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Vice President of Design

Chicago, IL (Hybrid workplace)

About Chicago Public Media

Chicago Public Media is one of the nation’s largest local nonprofit news organizations. Home to WBEZ 91.5FM, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo. Chicago Public Media reaches more than 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to be the most trusted news source Chicagoans turn to for understanding the people, events, and ideas shaping our community.

Chicago Public Media is a 100% community-funded newsroom powered by nearly 97,000 members whose support makes our journalism possible. This sustained community investment helped drive nationally recognized work in 2025, including 29 awards from esteemed organizations, including the Public Media Journalists Association, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the National Association of Black Journalists.

We believe independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and that access to objective, fact-based news is a right for every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse content that informs and enriches our community, supported by a dedicated staff of approximately 250 professionals.

For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report.

 

The Opportunity

Chicago Public Media is seeking a Vice President of Design to lead and shape design across the organization, including WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and CPM’s broader digital ecosystem.

This role is responsible for setting and owning the design vision, standards, and systems that define how audiences experience our journalism, products, and brands across platforms. The VP of Design is the final authority on design direction, quality, and standards across the newsroom and the organization as a whole, working in close partnership with editorial and marketing  leadership.

 

General Responsibilities

Leadership and Strategy

  • Establish and champion a cohesive design vision across WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and CPM products in coordination with Marketing’s brand strategy
  • Ensure design excellence across print, broadcast, web, mobile, and emerging platforms.
  • Serve as the organization’s final decision-maker on design standards, quality, and governance.
  • Represent design at the senior leadership level and contribute to organizational strategy.

Team Leadership

  • Lead, mentor, and develop designers across business teams, including product, marketing, and circulation.
  • Collaborate closely with newsroom design, graphics, and interactive teams to ensure alignment with CPM-wide design standards and vision.
  • Build a collaborative, inclusive design culture aligned with CPM’s mission and values.
  • Provide guidance, critique, and professional development for design talent.

Design Systems and Tools

  • Own CPM’s design system in close collaboration with Marketing, Editorial and other stakeholders.
  • Own the implementation of CPM’s design system across the organization.
  • Ensure consistency, accessibility, and scalability across platforms and products.
  • Drive adoption of design tools and workflows, including deep experience with Figma.

Product, Innovation, and Collaboration

  • Partner closely with product management, engineering, editorial, marketing, and audience teams.
  • Lead design contributions to new product development, from concept through launch and iteration.
  • Embed user-centered thinking and accessibility into all design work.

 

Qualifications

Required

  • Significant design leadership experience in media, journalism, or related fields.
  • Proven experience designing for legacy media, including newspapers or broadcast, as well as modern digital platforms.
  • A strong, demonstrated track record in digital and product design.
  • Experience building, owning, and maintaining design systems.
  • Proficiency with modern design tools, including Figma.
  • Experience working closely with digital product and engineering teams.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills across editorial and business functions.

Preferred

  • Experience in public media or mission-driven journalism organizations.
  • Experience designing and launching new products.

 

Reporting & Collaboration

This role reports to the Chief Product and Membership Officer and works collaboratively across Chicago Public Media, including editorial leadership, product, engineering, marketing, and circulation teams.

 

Compensation

The expected pay range for this position is $160,000 - $200,000  per ANNUM.

Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position.  The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.

 

Working at Chicago Public Media

At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact.  

Our culture is one where collaboration, diversity of ideas, and innovation are encouraged.  We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, divergent experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.

At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for employees at hire and in the years to come.

Our benefits include a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, holidays, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings, and a commuter benefits plan.

Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we actively seek and welcome people from all backgrounds, orientations, and life experiences to join our team.

 

The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and are not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.

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