Executive Director of Ashland.news

Date Posted June 02, 2026 Industry Digital Media, Nonprofit Specialty Not Specified Job Status Full-time Salary Negotiable Description: Executive Director of Ashland.news

Location: Ashland, Oregon, or within reasonable proximity. Hybrid: remote work with regular in-person presence for board meetings, staff collaboration, and community engagement.

Salary: Commensurate with experience.

Status: Full-time, at-will. After a six-month probationary period, the Executive Director may be offered a one- to three-year contract on terms agreed with the Board of Directors.

Reports to: Board of Directors

About Ashland.news

Ashland.news is a nonprofit digital news organization serving Ashland and the surrounding communities of Southern Oregon. Our mission is to provide accurate, trustworthy, and timely local journalism that informs civic dialogue and promotes cultural engagement free to all readers, online. We aim to be the leading nonprofit news platform in Southern Oregon and Northern California.

We are a small organization roughly six staff positions and an annual budget of about $475,000 with an experienced board, a recently completed strategic planning process, and ambitions to grow our coverage and geographic reach.

The Role

The Executive Director leads Ashland.news. All staff report to the Executive Director, including the executive editor; the Executive Director reports to the Board of Directors.

We're looking for someone who works shoulder-to-shoulder with a small, capable team leading revenue strategy, executing the board's strategic plan, and strengthening the organization's relationships with readers, donors, sponsors, and the communities we cover.

The ED is responsible for everything outside of day-to-day editorial operations: business operations, fundraising and grants, reader revenue, sponsorship, community relations, hiring, and administration. The executive editor leads the newsroom and works in close partnership with the ED; the ED protects editorial independence while ensuring the organization as a whole is aligned, sustainable, and mission-driven.

Top Priorities

The Board has identified four priorities for this position:

Grants. Execute against an established grants calendar. Identify and pursue new grant opportunities. Maintain relationships with current and prospective funders. Grant revenue is central to our model and to our growth plans.

Reader revenue. Grow reader contributions and recurring giving by executing a reader revenue strategy by utilizing our CRM and third-party reader revenue partner. Use the data to test, refine, and scale.

Major gifts and development. Support the board's development committee in cultivating and stewarding major donors. Build and maintain direct relationships with area philanthropists and funders.

Sponsorship oversight. Manage the sponsorship sales position, including setting and monitoring revenue targets, and supporting relationships with local businesses that underwrite our work.

Executing the board's recently completed strategic planning process, including potential expansion of coverage and geographic reach, is a common priority, spread across all four areas.

Overall Responsibilities Revenue and financial management

Develop the resources to keep Ashland.news financially healthy. Prepare and manage the annual budget in partnership with the board treasurer. Provide the board with monthly financial statements and ensure timely reporting, collaborating with the Board Treasurer. Oversee payroll and all financial operations. Operate within budget while making maximum use of available resources.

Strategic execution

Translate the board's strategic plan into annual operating plans, revenue targets, and measurable outcomes. Bring clarity, discipline, and follow-through to a growth-stage organization.

Staff leadership

Hire, manage, and retain a small, talented team. Supervise the executive editor, the sponsorship sales manager, and other staff, contractors, and interns. Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and trust. Ensure compliance with employment law and HR best practices.

Community and external relations

Be a visible, credible representative of Ashland.news with readers, donors, sponsors, civic leaders, and peer news organizations locally, regionally, and nationally. Listen to the communities we cover and ensure the organization reflects and serves them.

Editorial partnership

Work in close partnership with the executive editor to uphold journalistic independence, ethics, and quality. Ensure newsroom resources align with audience needs and community impact. Maintain a clear separation between editorial decisions and business operations.

Governance

Serve as the primary point of contact for the Board of Directors. Provide clear, honest reporting and counsel. Execute the policies and direction set by the board.

Qualifications

We're looking for someone with most of the following. We don't expect every candidate to bring all of it.

• Senior leadership experience in a nonprofit news organization, local media, digital publishing, or a comparable mission-driven setting.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising and grant writing, with a real track record, not just familiarity.
• Experience growing reader revenue or subscription revenue using a CRM and data-driven approach.
• Strong financial management skills: budgeting, analysis, reporting, and clear-eyed decision-making.
• Experience hiring, managing, and developing a small team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including public speaking and donor-facing work.
• Comfort operating in a lean, entrepreneurial environment without a large support staff.
• Sound judgment about the line between business and editorial.

A working knowledge of nonprofit news tools and platforms (CRM systems, reader revenue platforms, membership tools) is a plus. So is existing familiarity with Southern Oregon's civic, philanthropic, and business communities.

How to Apply

Send a cover letter and resume to ... , please include Executive Director in the subject line.

Ashland.news is committed to diversity in its leadership and encourages women, people of color, people with disabilities, and members of all protected classes to apply. Candidates with experience engaging underrepresented communities in journalism are especially encouraged.

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