Head of News

We are one of the leading tech-driven media and entertainment companies producing uplifting content in 17 languages for people of all ages. Known for award-winning art and pop culture magazine and TOP DIY channel Crafty Panda we fight the worlds boredom at an unprecedented speed: 160 million site views per month and 62 billion video views per year. Our team comprises over 350 creative individuals from 42 different countries and 2 offices in Vilnius Lithuania.

We are looking for an experienced and ambitious Head of News to lead Bored Pandas News department and take it to its next stage of growth. You will take ownership of an established international News department and a talented team of editors and content creators. Your role will be to build on what already works identify new opportunities experiment with content and processes and ultimately grow the departments reach and performance. This is a role for someone who combines strong editorial judgment with business thinking and exceptional people leadership. You should be comfortable making decisions based on data challenging existing ways of working developing people and taking responsibility for the results of an entire business unit.

What You Will Do:

• Lead and develop an international News team creating a high-performing collaborative and motivated newsroom culture;

• Manage coach and mentor editors and content creators helping them grow while maintaining high standards and accountability;

• Take ownership of the departments strategy goals KPIs and overall performance;

• Identify new opportunities for traffic and audience growth and turn them into actionable experiments;

• Develop and optimize the News content strategy based on data audience behavior market trends and platform changes;

• Explore and A/B test new content categories formats topics and approaches to discover new growth opportunities;

• Ensure the department remains competitive with the worlds leading publishers and consistently identifies opportunities to cover important and engaging stories quickly;

• Work closely with Social Media Distribution SEO and other teams to maximize the reach and performance of our content;

• Continuously improve the daily workflow by identifying bottlenecks and using AI automation and new tools to increase efficiency quality and speed;

• Take ownership of difficult decisions solve problems proactively and ensure the department continues moving forward.

What We Expect:

• Proven experience leading a newsroom editorial department content business unit or a similar fast-paced team;

• Exceptional people-management and leadership skills with the ability to motivate coach develop and retain talented people;

• A track record of improving team or business performance and delivering measurable results;

• Strong understanding of digital publishing audience growth and content performance;

• Excellent editorial judgment and an understanding of what makes a story relevant timely and engaging;

• Strong knowledge of current affairs entertainment news and emerging trends with the ability to quickly recognize stories angles and topics with strong audience potential;

• Experience finding developing or breaking exclusive stories is a strong advantage;

• Strong analytical skills and a data-driven approach to decision-making;

• Experience developing content strategies running experiments or A/B testing;

• Strong interest in AI automation and emerging technologies with the ability to identify practical ways to improve editorial workflows and efficiency;

• Excellent communication and decision-making skills including the ability to give constructive feedback handle difficult conversations resolve conflicts and hold people accountable;

• Excellent English communication skills both written and verbal.

What we offer:

• Well foster your growth: get encouraged to train your extra skills talents or passion and apply them at work;

• Well cover your health: private health and accident insurance will be at your service after the first 3 months with us;

• Well celebrate your success: bonuses for weddings childbirths referred friends and more;

• Well give you memories: immerse yourself in themed parties team buildings and other events;

• A role with significant ownership and the opportunity to shape the future of the Bored Panda News department;

• The opportunity to lead an established international team and build on a strong foundation rather than starting from scratch;

• Freedom to experiment test new ideas and have a direct impact on the growth of the business;

• A creative ambitious and collaborative work environment.

Compensation: 4729 - 6611 eur/gross performance bonus applicable.