OVERVIEW
A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide.
Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.
Intro to Position
We are seeking a strategic, deal-driven SVP of Content Strategy & Business Development to lead the strategic expansion of our editorial reach and enterprise distribution. Reporting directly to the Chief Content Officer, this executive will serve as the primary architect and operator of our external partnership strategy. You will bridge the gap between our content production and revenue growth—identifying, negotiating, and executing strategic alliances with digital platforms, streaming networks, audio networks, and mission-aligned distribution partners.
In addition to structuring external partnerships, you will collaborate closely with enterprise stakeholders across the organization to standardize operational frameworks, direct the division’s OKR planning, and align resource allocation directly with Content’s overarching strategic objectives.
This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook. All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff is defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events.
Responsibilities
Strategic Business Development & Monetization
- Drive Partnership Revenue: Pitch, negotiate, and close high-value content distribution, co-production, and IP licensing deals for network content across platforms.
- Expand Distribution Channels: Identify and secure deal structures with major digital news aggregators, streaming platforms, newsletter networks, and public media systems to scale audience reach and maximize revenue.
- Innovate Business Models: Work alongside the CCO to design business models (e.g., enterprise member subscriptions, content licensing, revenue-share frameworks) that bring financial sustainability to NPR and the Network.
Partner Management & Strategic Alliances
- Co-Production & Joint Ventures: Structure operational agreements for collaborative, multi-newsroom reporting initiatives to ensure partner alignment while protecting editorial standards.
- Cross-Sector Alignment: Collaborate with executive leadership to identify grant-funded or corporate-sponsored distribution initiatives that support the organization's broader mission.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Execution
- CCO & Newsroom Partnership: Partner with the Chief Content Officer and network editorial leads to ensure business development strategies protect editorial standards and elevate network priorities.
- Deal Structuring & IP Oversight: Manage the contract lifecycle, intellectual property rights, licensing terms, and revenue-sharing mechanisms in collaboration with legal counsel.
- Metrics & Strategy Iteration: Track partnership performance, audience expansion, and net revenue to regularly present actionable pipeline insights to the CCO and executive team.
Business Operations
- Operational Excellence: Refine cross-departmental Content workflows to streamline project delivery and execution.
- Financial Oversight & Governance: Partner with Finance to direct divisional budgets, track CapEx, and forecast resource needs to maintain fiscal discipline.
- Workforce Strategy & Resource Allocation: Collaborate with People Team and Content leaders to drive organizational design, headcount planning and resource optimization.
- Strategy Stewardship: Lead the definition, tracking, and execution of divisional OKRs to align daily operations with overarching company goals.
The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.
Minimum Qualifications
- 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in media business development, content licensing, distribution, or syndication within news or digital publishing.
- Proven history of initiating, negotiating, and closing complex, revenue-generating content distribution and licensing partnerships.
- An active network of media executives, syndicators, platform leads, and distribution decision-makers across digital and legacy media.
- Deep appreciation for independent journalism and a strong understanding of how to balance revenue goals with editorial integrity.
- Direct experience structuring IP licensing, copyright agreements, syndication contracts, and revenue-share models.
- Deep familiarity with IP licensing, copyright frameworks, syndication contracts, and revenue-sharing mechanisms for collective/networked content.
- Strong negotiation skills, analytical capability, and clear communication style when representing the organization externally.
- Demonstrated experience collaborating with senior journalists, newsroom leadership, and legal teams to construct commercial partnerships that rigorously protect editorial independence.
Preferred Qualifications
- Substantive understanding of the public media system, member-supported networks, or federated non-profit distribution models.
- Direct commercial deal-making experience in episodic audio, podcast network syndication, or connected-car/smart-device audio ecosystems.
- Familiarity with public media sponsorship rules, non-profit business parameters, and related FCC regulatory environments.
Required Skills/Competencies
- Commercial Deal Structuring & IP Acumen: Master-level ability to structure complex licensing agreements, distribution terms, and multi-party revenue allocations.
- Strategic Negotiation & Executive Presence: Proven ability to represent NPR persuasively in high-stakes negotiations with global technology platforms and major media conglomerates.
- Editorial & Commercial Boundary Stewardship: Unwavering ethical judgment to ensure commercial initiatives maintain an uncompromised firewall around newsroom decision-making.
- Cross-Functional Coalition Building: Demonstrated capability to align diverse cross-functional teams—including legal, product, editorial, finance, and station relations—around complex enterprise transactions.
- Financial Modeling & Market Analytics: Sophisticated acumen in analyzing audience consumption data, modeling revenue scenarios, and forecasting emerging market distribution opportunities.
Education Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, Media Studies, Business Administration, or a related field, OR equivalent practical work experience demonstrating equivalent executive capability.
Work Location & Requirements
- Hybrid Permitted: This is a hybrid permitted role. The employee will be required to be in the Washington, D.C. office at least 3 days a week. The employee must also reside in the D.C. Metropolitan Area, which includes Washington, D.C., Maryland, or Virginia.
Job Type
- This is a full-time, exempt position.
Compensation
Salary Range: The U.S.-based anticipated salary range for this opportunity is $290,000 - $350,00 plus benefits. The displayed range reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to offer new hires for the position across all U.S. locations.
NPR Benefits: NPR provides comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees.
Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.
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NPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.
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