Director, Media Research

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Media Research based in Canada.

We are seeking an experienced media research leader with a strong journalism background to oversee the quality, accuracy, and strategic development of a comprehensive media database. In this leadership role, you will help communications professionals connect with the right journalists, editors, producers, creators, and publications through reliable, actionable media intelligence. You will lead and develop a research team, establish rigorous data quality standards, and build scalable processes that keep pace with a rapidly evolving media landscape. Combining editorial expertise with data-driven decision-making, you will identify emerging media trends and improve how journalist information is researched, categorized, and maintained. You will also champion AI-powered research automation while ensuring expert human oversight remains central to quality and trust. Working closely with product, customer success, sales enablement, marketing, and executive leadership, you will shape a research operation that delivers measurable value to clients and strengthens relationships across the media community.

Accountabilities

• Lead and develop the research team: Recruit, train, mentor, and manage research professionals, establishing clear goals, workflows, performance expectations, and quality standards.

• Own media database quality: Ensure the accuracy, completeness, relevance, and freshness of journalist and publication records, including contact information, professional roles, editorial beats, and pitching preferences.

• Establish research standards: Develop and maintain consistent research methodologies, verification procedures, quality controls, and update cycles to ensure reliable data.

• Monitor changes across the media landscape: Respond proactively to newsroom developments, including journalist career moves, layoffs, publication closures, mergers, launches, and organizational changes.

• Develop media categorization frameworks: Build and maintain structured classification systems for editorial beats, topics, industries, publication types, geographic coverage, and audience segments.

• Expand coverage of emerging media: Identify new editorial areas and formats, including newsletters, podcasts, independent creators, and other evolving channels, and determine how they should be represented in the database.

• Enrich journalist profiles: Incorporate actionable outreach intelligence, including preferred contact methods, deadlines, content interests, and pitching guidelines, to help clients communicate more effectively.

• Measure and improve data quality: Define, monitor, and report on key performance indicators such as email bounce rates, record accuracy, update frequency, and coverage gaps.

• Advance AI-enabled research: Partner with product development teams to introduce AI-powered tools and automated workflows that increase research efficiency while maintaining human oversight, verification, and accountability.

• Address client needs and data gaps: Collaborate with customer success and sales enablement teams to resolve data issues, investigate coverage gaps, and prioritize improvements based on client feedback.

• Support client education: Work with marketing teams to develop pitching guides, webinars, and practical resources that help clients understand media outreach best practices.

• Manage journalist data requests: Oversee requests to update, correct, or remove personal information and ensure research practices comply with applicable privacy and anti-spam regulations, including GDPR and CASL.

• Collaborate across the organization: Partner with product and executive leadership to align research priorities with business objectives, improve operational effectiveness, and support the continued evolution of media intelligence solutions.

Requirements:

• Journalism experience: At least seven years of professional experience in journalism, such as reporting, editing, producing, or assignment editing.

• Leadership experience: At least three years of experience leading or managing a team, including developing talent, setting priorities, and establishing effective operational processes.

• In-depth newsroom knowledge: Strong understanding of newsroom structures, editorial workflows, journalist beats, deadlines, publication practices, and how journalists evaluate incoming pitches.

• Media outreach expertise: A clear understanding of what makes pitches relevant and compelling, what journalists value in professional outreach, and which practices can undermine effective media relationships.

• Research and verification skills: Exceptional ability to research, validate, organize, and maintain information with a strong commitment to accuracy, consistency, and detail.

• Database and systems thinking: Comfort working with databases and structured information, with the ability to design repeatable processes and improve data quality at scale.

• AI and automation proficiency: Hands‑on familiarity with AI tools, including large language models and workflow automation platforms, alongside an interest in using technology to streamline research activities.

• Data-driven decision‑making: Ability to define meaningful metrics, interpret performance data, identify quality issues, and use evidence to guide operational improvements.

• Communication skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal stakeholders and communicate clearly with clients.

• Organization and initiative: A proactive, curious, and highly organized approach, with the ability to build processes from the ground up, manage competing priorities, and work independently.

• Cross‑functional collaboration: Ability to work effectively with product development, customer success, sales enablement, marketing, and senior leadership to deliver shared objectives.

• Additional industry experience: Experience in media research, media intelligence, public relations technology, or the newswire industry is an asset.

• Professional network: An established network within the journalism community is considered an advantage.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation: Annual salary range of CAD $120,000–$150,000, depending on experience, skills, and internal equity.

• Remote work: Fully remote working environment.

• Health coverage: Health, dental, and vision benefits.

• Retirement savings: RRSP matching.

• Financial protection: Life insurance.

• Employee support: Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

• Paid time off: Paid vacation, personal days, and sick days.

• Holiday break: A week off between Christmas and New Year's.

• Meeting-free Fridays: No internal meetings scheduled on Fridays.

• Career development: Opportunities for professional growth and career progression.

• Collaborative environment: A supportive culture with tools and resources that encourage teamwork, communication, and shared success.