HPPR seeks Executive Director

High Plains Public Radio is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization into its next 40 years of service to the High Plains region.

Across 39 years of operation HPPR has established itself as a valued civic, cultural, artistic and educational resource serving the High Plains region 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It has also developed as a unique institution that spans the multi-state High Plains region by focusing on the common geographic, economic and social factors that tie the area together across state borders.

Its current operations likewise span the region with studios and staff in both Garden City, KS and Amarillo, TX as well as transmitting stations in 19 locations across four states.  Current programming services include: HPPR Network offering a mix news and information along with classical, jazz and folk music through the week; HPPR Connect providing the best of public radio news, information and discussion programming from NPR, PRI, APM, WNYC, the BBC and other national producers; and hppr.org providing original and curated news of interest to the region as well as regionally focused podcasts and streaming of both HPPR Network and HPPR Connect programming.

In working with HPPR’s board, staff and volunteers, HPPR’s next Executive Director will have many opportunities to take HPPR into a new era of listener service by building its base of financial support, using new technologies to reach larger audiences, and developing valued local programming.

In seeking strong candidates for the position, HPPR is looking for individual with these qualities:

Belief in the value of public media both personally and as vital community service;

A strong track-record and recognized reputation for successfully leading a service-oriented organization, be it private, non-profit or public;

Experience providing strategic leadership to a staff the size of HPPR’s or larger and managing by building a strong, mutually supportive and accountable team of employees and volunteers;

Interest in taking on a new challenge with a new organization in a potentially new field, though one that can benefit from experience and skills from other areas;

Comfortable in a public role and adept at communicating the value and case for support of a service organization;

Adept at building productive networks of community leaders and other individuals of influence and means across a wide geographic region and may already have such a network within the High Plains region or parts of it;

Feels “at home” in the High Plains region and is appreciative of its culture, economy, geography and climate and takes a regional perspective that crosses state and local boundaries.

A full job description can be viewed and downloaded here.

If you know of someone who would be a strong candidate, or are interested in learning more or applying yourself, please contact Wayne Hughes, HPPR Board President, at application@hppr.org.  If applying, please include a letter of application, resume and the names and contact information for at least three references.