Program Manager Western States

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.

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.

• 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.

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…