Chief Content Officer (CCO)

About Religion News Service

Religion is one of the most powerful forces shaping our worldtouching everything from politics to culture to global conflict to the everyday decisions people make. And yet it remains one of the most misunderstood. Religion News Service is the only independent newsroom in America covering religion and belief across all traditions. Were not a religious organizationwere a newsroom, with sharp elbows for fairness and a beat at the intersection of faith, politics, culture, and society.

Were a team of 34 and fully remote. Our journalism reaches over a million readers, listeners, and viewers a month through editorial partnerships with NPR and the AP, podcasts, newsletters, social platforms, and RNS.org. Were backed by deep audience trust, strong institutional support, and 92 years of independent journalismone of the deepest single-subject editorial legacies in American media.

Were also a fun, smart, and collaborative newsroom. We bring curiosity, good humor, and mutual respect to our workand the belief that great journalism lives wherever people are, whether thats a newsletter over morning coffee, a vertical video on a commute, or a podcast on a long walk.

The Opportunity

RNS is in the middle of a deliberate transformationevolving from an organization known primarily for its spot news reporting into one that uses journalism as a foundation for broader impact through events, community building, partnerships, and new formats that invite people into the work. This is a rare chance to shape the national conversation on one of the most profoundly important topics of our time, at a well-funded organization with a growing community and a newsroom of 20 positioned for growth.

The Role: Chief Content Officer

This is RNSs senior editorial leadership role.

Journalistic integrity is centralbut so is what we do with the journalism: how we invite people into it, how we make it useful to different audiences, and how we measure our impact. The CCO will set and execute RNSs editorial vision across every platformarticles, video, newsletters, social, podcasts, events, and formats we havent invented yetwith audience strategy woven into every decision.

This is a role for someone who thinks expansively about what a newsroom can be. Someone who sees a reporting project and asks not just Whats the story? but Whats the event? The conversation starter? The partnership? This role requires both vision and hustlea leader who can accelerate RNS, make hard choices about what to deprioritize, and move boldly.

Youll be expected to articulate and own a content strategy that starts with a fundamental question: What is the problem RNS solves for people? Who is our audience? Why do we matter? If that excites you, lets talk.

What success looks like in the first year

• A clear editorial strategy across platformswritten, shared, and actively guiding decisions.

• A working cross-platform editorial calendar that improves coordination, speed, and accountability.

• Two or three signature franchises, products, or coverage areas launched or sharpened.

• Measurable audience growth in at least one priority channel.

• A coaching and performance management rhythm established across the newsroom.

• An events strategy that connects RNS journalism to live and virtual programming.

Editorial Vision & Leadership

• Own and evolve RNSs content strategy from ideation through distribution, ensuring it is audience-first and data-informed.

• Identify emerging coverage opportunitiesareas where religion and spirituality intersect with politics, technology, culture, demographics, and public policyand position RNS to lead them.

• Oversee all editorial output across all formats, including social media and video. Partner with the Chief Product Officer on distribution and platform optimization.

• Make final calls on editorial judgment, story selection, framing, and sensitive content decisions.

• Define and enforce RNSs editorial standards, voice, and policiesupholding journalistic integrity and public trust.

• Ensure coverage reflects the diversity of faith communities RNS serves and makes complex topics accessible to general audiences.

Audience Strategy & Growth

RNS serves policymakers, religious leaders, academics, journalists, and engaged readers. We aspire to grow significantly among younger, more diverse audiences discovering religion and belief through digital and social platforms, and among donors and institutional partners who invest in our mission. The CCO is responsible for prioritizing among these audiencesdeciding which to serve with which products and formats.

• Use audience data and performance metrics to inform editorial decisions and content improvement.

• Identify the key metrics that matter most for RNSs growth and impactand focus the teams energy there.

• Develop community-building initiatives that deepen reader relationships through events and direct audience connection.

• Partner with the Chief Product Officer on audience analytics, newsletter growth, and product development.

• Partner with the Chief Development Officer to ensure editorial output supports fundraising narrativeswithout compromising journalistic integrity.

Operations, Team & Culture

The CCO is a people leader, not just a strategist. This person brings organizational rigor and builds a culture where talented people do their best work:

• Create and lead an integrated editorial calendar across all platforms; oversee the full publishing cycle from planning through post-publication performance.

• Build editorial workflows that grow with the teamincluding smart use of AI tools where they make the work better and faster.

• Manage and inspire editorial staff and outside contributors, fostering a collaborative, high-standards culture.

• Conduct regular performance evaluations, provide ongoing coaching, and mentor emerging leaders. Operate within modern HR standards for team management and conflict resolution.

• Partner with product and technology teams to shape digital experiences and publishing infrastructure.

• Manage and grow external partnershipsincluding NPR and the AP, think tanks, policy organizations, universities, internship programs, fellowship funders, and freelance contributorsin collaboration with the Publisher/CEO.

Events & Public Presence

Eventsin-person and virtualare a growing part of RNSs strategy. The CCO will help shape this work:

• Oversee the journalism content of events and develop programming that extends RNSs editorial mission and deepens community connection.

• Moderate and represent RNS at panel discussions, fireside chats, public speaking engagements, and industry forums. Maintain a strong network of writers, sources, thought leaders, and industry contacts.

What Were Looking For

• 15+ years in journalism, digital media, or content leadership; 10+ years of editorial management including leading teams and managing performance.

• Fluency in video, audio, newsletters, social, and events as storytelling formatsnot just distribution channels for text. • Demonstrated ability to build an integrated editorial calendar and use audience data to drive decisions.

• Experience leading a newsroom or editorial team through meaningful change.

• A strong sense of mission about journalism and its importance to public life, pluralism, and democracy. • Excellent editorial judgment and a talent for making complex subjects accessible.

• Comfort as a public-facing representative: moderator, speaker, relationship-builder.

• Track record of launching editorial products or formats that grew audiences.

• A bias toward action: you move quickly and know when to deprioritize the familiar to make room for whats next.

• Ability to articulate a content strategyto put a stake in the ground and say, This is what we cover, this is who we are, and this is why we matter.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience in nonprofit journalism or mission-driven newsrooms.

• Familiarity with religion, spirituality, or the moral frameworks that shape public life.

• Experience with AI tools and workflows in editorial environments.

• A few bold experimentssuccessful or notthat demonstrate your capacity for thoughtful risk-taking.

• Based in the Northeast corridor (New York to Washington, D.C.) is a plus, given RNS's concentration of editorial partners, events, and institutional relationships in that region.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary range: $160,000$200,000. Placement within this range reflects depth of editorial management experience, track record of audience growth, and multi-platform leadership.

• Distributed/remote workplace with flexible hours and generous PTO.

• Health, dental, vision, and disability insurance.

• 401(k) with employer match.

• Cell phone reimbursement, professional development stipend, and laptop provided.

• Occasional travel for team gatherings, events, and conferences (34 times/year).

To Apply

If this role speaks to your experience and interests, wed love to hear from you click here to apply.

RNS is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome candidates of all backgrounds, beliefs, and experiencesespecially those historically underrepresented in journalism and media.