General Manager

Job Description

KUNM, a beacon of informed public discourse and cultural enrichment in Albuquerque, NM, serves its community with a diverse blend of news, music, arts, and educational content. Licensed to the University of New Mexico, KUNM has reached audiences across the state since its founding nearly 65 years ago.

KUNM is more than just a radio station; it is a hub for connection and storytelling. With its dedicated team of professionals and more than 80 volunteers, the station provides vital news coverage, thought-provoking discussions, and a wide array of music genres, reflecting the distinct character of New Mexico. KUNM is deeply rooted in its mission to serve the public interest, championing inclusivity and ensuring that all members of the community have access to quality programming that informs, educates, and inspires. By fostering partnerships with local organizations and engaging listeners in meaningful ways, KUNM plays a pivotal role in enriching the cultural and intellectual fabric of the region.

The next General Manager will play a critical role in guiding KUNM’s strategic direction, fostering innovation, organizational growth, and financial stability while ensuring the station continues to meet the evolving needs of the diverse communities that it serves. This position calls for a dynamic and seasoned professional who understands public media’s crucial role in a culturally diverse society, can effectively collaborate with a range of stakeholders, and will lead a dedicated team towards achieving the station’s ambitious goals.

About the area

Albuquerque, New Mexico, is a vibrant and culturally rich city nestled in the heart of the Southwest. Known for its stunning high-desert landscapes and year-round sunshine, Albuquerque offers a unique blend of outdoor adventures, artistic expression, and deep historical roots. The city is home to the famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, the largest hot-air balloon festival in the world, and boasts a thriving arts scene that celebrates Native American, Hispanic, and modern influences. With the Sandia Mountains providing breathtaking sunsets and abundant opportunities for hiking, skiing, and mountain biking, Albuquerque is an outdoor enthusiast’s paradise. Its historic Old Town, Route 66 heritage, and burgeoning culinary scene make it a dynamic place to live and work, offering a perfect balance of tradition and innovation. Albuquerque’s welcoming community and rich cultural tapestry provide an inspiring setting for professional and personal growth.

Salary: $120,000 – $130,000 based on experience and education, plus generous benefits.

Together the University of New Mexico, the Radio Board, Volunteers and the Staff of KUNM have developed the profile of the ideal next leader for the station. We will select from candidates that have the most highly developed skills and attributes in these areas:

The qualified candidate must have a Bachelor’s degree, at least 5 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.
The ideal candidate will possess some or all of the following professional qualifications and personal characteristics:

Vision:

In the context of ongoing transformational changes in the availability and use of digital media and societal changes in the external and internal environment, our candidate:

• Has a working knowledge of the regulatory environment in which public radio stations operate;
• Can see and understand future trends in public media, in related fields and the world, and the impact on our work and workplace;
• Has a learning orientation, including demonstrated methods for gathering, assimilating and making sense of information about the changing media, technology and demographic landscape;
• Can balance vision with doing;
• Is able to lead key stakeholders in working together to develop and execute a shared vision.

Diversity/ Equity/ Inclusion:

The successful candidate will display a clear commitment to and proven record growing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the workplace and in audiences and communities we serve, as well as:

• Experience working in and contributing to a diverse community, with a commitment to understanding and addressing the unique needs, perspectives, and values of all individuals;
• Demonstrated success in fostering a collaborative and inclusive workplace, building strong relationships with individuals from diverse backgrounds, and engaging effectively with underrepresented communities;
• High level of expertise in best practices;
• Engagement in diversity-focused hiring practices, from position announcements to recruiting and interviewing;
• Lifelong learner – adapting to context, openness, curiosity, tolerance for ambiguity.

Communication:

To lead and represent KUNM in various arenas, we seek a person with highly developed public and private interpersonal skills, who:

• Can work within a wide range of communication styles and build relationships with a diverse set of people;
• Is capable of articulating ideas clearly and persuasively when speaking to diverse audiences;
• Is an effective listener who actively seeks to understand the needs and concerns of colleagues, community members, and stakeholders;
• Is an organized thinker and effective writer;
• Facilitates effective team communication, ensuring all staff members and staff are informed, engaged, and motivated;
• Is an effective spokesperson for the organization.

Leadership With Integrity:

We seek a mission-driven individual who will foster and support a positive, collaborative, and transparent culture at KUNM, while driving continuous improvement in our effectiveness in serving the people of our region. Our most important asset is the trust our listeners and the community have in our programming and in KUNM as an institution. The General Manager will:

• Be a selfless, effective change agent who puts the mission and success of KUNM first;
• Be a respectful, honest, sincere, courageous, and ethical person of substance;
• Demonstrate a commitment to, and practice of candor and transparency;
• Have great people skills and be effective with a wide range of stakeholders – from the University, to the Radio Board, Staff, volunteers, individual donors and regional legislative, congressional, business and community leaders;
• Demonstrate a record of being able to identify, confront, analyze and resolve ethical challenges or conflicts of interest.

Industry Knowledge (radio, TV, internet, media, etc):

Our expectation is to attract a person with an expert level of knowledge and media savvy, including trends in technology and consumption of media (digital, broadcast, podcasting) who:

• Has a high level of understanding of the importance, issues and trends of localism, and ability to lead KUNM in this area;
• Is skilled at providing strategic management, including investment decisions related to maintaining effectiveness of our studio, geographically dispersed television transmitting and digital capacity;
• Is technologically competent in the content area, fluent with strategic and tactical aspects of digital and social media, and able to provide effective leadership towards identifying and adopting new platforms.

Community Relationships:

The leader we seek will develop and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of community groups, local organizations, and stakeholders across our listening area to ensure the station's services meet diverse community needs. They will also:

• Collaborate with local artists, educators, and cultural institutions to enrich programming and reflect the unique cultural landscape of New Mexico;
• Be a skilled communicator with a wide range of people, including at high levels (and being seen as peer) of civic leadership in the region;
• Advocate for community issues and interests through dedicated programming and support of local initiatives, reinforcing the station's role as a community pillar;
• Foster partnerships with local businesses and non-profits, exploring opportunities for joint projects that benefit the community and enhance the station's impact.

Change Management:

As we continue to move through the revolution in media consumption and seek to maintain our position as an essential local institution, we are looking for a leader who demonstrates a high level of skill in managing the change process, including:

• Understands the impact of culture on change efforts and is able to successfully navigate cultural as well as process change;
• Highly developed skill at prioritizing, and accomplished at sequencing change;
• Is personally creative and able to act on that creativity.
• Is open-minded and a good learner;
• Has a focus on innovative models and conquering challenges;
• Sees possibilities even in the face of severe difficulties;
• Is an out-of-the-box thinker.

Fundraising:

KUNM seeks an effective manager who is experienced in and comfortable with direct involvement in fundraising and resource development, and who:

• Understands the process of donor development;
• Has a demonstrated record of success with major donor fundraising;
• Is effective as a mission spokesperson and at relationship management aspects of fundraising, both individual and institutional;
• Has a comprehensive understanding of public media fundraising strategies and methods;
• Is creative and capable of conceiving and developing alternative revenue streams.

Collaboration:

Continue to build on KUNM’s strength, focus on and leadership in collaboration as a central strength and strategy, both internally and externally. We will consider candidates with clear evidence of:

• Strong emotional intelligence and communication skills, capable of addressing conflicts with empathy and fairness, while ensuring all parties feel heard and valued;
• A proven track record of building consensus among diverse groups, leveraging negotiation and problem-solving skills to align team and organizational objectives;
• Experienced in change management, adept at leading organizational transitions with strategic planning, clear communication, and stakeholder engagement;
• An ability to lead by example in promoting a collaborative work environment, where diverse opinions are valued and integrated into decision-making processes;
• Implementing systems and tools that enhance team collaboration and project management, ensuring efficient workflow and alignment on shared goals;
• A capacity to discern strengths and weaknesses of potential and current partners;
• Being able to identify and accept responsibility for missteps, and equally quick to credit others for contributions and success.

Financial Acumen:

Our next General Manager will be an experienced, competent financial manager with the ability to provide direction to staff and keep stakeholders informed. Critical financial skills include:

• Understands basic concepts of financial management and nonprofit financial reporting;
• Ability to recognize and report key performance indicators to the University and staff;
• Ability to develop, administer, and comply with a budget;
• Ability to manage cash flow in a complex environment;
• Ability to anticipate and plan for needed investments in facilities and technology;
• Provides context for decisions based on KUNM’s current financial position and outcomes of past actions.

To Apply:

KUNM is being assisted in this search by Livingston Associates. For consideration, please submit a resume and a letter of introduction that describes how you will be the ideal person to lead the organization.

Date for full consideration: January 17th, 2025

Inquiries are welcome with Livingston Associates at (509) 355-1974.

Equal Employment and Nondiscrimination
KUNM and The University of New Mexico are committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. They are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.
The full policy can be found here.

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