and execute strategies to enhance concerted reporting, and other acts of journalism, across the collaborative. This includes maintaining the collaborative’s editorial calendar, facilitating group meetings and coordinating small-group meetings as needed.

• Track story pitches and ensure the necessary people and resources are available.

• Manage digital content across website (https://dallasmediacollab.com/), email, social media and text platforms, as well as encourage cross-newsroom distribution.

• Schedule and manage meetings with collaborative partners.

• Coordinate any future events, working closely with community organizations.

• Manage the collaborative’s current budget and financial reporting.

• Track and develop future funding opportunities. (Past experience with development/fundraising is very welcome but not necessary.)

Who You Are

• You thrive in an energetic and people-focused environment

• You are committed to the health of the Dallas journalism ecosystem

• You have a blend of project management and people skills, helping keep a large collaborative energized and inspired – and on track to achieve its goals

• It’s preferred that you have newsroom and field-reporting experience

• Experience in fundraising or business development is preferred, but not required.

• You are confident both behind-the-scenes and speaking publicly

• You are proactive, generating new ideas and pathways for execution

• You are a creative thinker and value listening to diverse audiences

• You are organized and efficient

• You are comfortable in AP style and Google Suite

• You understand the current challenges of newsrooms and community trust

• Fluency in both English and Spanish is preferred

This position is part-time and flexible, estimated at 25 hours per week, with some events during evening and weekend hours. The successful candidate must reside in Dallas or the immediate surrounding area.

The Dallas Media Collaborative primarily works remotely, but this position does entail  traveling throughout the city for meetings and events. The annual salary for this position is $30,000-$40,000, commensurate with experience. This position is a nine-month contract position without benefits. The DMC is undergoing a strategic planning process, and based on the direction the Collaborative takes, there is a possibility for the role to expand to a full-time position in the coming months.

About the Dallas Media Collaborative

The Dallas Media Collaborative coordinates Dallas-wide and county-wide coverage of various aspects of affordable housing, including a lack of housing, with a commitment to using a solutions-focused approach. With six media outlets, three colleges and universities, a data think tank and a choral ensemble, and with guidance from the Solutions Journalism Network, the Collaborative equips professional media outlets and student journalists to do together what each can’t do alone because of budget constraints and massive changes in how the news industry is funded. Our Collaborative aims to fully inform citizens and encourage civil discourse that leads to civic engagement, ultimately holding the government accountable for its role in supporting solutions. Learn more at dallasmediacollab.com.