Program Manager, Washington & Western States

About Report Local

Report Local, home to Report for America, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening local journalism and the communities it serves. Our flagship Report for America program has placed nearly 850 journalists in almost 500 newsrooms across the country, in communities where they are needed most, helping newsrooms produce new and exceptional journalism while building a stronger foundation for long-term sustainability.

With the rise of misinformation, overwhelming news feeds, and a rapidly changing media landscape, people struggle with what information they can rely on and trust. Every week, two U.S. newspapers close, leaving communities without the vital thread of local news that connects neighbors, holds leaders accountable, and helps communities understand themselves and their place in the world.

Report for America exists to rewrite that story. We believe local journalism is a critical building block for every community and democracy, and by investing in it, we foster trust and build a brighter, more connected future.

Report for America partners with innovative local newsrooms across the country to recruit and place talented reporters (corps members) in high-impact, often overlooked beats. We provide ongoing mentorship and training for corps members, offer newsrooms grant support for reporter salaries, and provide fundraising coaching and hands-on revenue development to help sustain essential reporting beyond our two-to-three-year placements

About the role

We're looking for an entrepreneurial, community-rooted program manager with deep newsroom leadership experience to help us build and scale Report for Washington - our partnership with Washington State University's Murrow College of Communication to put a local reporter in every one of Washington's 39 counties by 2029.

As Program Manager, Washington State, you'll work across newsroom leaders, state and university partners, funders, and internal collaborators to grow our programmatic impact in the state. You'll also work alongside the team's regional heads and program managers to support Report for America's broader portfolio. You'll own outcomes for roughly 50 reporter relationships, accountable for the quality of the reporter and newsroom experience, and for the journalism our program enables.

What you'll do

Work with the Leadership Team to build and scale Report for Washington

Lead our state-based work in Washington:

• Work in close coordination with WSU's Murrow College, and alongside our Leadership Team, to support and steward our partnership with the Murrow College and other implementation partners.
• Recruit and prepare Washington newsrooms to host reporters as the program grows.
• Build community among Washington newsrooms and reporters, and identify opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and collaboration, in partnership with other colleagues.
• Partner with the Development team to support engagement with and input from the local Report for Washington program advisory board.
• Capture what we learn in Washington so it can inform state-based work elsewhere.

Own reporter experience and growth across your portfolio

Be accountable for reporter experience and quality journalism across your portfolio, which will include corps members from other Western states, to:

• Ensure reporters have a meaningful experience and the support to produce high-quality journalism.
• Counsel and advise reporters on working with their editors, beats, and communities, and support their professional development.
• Manage competing demands across a large portfolio - handling challenges, escalating early when something needs support from the Head of Region or Director of Corps and Newsroom Excellence.
• Work with the team's regional heads and program managers to support corps members and newsrooms across Report for America's broader portfolio.
• Serve as a go-to resource for colleagues on check-ins and tough cases, and share what works.
• Track patterns across your portfolio and turn them into practical improvements for the team.

Drive selection, matching, and newsroom relationships

Own newsroom relationships and program fidelity across your portfolio to:

• Build trust-based relationships with newsroom leaders, and ensure newsrooms understand and follow Report for America's values, mission, and procedures.
• Interview prospective reporters and newsroom applicants for the program, lead selection and matching for your portfolio, and be accountable for final recommendations to the Report for America team and the Washington State University program Advisory Committee
• Bring what you learn from your portfolio into how the team runs selection and matching.
• Leverage team resources to help newsrooms strengthen editorial workflows and find efficiencies to increase their reporting capacity and quality.
• Keep the team informed through regular updates, and flag risks and opportunities early.

Grow partnerships and share Washington's story

Contribute to and sustain relationships across the state to:

• Identify potential partnership opportunities, and bring them to the Director of Corps and Newsroom Excellence or Development.
• Surface reporter work with real community impact, or that's simply great journalism, and share it with Communications and Development.
• Represent Report for America at industry, trade, and community events across Washington.

Who you are

We don't expect one person to tick every box, but we are looking for someone exceptional who brings many of the following:

• A passion for local news. You believe in the essential role local journalism plays in helping communities flourish. You care about the people and places that local news serves, understand its importance to healthy, informed communities, and are energized by the opportunity to strengthen local news and the journalists who produce it.
• A forward-looking newsroom leader. You have 6+ years of experience in journalism, including leading, editing, or mentoring reporters as an editor, managing editor, or news director. You understand where local news is heading and what early-career journalists need to thrive. You have a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience requirement.
• Experienced at bringing many stakeholders along. You've built and managed relationships across a journalism ecosystem - newsroom leaders and publishers, journalism schools and universities, press associations, and funders and community foundations - and kept them aligned around a shared goal.
• Connected to Washington, or ready to be. You know the state's news landscape, from urban newsrooms to rural communities, or you can build those relationships quickly.
• A strong mentor and listener who can counsel journalists through hard situations and help others solve problems.
• Candid and caring in conflict. You handle hard conversations well, and you're a skilled negotiator.
• Organized across a large portfolio. You can manage competing priorities, keep projects on track, and follow through.
• A sound judge of talent. You've evaluated, interviewed, or hired journalists and can make strong selection and matching decisions.
• Committed to continuous learning. You notice patterns, turn them into practical improvements, and share what you know.
• Comfortable with data and tools. You leverage data and technology to work more efficiently.
• Committed to inclusion. You care about building teams and programs where people with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives do their best work.
• Ability to travel 10% for newsroom visits, partner meetings, and convenings, plus team gatherings.

Benefits

As a mission-first organization, we strive to build a culture centered on impact and nurturing the growth and well-being of our staff.

We offer comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, and vision), employer-paid life and disability insurance, and a 403(b) retirement plan with organizational contributions. Team members also enjoy generous paid time off - including personal flex days, sick leave, and vacation days - that grow with your time here.

As a fully remote team spread across 20+ states, we are intentional about creating meaningful connections. We prioritize in-person gatherings, foster small-group hangouts during our all-hands, and nurture community through shared hobbies and interests in our Slack space.

Come join us in reimagining what's possible for local journalism and helping communities thrive.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Report Local welcomes applications from individuals of all backgrounds and strongly values diverse lived experiences. Report Local is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws where we operate.

We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply or to participate in our recruiting process, contact hr@reportlocal.org.

Applicants must have legal authorization to work in the U.S. without requiring visa sponsorship.