Knight Foundation is seeking a visionary and impact-oriented technology product strategist to oversee investments, partnerships and a network of people and projects at the intersection of technology and news media. The director will use their knowledge of where tech products are going to outline a strategy to enable the foundation’s focus on the relevant target markets and feature sets to drive outcomes. They will recognize emerging trends, such as artificial intelligence, and have the ability to identify “what’s next” to ensure that Knight Foundation is driving cutting-edge forms of storytelling and media consumption.

This leader must be willing to take risks and identify ground-breaking initiatives that will inform and have impact. They will use their foresight, combined with practical know-how, to identify projects that will succeed over those that are likely to fail. Curiosity and a strong interest in how to apply their expertise to ground-breaking initiatives that result in innovative forms of news creation, distribution and consumption is a requirement. This position requires deep knowledge of and interest in technology, along with the administrative ability to manage a large grant portfolio.

Key responsibilities:

  • Developing an active network of diverse experts (technologists, product specialists, entrepreneurs and researchers) who will support the foundation’s mission to drive journalism sustainability and innovation.
  • Sourcing, developing and managing a multimillion-dollar portfolio of funded projects, ensuring they are breakthrough and innovative ideas.
  • Evangelizing new technologies and media consumption models that can be replicated and sustained to better inform communities.
  • Partnering with Knight’s Learning and Impact team to measure the impact of initiatives, inform strategy and improve results.
  • Representing Knight Foundation in local and national forums.
  • Performing due diligence on proposals; collaborating with colleagues throughout the foundation to craft smart projects that include a blend of grants from discovery to scale.
  • Developing well-written, thoroughly researched grant recommendations that support the foundation’s strategy, and that reflect due consideration for the sustainability of a project, organization or idea.
  • Working with grants administration to maintain smooth and accurate flows of information from proposal to archiving.

The role will report to the Vice President of Journalism and will be based in Miami, Florida at Knight Foundation headquarters.

The ideal candidate will be an insightful, driven, entrepreneurial and innovative leader who is at the forefront of emerging technology. They will bring deep expertise in how UX/design, artificial intelligence, data, virtual reality and other new technologies that are impacting journalism. They will have a proven track record of embracing new platforms and products that transform how people are informed and engaged. They will be adept at building relationships and influencing at senior levels, while also being able to inspire developers, designers and the broader technology community. The successful candidate will bring 10+ years of experience working within the fields of cutting-edge technology, media, and/or digital platforms. Experience in the field of journalism is not a requirement.

Things we look for in a successful candidate:

  • Insightful and innovative leader who possesses strong business acumen and a risk-taking mindset. 
  • Experience at the forefront of emerging technologies, including UX/design, data, artificial intelligence, blockchain and VR/AR/MR.
  • A proven track record of implementing technologies and products that transform how people are informed and engaged. 
  • Adept at building relationships and influencing individual stakeholders and the broader technology community.  
  • Avid consumer of news and information.

Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy.

Our approach is inclusive and non-partisan; we value freedoms of speech and the press, and we often embrace new and innovative technology to achieve our goals. The qualities we look for are openness to new ideas; courage to push for change; and the expertise and tenacity to achieve the desired results. Tell us what excites you about this opportunity and why you are right for it.

Knight Foundation collects and monitors vaccination status.

Send your resume to: alisha.hathaway@russellreynolds.com.

For more on Knight Foundation, visit kf.org