Associate Director, Audience Development

WHO WE ARE

Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to a fair and just marketplace for all. CR is known for our rigorous testing and trusted ratings on thousands of products and services.  We report extensively on consumer trends and challenges, and survey millions of people in the U.S. each year. We leverage our evidence-based approach to advocate for consumer rights, working with policymakers and companies to find solutions for safer products and fair practices.   

Our mission starts with you. We offer medical benefits that start on your first day as a CR employee that include behavioral health coverage, family planning and a generous 401K match. Learn more about how CR advocates on behalf of our employees.

OVERVIEW

Our Audience Development team operationalizes Consumer Reports’ mission to create a safer, fairer, and more transparent marketplace, ensuring our trusted, independent guidance is highly visible wherever people make decisions—across traditional search, answer engines, newsletters, CR’s app, alerts, and social and emerging platforms. In a time of information overload, misinformation, and peak distrust, this is more important than ever. 

We’re looking for an experienced data detective, diplomat, and leader—the Associate Director, Audience Development will help drive audience strategy,  activating and nurturing discoverability, engagement, and conversion across onsite and offsite channels, organic and paid, working collaboratively, cross-functionally, or independently, as needed.  Reporting to CR’s Executive Managing Editor, you will act as the primary liaison for audience priorities and strategic alignment across CR divisions, spanning product management, marketing, and editorial, among others.

This hybrid position with in-office collaboration (Yonkers and/or NYC) just once per month provides excellent flexibility.  This position is not eligible for sponsorship or relocation assistance.

How You'll Make An Impact

As Associate Director, Audience Development you will create and continually optimize organizational standards that will help CR’s digital presence evolve in parallel with consumer needs and the technical marketplace, helping humans, agents, and everything in between find and rely on our insights at critical conversion and connection moments. 

• Drive  CR’s audience strategy, evolving the integration of our discoverability strategy across all channels and platforms and in collaboration with all relevant divisions,
• Oversee  the Audience Development team, establishing technical, digital, and editorial best practices for excellence in both search results, answer engines, and nascent technologies
• Develop and maintain growth and optimization strategies across owned and distributed surfaces (web, app, Apple News, YouTube, Reddit, TikTok, Newsletters, etc.) in close collaboration with cross-functional teams, namely Marketing and Content
• Advise the Executive Managing Editor on defining and evolving audience KPI frameworks and roadmaps to measure short-term and long-term success
• Translate data into action: Help inform product roadmaps and editorial planning with specific and directional insights
• Establish cross-functional partnerships with Content, Product, Marketing, Analytics, Testing, Leadership, and other relevant teams to align on and elevate distribution, engagement, and optimization
• Advocate for brand visibility in AI ecosystems, ensuring attribution and authority signaling across generative engines
• Build, manage, and mentor an evolving audience team, comprising both full-time staff and project-based freelancers

ABOUT YOU

You’ll Be Highly Rated If:

• You have the experience: 10 years in audience strategy and insights, content strategy, growth strategy for a digital publisher, tech nonprofit, or mission-driven brand.
• You’ve managed teams in highly matrixed environments:6+ years managing and mentoring teams,  as well as cross-functional initiatives.
• You have experience in a non-profit environment. 
• You are proficient with multiple search analytics tools and platforms.
• You have proven success leading or partnering on newsletter programs and platform packaging strategies.
• You have excellent communication skills, bridging editorial with digital, marketing and analytical teams around shared audience goals.
• You've led nascent AI optimization across digital and editorial teams in publishing environments.
• You have proven change management experience with cross-functional teams around audience development KPIs.

You'll Be One of Our Top Picks If:

• You have experience in a nonprofit environment.
• You have experience with a commerce or shopping site.

FAIR PAY AND A JUST WORKPLACE

At Consumer Reports, we are committed to fair, transparent pay and we strive to provide competitive, market-informed compensation.The target salary range for this position is $160K-$180K. It is anticipated that most qualified candidates will fall near the middle of this range. Compensation for the successful candidate will be informed by the candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, competencies, and experience.  We have three locations: Yonkers, NY, Washington, DC and Colchester, CT. We are registered to do business in and can only hire from the following states and federal district: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, DC.

Consumer Reports is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions or lactation), gender identity and expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service or veteran status, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, disability, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.  Consumer Reports will provide you with any reasonable assistance or accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process.