Community & Partnerships Lead, The Christian Science Monitor

Job description

Department: The Christian Science Monitor

SUMMARY

The Christian Science Monitor is a mission-driven international news organization undergoing a period of strategic renewal. Amid a rapidly changing media landscape, we are deepening our commitment to thoughtful, independent journalism while adapting to how audiences discover, engage with, and support news today. This is an opportunity to help a distinctive organization strengthen its relationship with readers and expand its reach through trusted communities and partnerships.

The Community & Partnerships Lead works with the newsroom, as well as audience, product, and promotions teams, to develop and lead strategies that deepen engagement with Monitor journalism and extend its reach through communities and partnerships. As a key hub in newsroom operations, the role builds and activates relationships with the Christian Science field, highly engaged Monitor readers, and aligned communities-translating those relationships into meaningful advocacy, audience growth, and revenue opportunities. The role is also responsible for fostering direct relationships with audiences, identifying opportunities to engage readers more deeply, and translating audience feedback into actionable insights that can inform editorial and product decisions.

This is a hands-on role that blends strategic thinking with direct execution. The Community & Partnerships Lead designs and leads, in collaboration with the User Research team, initiatives such as listening sessions, community programs, and partnerships with aligned organizations, with the goal of building trust, expanding reach, and creating sustainable pathways for audience growth beyond traditional platforms.

The Community & Partnerships Lead approaches this work with curiosity and open-mindedness. The incumbent prizes thoughtful engagement, strong relationships, and a deep respect for the perspectives of readers and communities. They are also comfortable recognizing that, at the Monitor, success is not defined solely by numbers. We are inspired by our founder Mary Baker Eddy's instruction to "injure no man, but to bless all mankind."

MISSION AND CULTURE

The Community & Partnerships Lead is motivated by The Christian Science Monitor's founding mission "to spread undivided the Science that operates unspent." That includes hewing to our five operational guidelines:

Bring a healing, purifying thought to many homes. We counteract cynicism about news and humanity by upholding a higher standard of both.

Get above the fray. Because we're owned by a church, we're free from corporate and political interests.

Cover the day's vital global news. We provide a trustworthy and concise compilation for our thoughtful, busy readers.

Investigate ideals and endeavors, not just events. We keep abreast of the times by recognizing key currents of thought and their impact.

Be clean, family-friendly, and non-sensational. We are "a newspaper for the home."

The Community & Partnerships Lead embraces our newsroom's three culture pillars: We're scrappy. We seek creative solutions. We're hungry and nimble. We experiment and streamline.

We're rigorous. We embrace others challenging our ideas and our writing. We strive for editorial excellence, and we help each other continually improve. We know that feedback is a gift.

We have unwavering fidelity to our mission. We make our founding mission the basis for every decision and initiative.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Community & Partnerships Lead is responsible for working with senior management to develop and lead strategies that deepen relationships with audiences and extend the reach and impact of Monitor journalism through communities and partnerships. The incumbent builds and activates networks of engaged readers-including the Christian Science field and other aligned audiences-while collaborating across the newsroom, audience, product, and promotions teams to translate those relationships into meaningful engagement, advocacy, and growth.

Core responsibilities include: Strengthens and activates relationships with the Christian Science field, developing approaches that enable members to more actively engage with, support, and advocate for the Monitor and its journalism

Builds and deepens relationships with other highly engaged readers and aligned communities, identifying opportunities to translate those relationships into advocacy and support

Designs and leads, in collaboration with the User Research team, community engagement initiatives such as listening sessions, reader forums, and advisory groups that foster trust and ongoing dialogue with audiences - and synthesizes that feedback into actionable recommendations

Identifies and develops partnerships with aligned organizations, institutions (e.g., universities), and communities that expand reach and introduce new audiences to the Monitor, with a focus on sustained audience growth and engagement

Works across the newsroom to connect reporters and editors with audiences in meaningful ways, including facilitating conversations, events, and other forms of direct engagement

Collaborates with the Audience Growth Lead, Strategic Initiatives Lead, and product and promotions teams to ensure community and partnership efforts align with broader growth and engagement priorities

STAFF MANAGEMENT AND JOB CONTACTS

Supervisor: Managing Publisher

Direct Reports: None

Regular Contacts: Works closely with the Editor, Managing Editor, Audience Growth Lead, Strategic Initiatives Lead, and other senior newsroom leaders, as well as product and promotions teams

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education/Experience

Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in journalism, communications, or related field preferred

7-10+ years of experience building and activating communities, networks, or partnerships-such as in journalism, advocacy, organizing, membership-based organizations, or mission-driven institutions preferred

Demonstrated experience mobilizing audiences or stakeholders around a shared purpose-turning interest or affinity into active engagement, participation, or advocacy

Experience working in or with mission-driven organizations, media organizations, or communities with strong values alignment preferred

Knowledge and skills Strong ability to build trust and relationships with a wide range of audiences, including highly engaged and values-driven communities

Demonstrated ability to activate and mobilize communities-turning audience interest into participation, advocacy, and sustained engagement

Demonstrated experience developing and executing community engagement or partnership strategies that drive meaningful outcomes

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to represent the Monitor effectively with external audiences, partners, and community members

Strong instincts for identifying opportunities to connect people to the Monitor's journalism in ways that feel meaningful, authentic, and aligned with its mission and voice

Ability to translate audience feedback and engagement into clear, actionable insights that inform editorial, product, or growth decisions

Ability to design and lead initiatives such as listening sessions, partnerships, or community programs, and to move them from concept to execution

Comfort working across teams and influencing without direct authority

Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously

Persistence, attention to detail, and proactiveness

Thoughtful understanding of how trust, credibility, and long-term relationships are built-and how those relationships can translate into advocacy and growth

Technology Skills Familiarity with tools and platforms used to gather and manage audience feedback (e.g., surveys, forms, community platforms, or CRM systems)

Experience using audience insights and engagement tools to identify patterns, surface themes, and inform decisions

Comfort using communication and engagement tools (e.g., email platforms, virtual event tools, or community forums) to connect with and activate audiences

Ability to organize and synthesize qualitative feedback at scale, and translate it into clear insights for internal teams

Comfort working with collaboration and project management tools (e.g., Google Workspace or similar)

Uses AI tools to support research, synthesis of feedback, and communication workflows, with a willingness to experiment and adapt as tools evolve

Work Environment

Three full days a week in the Boston newsroom strongly preferred.

Engagement with Christian Science

Membership in The Mother Church required, Primary Class instruction highly preferred.

Pay range: $114,112 - $148,346.80 annually

The pay ranges disclosed in our job postings are the compensation ranges the Church reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for a given position at the time of posting.

The offered salary will be determined by factors such as the applicant's relevant education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities; and benchmarking, work location, and internal equity.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.

Worksite address

boston, MA, 02298, US

Who can apply

Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.