Lead Producer

St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis Public Radio, an NPR member station, is seeking a Lead Producer to launch and guide a new civic conversation initiative that will model how St. Louisans can talk across divides in order to create greater understanding in our region. This unique role combines editorial leadership, audio production, and community engagement to foster understanding across political and cultural divides in the St. Louis region.

This initiative draws inspiration from StoryCorps' One Small Step program, which has been proven to increase levels of interpersonal empathy by pairing strangers with different beliefs for a conversation, not to debate politics but to get to know each other as human beings. STLPR will facilitate local conversations between people across historical divides in the St. Louis region including class, race, politics and geography. Among other places, these conversations will be featured on St. Louis on the Air, STLPR's flagship talk show, as a monthly series aimed at modeling civic discourse in a deeply divided time. The Lead Producer will shape the sound, tone, and vision of Talking Across Divides (this is a placeholder title that will be ironed out in the development of the program) and serve as its public face in the community.

This is a new position with a unique blend of journalism, facilitation, and public service. An ideal candidate would be equally skilled in audio production and human connection-and be someone who sees the power of conversation as a force for good.

You'll join an award-winning team of journalists that covers communities across the bistate St. Louis region, in Rolla, Missouri, and in Quincy, Illinois. STLPR has a reputation as one of the most ambitious and innovative stations in the public radio system, earning a regional Edward R. Murrow Award for Overall Excellence in both 2023 and 2024.

Key Responsibilities

Editorial & Audio Production

Produce and facilitate conversations for radio and podcast.
Lead all stages of audio production: sourcing, pre-interviewing, scheduling, scripting, recording and editing.
Develop a consistent editorial workflow and production calendar.
Collaborate with the St. Louis on the Air team to integrate TAD initiative into broadcast.
Edit interviews into concise, compelling audio segments.
Write companion web articles and promotional copy.

Community & Audience Engagement

Coordinate with STLPR's engagement and marketing teams to share program content across platforms.
Appear on camera for short-form video explainers and promotional content.
Represent STLPR and the initiative at public events, including listening sessions, classroom visits, and community forums.
Help train STLPR staff and community partners in One Small Step methodology.
Contribute to a newsletter focused on Talking Across Divides initiative content.

Supervision Received

The Lead Producer is supervised by the Executive Producer of Talk Shows, Alex Heuer.

Location

The Lead Producer must live in or relocate to the St. Louis region. Moving allowance available in applicable situations.

40 hours per week

A Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 3 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

• At least five years of experience in journalism, podcasting, or audio production.
• Strong editorial judgment and storytelling skills, especially in audio formats.
• Demonstrated ability to connect with people and facilitate meaningful dialogue.
• Experience in public speaking or moderating public conversations.
• Comfort representing a public-facing program in varied settings.
• Proficiency with audio editing tools such as Adobe Audition or Pro Tools.
• Strong writing and scripting skills for audio and digital platforms.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively on deadline.
  Commitment to public service journalism and STLPR's mission of fostering understanding.
• Familiarity with the St. Louis region and its communities and civic issues.
• On-air hosting or live-event moderation experience.
• Background in community engagement or civic dialogue initiatives

Salary Range: $60,000 - $80,000 annual
Grade: GGS- 010
University Title: Media Production Manager II
Internal applicants can determine their University title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

• Application materials include a cover letter and resume. Finalists will be asked to provide references at a later date.
• Applicants must combine all application materials into one PDF or Microsoft Word document and upload as a resume attachment to the UMSL Careers: https://www.umsl.edu/services/hrs/careers/index.html
• Limit document name to 50 characters. Maximum size limit is 11MB. Do not include special characters (e.g., /, &, %, etc.). For questions about the application process, please email employment@umsl.edu. If you are experiencing technical problems, please email umpshrsupport@umsystem.edu.

Visa Sponsorship Information:
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University will not sponsor applicants for this position for employment visas.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please email the Office of Human Resources at umslhr@umsl.edu.