About the organization:

Missoula Community Access Television (“MCAT”) is a community access television station and media resource center located within the Missoula Public Library in Missoula, Montana. Our services are used by residents, nonprofits, artists, and local government entities. We are a part of the All Under One Roof (AUOR) partnership within the Missoula Public Library which includes the Families First Learning Lab, SpectrUM Science Center, UM Living Lab, and KFGM Community Radio Station. We place programming on our two cable television channels as well as our YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram platforms.

Beyond cablecasting and streaming, MCAT plays a leadership role in education and community engagement through our children’s media camps, classes, and events; adult classes; production equipment inventory available for checkout; and enterprise programming created for local government and nonprofits.

About the position:

The Executive Director of MCAT is responsible for strategic leadership, financial sustainability, staff management, and daily operations at our Missoula, MT studio and associated work areas. This position leads community media advocacy, manages production, training, and broadcasting facilities, and ensures regulatory compliance with applicable federal, state, and local policies. This highly visible role involves cultivating donor relations, supervising staff, and empowering community members through community media production and distribution throughout the City of Missoula and Missoula County.

MCAT has served Missoula for 36 years, and has only had two top-level leadership transitions in its history. As the current General Manager prepares to retire, the organization is seeking a new executive director who can manage the transition from an operationalized working board to a governance board with strong leadership from the Executive Director. Our hope is for the new executive director to build the same long tenure and lasting community impact the organization has come to be proud of. The right leader will also be able to increase the production value of programs originated by MCAT staff and professionalism across the six-person team and various part time and contracted positions.

Strategic Leadership

• Lead organizational transformation, audience growth, and innovation.
• Identify and implement new opportunities for growth, impact, and revenue generation.
• Translate strategy into actionable initiatives that align operations, content, and financial performance
• Execute the Board’s Strategic Plan and provide updates on implementation
• Lead strategic resource allocation across core operations and growth priorities.
• Ensure journalistic integrity and uphold public media standards.
• Provide leadership across all audio, visual, and digital media platforms

Financial & Operational Management

• Develop and oversee an ~$600K operating budget and ensure long-term financial health and sustainability.
• Direct long-range financial and operational planning across media infrastructure.
• Navigate funding challenges and evolving cost structures with strong financial acumen.
• Ensure compliance with FCC rules, franchise agreements, and other legal standards.
• Oversee program scheduling, distribution, and training initiatives for community members.
• Oversee the daily operations of TV/YouTube Channels, including onsite production facilities and recording equipment installed in city-county owned meeting rooms , equipment inventory maintenance, and IT/fiber networks.
• Expand audience reach through compelling storytelling and engagement strategies.

Fundraising & Revenue Development

• Partner with board leadership and relevant personnel to build and scale a comprehensive fundraising strategy.
• Personally engage in major gift cultivation, donor relationships, and direct solicitation.
• Drive diversification of revenue streams across membership, underwriting, philanthropy including grants, and other funding sources.
• Build sustainable, growth-oriented funding models.
• Represent the organization, fostering partnerships and promoting diversity in media production, revenue streams, and community connections.
• Develop and manage budgets, secure grants, and cultivate donor relationships to ensure financial health.

Human Resources

• Oversee staff through their creation and distribution of cross-platform content across broadcast, digital, and emerging media and training programs for youth and adults.
• Lead, develop, and align a team of 6 staff and up to 10 part-time or contracted staff across multiple functions
• Provide clear direction to the team within a complex, cross-functional structure
• Foster a culture of professionalism, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Identify needs for new staff given the evolving needs of the organization
• Provide training and supervision to new and existing staff.

Qualifications

• Experience: Proven leadership experience in community media, television production, or nonprofit management. Minimum 5 years relevant experience in media, communications, and marketing with at least 5 years of senior management experience, 7+ years preferred.
• Skills: Strong financial management, staff management, public speaking, and strategic planning skills.
• Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with modern broadcasting, digital media production, and IT infrastructure.
• Education: a bachelor’s degree in communication, broadcasting, public administration, or equivalent experience in a relevant field. Master’s degree preferred.

Key Competencies 

• Relationship-Oriented: Ability to work with and inspire a diverse community, volunteers, and stakeholders.
• Forward-Thinking: Ability to adapt to rapidly changing technology and media landscapes as well as an evolving non-profit that must serve the needs of its top clients and the community at large.
• Mission-Driven: Commitment to the First Amendment right to free speech and expression, and the community’s right to access to media technology and literacy.
• Ideal Candidate: The ideal candidate is a seasoned, mission-driven executive with leadership and fundraising experience in media, nonprofit, or similarly complex organizations. This individual brings a strong balance of strategic vision and operational execution, with the ability to lead multi-functional teams, drive sustainable growth, and navigate change in a dynamic environment. They are an entrepreneurial and collaborative leader who understands the evolving media landscape and is passionate about the role public and community media plays in serving communities. They have proven experience leading an organization, division, or complex function. The ideal candidate possesses an understanding of broadcasting, digital media, streaming, podcasts, and emerging platforms as well as knowledge of public and community media.