LION is hiring a Program Associate!

If you want to connect independent news businesses with training, resources and coaching, this job is for you.

October 4, 2021 by Lisa Heyamoto

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Title: Program Associate

Status: Full-time

Location: Remote anywhere in the U.S.

Compensation: $55,000-$60,000, eligible for benefits

Scope of Work

If you want to help connect independent news businesses to training, resources and coaching that will help them better serve their communities, this job is for you.

LION provides teaching, resources and community to independent news entrepreneurs as they build and develop sustainable businesses.

Much of that work is done through our signature programs and training opportunities, which support publications as they launch, grow and work toward sustainability. They currently include:

  • The GNI Startups Boot Camp — an eight-week training program that helps launch digital news startups
  • The Revenue Growth Fellowship — a two-year fellowship that funds and trains a new hire to focus on generating revenue for a publication
  • The News Entrepreneur Academy — A forthcoming online training portal to asynchronously support news entrepreneurs at all stages
  • Membership programs — a host of offerings that include strategic coaching, consulting, webinars, partnerships, internships and sustainability audits

We’re looking for a program associate to coordinate these programs and trainings. Our team believes that relevant, accurate and culturally competent local news and information helps people fully engage in civic life, make more informed decisions and better understand the world around them. If you’re interested in helping us make this vision a reality and working in a space of optimism and growth, learn more about the job and how to apply below.

This position will require someone with a deep appreciation for details and logistics, who can see all the pieces that comprise the big picture and loves the process of fitting them together. The strongest candidates will have the written, verbal and interpersonal skills to effectively communicate with fully remote team members, partners and program participants.

Here’s what you’ll do:

  • Coordinate all program logistics, which includes:
    • Developing and documenting program processes and outcomes
    • Ensuring participants have everything they need to participate fully and without friction
    • Ensuring partners have everything they need to contribute and collaborate effectively
    • Planning, scheduling and occasionally facilitating Zoom sessions and seminars
  • Communicate program details internally and publicly
  • Manage program Slack communities and facilitate community-building
  • Collect program data and feedback  
  • Support program/training design

You should also be prepared to work for a team that is:

  • Dedicated to prioritizing the needs of those who have been underrepresented in traditional media 
  • Agile, scrappy and operates leanly
  • Distributed across time zones and relies heavily on digital platforms to communicate and collaborate with each other

To apply, please provide:

  • Your resume
  • Any online links that show your work (a Twitter profile, a portfolio page, etc.)
  • Answers to the following questions:
    • Tell us about a project or program that you coordinated. What was the goal? What were the major challenges and successes? What did you learn?
    • Tell us about a time you’ve had to manage many different tasks for different projects at once. What was your strategy? How did it pan out?
    • How does this role and/or working with independent local news businesses fit into your long-term career ambitions? 

Submit your materials using this form by 11 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday, Oct. 24

If you have any questions, please email Lisa Heyamoto, LION’s Director of Teaching & Learning, at [email protected].


LION Publishers encourages applications from diverse backgrounds and underrepresented communities. We desire to build an organization and grow a membership that welcomes and encourages participation from all interested individuals.

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