Newsroom AI and Automation Developer

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Job Description

Hearst Connecticut Media Group is hiring a Newsroom AI and Automation Developer who is passionate about local news, media technology and reader service. You will help design and build newsroom tools and reader‑facing experiences that use generative AI and automation to make local journalism more useful, personal, and accessible while upholding our high newsroom standards regarding the use of AI. This position is a full‑time, fixed‑term contract ending December 2026.

• Experience in or alongside a newsroom, or in media‑focused tech projects.
• Strong proficiency in Python, with experience building backend services and data workflows.
• Familiarity with AI model integration – customizing or deploying language models for editorial or reader‑facing use cases.
• Understanding of personalization and recommendation systems, such as collaborative or content‑based filtering.
• Ability to design and maintain data pipelines that support algorithmic recommendations and generative tools.
• Working knowledge of databases (SQL/No
  
  SQL) and backend frameworks like FastAPI or Flask.
• Competence with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for light front‑end development.
• Experience with APIs, web scraping or newsroom automation tools (Slack bots, dashboards, etc.).
• Comfortable with Git/Git Hub and agile development practices such as sprint planning and iterative delivery.
• Clear communicator who can explain complex AI concepts to non‑technical colleagues.

• Develop and maintain newsroom AI applications, from backend pipelines to front‑end interfaces.
• Execute a one‑year, newsroom‑impact project with defined milestones.
• Build in an iterative way and incorporate feedback from multiple stakeholders across our network.
• Think big and push for innovation.
• Create work with respect for journalistic ethics, as well as brand and industry standards.
• Stay aware of generative AI advances and how they can affect media companies.
• Train journalists on how to use these tools and educate them on best practices for AI development.

• Highly engaged news products that help grow audience and subscriptions.
• High adoption rates of newsroom AI tools and positive user feedback.
• Reduced manual workload for reporters/editors through automation.
• Documented accuracy checks and transparent AI‑use reporting.
• Smooth daily use of AI pipelines with minimal errors.

• This position is a full‑time, fixed‑term contract ending December 2026.
• This position will have a Monday‑to‑Friday schedule.
• The successful candidate must be based in CT or NY or willing to move to the region, and agree to a hybrid work schedule with a few days a week in the Norwalk, CT office. Management reserves the right to revisit the hybrid workweek arrangement at any point during your employment.

We know there are many great candidates who may not check all of these boxes.

Hearst is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.