We’re Hiring!
To all applicants:
Thanks for your interest in a position with Radio Laurier, the newest department of Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications (WLUSP) and WLU’s official campus radio station.
It is an exciting time for Radio Laurier, as the recent move under the WLUSP umbrella has opened the door on opportunities like advertising, sponsorship and event management that were not possible for the station previously. We are extremely excited about a vision for the station that will see professionalized 24-hour-a-day broadcasting and a vastly increased presence in the campus community through a number of concerts and events.
Of course, such an ambitious agenda cannot be carried out without a dedicated, talented and passionate staff, and we’re very pleased that you’ve shown interest in becoming part of that crew. Successful applicants will be those who show a great deal of enthusiasm for the role(s) for which they apply, and contribute a strong vision for what Radio Laurier should become.
There will be a lot of work involved in the station, but I truly believe campus radio is one of the most rewarding opportunities offered here at Laurier, both personally and professionally. Many alumni of the station have gone on to exciting careers in both the music and journalism industries.
As you complete your application, I would encourage you to keep your options open at this point. If you are interested in more than one position, apply for them all. Completed applications can be dropped off in the WLUSP office (in the basement of Mac House). In the meantime, if you have any questions at all, I’d be more than happy to hear from you.
Best of luck,
Carla Bowes
Station Manager
Radio Laurier
Email: carla.bowes@wlusp.com
Phone: 519-884-0710, ext. 3564
Please note that these job descriptions are merely a guideline for how we expect the station to run. Inevitably, over the next couple of years, these roles will develop and change organically to fit the needs of Radio Laurier. While these job descriptions are intended to help passionate people determine the avenues in which they can affect the greatest positive impact at the station, they are not intended to be limiting in any way. For Radio Laurier to develop into the type of station we all want to see, it will require passionate volunteers that occasionally step out of their prescribed roles for the betterment of the station as a whole.
Upper Management Team
Station Manager
Applications Due February 12, interviews to follow after reading week.
Reports to: WLUSP President
The Station Manager is ultimately responsible for all the content of Radio Laurier. They will be the face of the station within the WLU and greater K-W communities, and have a hand in every aspect of the station’s functioning – from hiring to programming to advertising, and everything in between. They must be a person with a grand vision for Radio Laurier, and the passion and work ethic to implement that vision, as well as the leadership qualities to hire, train, and inspire a staff of volunteers. They will also act as the primary mentor to the Program Manager, ensuring that they fulfill all their duties adequately.
Organizing training sessions and materials will be one of their major undertakings; they will be responsible for contacting industry professionals to speak with the station’s volunteers and to organize professional development opportunities, such as NCRA conferences. Any large-scale initiatives to spread the popularity of the station will go through the Station Manager. In the short term, this could include – but not necessarily be limited to – exploring opportunities with Laurier Athletics about doing live broadcasts of varsity sports, and negotiating increased on-campus broadcast rights (Wilf’s, Terrace, Quad, 24-Hour Lounge, Hall of Fame, Concourse, Turret, etc.) with Student Union and administrative personnel.
The Station Manager will be expected to handle a number of administrative tasks as delegated by the WLUSP President, including overseeing the creation of and adherence to a budget; generally ensuring the station operates in a fiscally responsible manner, generating revenues and growing the station’s audience; the implementation of broadcasting ethics and standards at Radio Laurier; and ensuring that the station abides by legal regulations and SOCAN rules as they pertain to Internet-based radio. The Station Manager will function as Radio Laurier’s primary contact person with the NCRA.
Lastly, in conjunction with the Online Manager, the Station Manager will be expected to chart a course for radiolaurier.com with regards to blogging, managing who contributes to blogs and editing the content that appears therein (or else delegating this responsibility to a capable senior staffer).
Program Manager
Applications Due February 26, interviews to follow after reading week.
Reports to: Station Manager
The Program Manager will be responsible for upholding high standards of quality and integrity for everything broadcast on radiolaurier.com. Among their primary responsibilities will be mapping out a program schedule that conforms to the station’s mandate, taking into account considerations such as peak listening hours, niche programming, and continuity. They will also be expected to revisit this program schedule periodically to ensure it does not stagnate and to offer suggestions for improvements when certain programs are not working as initially hoped.
The Program Manager will have a large hand in the hiring and training of the Management Team (particularly the Music, Spoken Word and Production Managers, as well as the Lead Technician), DJs, and show producers. Throughout the year, they will be expected to periodically evaluate volunteers and shows in small group settings, providing feedback and suggestions for improvement. The Program Manager is also responsible for ensuring that ads are played when they’re supposed to be, and that all shows follow a consistent structure.
While the brunt of the Program Manager’s time will be spent ensuring the smooth running of the station’s bread and butter content, they will also be expected to determine which syndicated content is best for Radio Laurier’s audience and ensure that it’s ready for broadcast; to develop podcasts in conjunction with the Online Manager; and to investigate opportunities for program sharing with other Canadian campus stations, with a priority on working with Sound FM at UW to give Radio Laurier a part-time presence on the FM dial.
Lastly, the Program Manager will work with the Online Manager to ensure proper archiving of shows, and with the Outreach & Branding Manager to organize special themed weekends and other programming-related promotions.
Management team
Event Manager
Applications Due March 5, interviews to follow.
Reports to: Station and Program Managers
The Event Manager will be Radio Laurier’s point person on events that are not directly related to the station’s broadcasting. They will oversee a ’street team’ that will be tasked with the organization and promotion of these events. They will post events on radiolaurier.com, Facebook, Twitter and all new media. This position will work closely with the Ad liaison in marketing events around campus (via posters, advertisements in The Cord/ Blueprint, etc.). They will also continually strive to grow the station’s online following through social media.
The events will primarily include the “Radio Laurier Presents…” concert series, a monthly live show hosted in conjunction with local venues. This includes booking a band for the “Radio Laurier Presents…” concert series, research and select artists for each month in advance and to promote the events using the music coordinator as a resource. This Manager should also look at things like autograph-signings, acoustic performances in the Concourse, and meet and greets for the artists being brought in for the “RL Presents…” series and for other shows in K-W.
In order to effectively do so, it will be important for the Event Manager to establish strong relationships with key venues both on campus (Wilf’s and Turret) and off (Fed Hall and the Bomber at UW, Chainsaw, Starlight, Jane Bond, Elements, Maxwell’s Music House, etc.). Given the strong ties they will have forged, this individual may be called upon by the Station Manager to aid in things like setting up artist interviews. As the station grows and becomes more financially stable, they will be expected to look into sponsoring larger-scale concerts with bigger venues such as Starlight.
The Event Manager will also be responsible for coordinating a fundraiser with the help of all Radio Laurier Management.
Online Manager
Applications Due March 5, interviews to follow.
Reports to: Station and Program Managers
The Online Manager is responsible for updating the homepage daily with station news; it is imperative that the website be a hub of information about the events and other important goings-on at the station. They will develop show and host profiles to brand some of the station’s high profile personalities. In addition, the Online Manager will be expected to develop and maintain a system of blogs for the website, with the help of the Station Manager. They are expected to edit the blogs as needed as well as track volunteer positing for frequency and quality. When working on radiolaurier.com, the Online Manager will be expected to work in conjunction with the WLUSP Web Manager whenever structural and design changes to the site are required.
The Online Manager will be responsible for ensuring that the website is constantly up-to-date in terms of its programs. They will be expected to solicit podcasts from the Program Manager and Management Team, which will be featured prominently on the website, and will also be expected to ensure that shows are properly archived via the archiving liaison. Working with the Station Manager, they should also look into and implement a method of making the station’s various shows available for downloads on iTunes.
Volunteer Manager
Applications Due March 5, interviews to follow.
Reports to: Station and Program Managers
The Volunteer Manager is responsible organizing and running general meetings and training sessions, monitoring the meetings taking place between management and general volunteers as well as being in full communications with our Public Relations Department.
The Volunteer Manager will serve as a resource to everyone within Radio Laurier in regards to distributing information, organizing further training sessions and seeking out resources for additional assistance. Throughout the year, they will be responsible for the organization and promotion of staff socials; the preparation of business cards for all management staff; the organization of human resource portfolios; and for aiding staff in creating portfolios of their work to take forth with them as they pursue jobs in the industry.
Production Manager
Applications Due March 5, interviews to follow.
Reports to: Station and Program Managers; WLUSP GM: Advertising
The Production Manager is a position that requires someone with a balanced skill set that includes creativity and proficiency in both the station’s physical equipment and editing software. In essence, the Production Manager will be responsible for overseeing the production of all the station’s pre-recorded content – from advertisements, to show IDs and PSAs, to news reports and podcasts.
Obviously, such a workload is too much for one person. The Production Manager will manage a staff of production assistants to complete these tasks. They will be expected to train this staff on the proper use of the board, as well as audio editing software such as cuebase and to remain available to their production assistants for any questions they may have.
The Production Manager is responsible for the content that is being produced. This includes maintaining quality, making available on the ON AIR computer while supervising and managing the production team. The Production Manager is responsible for coordinating with other members of management for relevant content, Set up production schedule for projects, due dates and air dates, Write content idea’s with production assistants as well as produce ads that allow WLUSP to collect.
The ideal candidate will have good communication and scheduling to be able to set production due dates and air dates which will help with the smooth operation of the production process. Communication is the key the keeping things running efficiently and on time.
Advertising & Sponsorship Manager
Applications Due March 5, interviews to follow.
Reports to: Station and Program Managers; WLUSP GM: Advertising
The Advertising and sponsorship manager represents one half of the Managerial team in the Sales Department and is generally responsible for seeking out ad and sponsorship opportunities, monitor and log advertisements on air and on the website, and conducting the business that ensures continuous dynamic growth in the stations Advertising and Sponsorship areas. Advertising and Sponsorship Manager will function as a liaison between the WLUSP Advertising department and the Management Team of Radio Laurier. Though the advertising department of WLUSP will still be in charge of securing ads for the station, the Advertising & Sponsorship Manager will be expected to liaise with the WLUSP Advertising department and the Production Manager to ensure that all advertisements are produced to meet a quality standard sufficient to appease advertisers, and that each advertisement is being played at the correct times during broadcast. In many cases, it is also encouraged that the adversitsing and sponsrship manager begin the communication between WLUSP and potential advertisers and continue a good relationship with advertisers. In addition, they will be expected to set up a system of logging when ads are played so that WLUSP has something to show advertisers to ensure they are able to collect advertising fees.
Beyond simply ensuring the ads that have already been secured are being appropriately handled, the Advertising & Sponsorship Manager will be expected to evaluate further ways to extend the station’s advertising reach. This could look at innovative advertising avenues, such as abbreviated five- or ten-second spot ads (as opposed to the standard 30-second spot) and sponsorship of various programs, news updates, etc. by local businesses. They will also be expected to organize and administer a large-scale survey/feedback campaign to glean more in-depth demographic information for the station for both advertising and programming purposes. One other way they will be expected to evaluate funding opportunities for the station is through the planning of fundraising campaigns; the Advertising & Sponsorship Manager may want to draw on the promotions department for help in this regard.
It is essential that the Advertising and sponsorship manager be in communication with the entire management team to ensure that all ads and sponsors are being handled appropriately. This position requires an individual who is innovative and comfortable with the dynamic worlds of sales and of creative student based radio content.
Technical Director
Applications Due March 5, interviews to follow.
Reports to: Station Manager
Technical director is responsible for ensuring that all the booth levels are properly set, providing training materials to Station Manager for all technical training, assist Station Manager with training the Management Team, DJs, and show producers on how to use the board during live broadcast. Technical director needs to be present for any complex in-studio arrangements such as a live performance from a musical guest, available for any large-scale trouble-shooting and work closely with the Lead Technician to pass on industry knowledge. The technical director is required to attend Management Team meetings and respond to the technical needs and concerns of the station’s other departments.
Technical Manager
Applications Due March 5, interviews to follow.
Reports to: Station and Program Managers
The lead technician is required to continually search out ways for the studio space(s) to be used for optimal efficiency, ensure the extremely expensive assets are soundly protected from damage or misuse and organize Dj’s show for technical support to be available should anything go wrong during the broadcast. The Lead Technician will be responsible for getting new equipment set up in a timely manner and be readily available to aid in sorting out any technical glitches as they arise. You are also required to run and coordinate a capable staff that can be present to set-up, tear down, and otherwise oversee any events put on by Radio Laurier that require sophisticated technical knowledge. Also responsible for remote broadcasting of musical performances, varsity-sporting events, on-campus news events, and live-to-air club nights.
The lead technician is responsible for training volunteers on the zoom, imedia touch, equipment, the PA system and assist the production manager with the training volunteers on editing. Each semester the Technical Manager is also responsible for reviewing maintenance of equipment and bringing any concerns to the Station Managers attention.
Content Manager
Applications Due March 5, interviews to follow.
Reports to: Station and Program Managers
The content manager ensures the on air quality and efficiency of Radio Laurier. As head of the Content Department, the content manager represents all on air hosts as well as the spoken word and music coordinators on the management team. It is the responsibility of the content manager to ensure that all programs begin as scheduled and that all parts of the schedule are up to date and functioning. In addition, the content manager, working with the program manager, is in charge of reviewing the quality of Radio Laurier’s content; providing feedback and guidance to on air volunteers regarding their output. The content manager, as mentioned, works closely with the Music Coordinator and the Spoken word coordinator as well as the Programming Manager. The content manager will also represent the content department and on air hosts in frequent communication with the entire management team. The Content Managers communication with the Morning show producer as well as the WLUSP liaison will also be integral to maintaining high quality throughout the year.
It is the responsibility of the content manager to put in the work and ensure the communication that will confirm that all things function on air at all times. Not only does this entail that attention be paid to the music and talk featured on Radio Laurier, but also the access and playing of PSAs, Ads, Promos, IDs and any other necessarily pre-recorded content. While it is the responsibility of the Music Coordinator and the Spoken Word Coordinator to program playlists of content for nights and weekends, the content manager remains in charge of ensuring this is completed and meets quality standards. Considering the dynamic nature of Radio Laurier, it is essential that the Content Manager be an individual with problem solving skills and a good work ethic, always willing the work towards better programming and efficiency.
