Nine PBS
Nine PBS: Vice President and Chief Planning Officer
Who We Are: As an essential community institution, Nine PBS magnifies and deepens understanding of our community to help our region flourish. We convene meaningful conversations, we share thought-provoking content, and we host events that engage and inspire our region. Our unique facilities and connections offer opportunities for memorable experiences for audiences of all ages.
Our History: We are a community-licensed public media station. For 70 years, we have been a foundational pillar in the St. Louis community by providing trusted, community-centered content and resources. Our core purpose is to magnify and deepen understanding of our community to help our region flourish.
Our Values: Nine PBS is rooted in our four values: Community, Trust, Equity, and Learning. These guide every aspect of our work – both in how we interact with one another as teammates, as well as how we engage with the community.
Our Culture: Nine PBS is an equal opportunity employer with a leadership team and culture that prioritizes a welcoming environment where everyone feels like they belong and has the ability to thrive in their roles.
Our Team: One of our strategic goals is to create and sustain a positive, high-performing, and connected culture that prioritizes the well-being of every member of our team. Get to know the amazing individuals you will be working alongside if you are selected for this position: https://www.ninepbs.org/ourteam/.
Position Description: Reporting directly to the President and CEO, the primary role of the Vice President and Chief Planning Officer (VP/CPO) is to connect dots across the organization by advancing and executing operational priorities across all areas in alignment with Nine PBS’s long-term vision.
The VP/CPO must be a dynamic and strategic leader who partners with the CEO and Executive Team to plan and advance key work across the institution. This individual must possess a high degree of strategic thinking, operational oversight, collaboration, decision-making, and communication to ensure that plans align with organizational goals and community priorities. This role will be instrumental in leveraging all key functional areas of Nine PBS.
Primary Responsibilities: The following primary responsibilities are vital to successfully meeting the expectations of this position in an effective and efficient manner. This is not an exhaustive list and areas of focus may fluctuate, as needed. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate success in these areas at other organizations and speak about what excellence has looked like throughout their career.
Strategic Planning and Analysis
-Work with the CEO and Executive Team to develop an ongoing 18-month institutional plan that is an organizational roadmap of priorities, timing, and how efforts align across the organization.
-Collaborate with the Executive Team to develop and refine business strategies and monitor progress toward targeted metrics.
-Update the Strategic Plan annually to ensure it is timely and relevant.
Monitor organizational KPIs and report on Nine’s progress toward strategic objectives.
Cross-Functional Alignment
-Facilitate collaboration and alignment in functional areas across the organization to ensure initiatives support the strategic plan, are integrated, and are executed effectively.
-Serve as a problem-solver for critical issues, addressing internal or external risks that affect the company’s direction or performance.
-Facilitate communication between the CEO and various internal stakeholders (e.g., board members, executives, staff) to ensure alignment across the organization.
-Encourage a culture of innovation within the organization to drive new ideas and initiatives that support Nine PBS’s Core Purpose, while also identifying and mitigating risk.
-Manage weekly Executive Team and monthly staff meetings by mapping out purposeful agendas to engage staff and advance organizational priorities.
-Approach all work with a collaborative, relationship-driven approach to leverage the skills and expertise of everyone involved.
Project Management
-Lead and coordinate major organizational projects/initiatives that are cross-departmental or highly complicated and require executive oversight.
-Ensure initiatives align with organizational goals and values by strategizing with the Executive Team to articulate expectations in the planning phases and monitoring and reporting on progress throughout.
-Support the work of the Operations Team, as needed, to ensure all teams are aligned and working effectively and efficiently toward project goals.
-Implement initiatives to maximize impact and reach with key audiences, recalibrating as needed for the evolving needs of the organization and/or key partners.
-Support CEO and serve as liaison and internal key contact for special projects, including the Nine PBS building project.
Board Relations
-Work closely with CEO and Board Relations Manager to map out Board meeting agendas that educate the Board and advance the work of the organization.
-Provide strategic analysis and actionable insights for the Board that will help them make informed decisions regarding Nine PBS’s growth, innovation, and risk management.
-Supervise the Board Relations Manager to ensure clear alignment between ongoing operational activities and strategic insights for planning and communication purposes.
Government Relations
-Coordinate regular, ongoing communications with our elected officials and their staff.
-Ensure regular, ongoing communications from our national organizations as it relates to federal funding.
-Align the work of the Government Relations Committee of the Board to ensure productive engagement with lay influencers.
Secondary Responsibilities: These are additional activities that are expected to be performed with this position.
-Serve in a supportive role, as needed, between the Executive Team and Operations Team to communicate strategies and priorities.
-Inspire a culture of creativity and accountability.
-Foster a creative and productive work environment.
-Collaborate with members of the Executive Team and other organizational leaders to identify and implement appropriate operational strategies.
-Understand industry-wide shifts and changes to determine timely calibration/recalibration for Nine PBS.
-Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree required, with 15+ years of experience in project management, operations, public media, communications, or other related fields. Proficient in Excel, PowerPoint, Word and other MS Office applications.
Hybrid Schedule: This position is eligible for a hybrid schedule, typically working up to three days virtually each week. On-site attendance is required on Tuesdays, as well as for meetings with the CEO, Executive Team, Board and committees, and other relevant events. Ability and willingness to work a varied schedule including evenings and weekends. Ability for some travel.
Additional Expectations and Core Competencies: Success in this role is not only measured by meeting the expectations outlined above, but also in how the work is performed. The following competencies are required for this role.
-Approach all interactions solution focused.
-Be open to feedback and demonstrate a growth mindset.
-Provide respectful feedback to others, as needed.
-Demonstrate a commitment to creating a welcoming environment by modeling behaviors that make everyone feel included.
-Effectively and proactively communicate with supervisor, teammates, and others across the organization to create a collaborative work environment.
-Demonstrate effective time management.
-Demonstrate good judgment.
-Demonstrate effective working relationships with others.
-Lead with integrity and role model positive behavior for the organization.
-Delegate, empower, and motivate while coaching staff to develop their full potential.
-Provide a supportive environment for enhanced performance and professional growth.
-Build high-performing and cohesive teams.
-Think strategically and advance identified priority areas within the team and across the organization.
Application Instructions
Company: Nine PBS
Vacancy Type: Full-Time
Job Location: St Louis, MO, US
Salary Range: $125,000 – $135,000
Application Timeline: March 7, 2025 – March 21, 2025
Application Process: For a candidate to be considered for employment, the following materials must be submitted as a complete application to jobs@ninepbs.org:
-Resume
-Cover Letter
-3 Professional References
Provide a word document that includes responses to the following three questions:
-How are you uniquely qualified to enhance the Nine PBS team and our work? (no more than 150 words)
-Please provide an example of a time when you, as a leader, impacted an organization’s culture in a positive way. (no more than 150 words)
-What would success look like for you in this position? (no more than 150 words)
Nine PBS
As an essential community institution, Nine PBS magnifies and deepens understanding of our community to help our region flourish. We tell stories that move us. We meet people where they are the most comfortable consuming content. Nine PBS’s platforms include four distinct broadcast channels (Nine PBS, Nine PBS KIDS®, Nine PBS World, and Nine PBS Create), ninepbs.org, social media, the free PBS Video App, streaming services, live and virtual events, and the Public Media Commons. Since 1954, Nine PBS has accepted the community’s invitation into their homes, schools, and businesses. Follow Nine PBS on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
