Role Profile: Head of Local, Irish Independent

Position Title

Head of Local, Irish Independent

Reports To

Head of News and Executive Editor, Irish Independent

Role Purpose

The Head of Local will lead the transformation and delivery of local journalism across the Irish Independent and regional titles, ensuring a digital-first, audience-driven approach that maximises reach, engagement and subscriber value while maintaining high-quality print output.

This role will oversee the creation of distinctive, relevant and impactful local journalism, delivered through modern digital formats, while ensuring regional print products are efficient, streamlined and aligned to the broader editorial strategy.

Key Responsibilities

1. Editorial Leadership & Strategy

• 
  Define and lead a coherent local journalism strategy across Irish Independent and regional titles

• Continue to shift local coverage to a digital-first model, where print becomes an output of digital workflows.

• Identify priority regions, topics and stories that drive audience growth and engagement.

• Ensure local journalism contributes meaningfully to subscription growth, loyalty and brand trust.

2. Digital Output & Audience Growth

• Oversee daily production of high-impact local content optimised for web, mobile and social.

• Embed audience insight, analytics and commissioning discipline into local coverage decisions.

• Drive growth in key metrics: Audience reach, Engagement (time spent, frequency), Subscriber conversion and retention

• Lead the evolution of formats including live reporting, video, audio and explainers in local coverage.

3. Regional Newsroom Management

• Lead and organise local journalists into flexible, digitally focused structures (e.g. hubs or topic-led teams).

• Manage editors and reporters across regions, ensuring clarity of roles, priorities and performance expectations.

• Foster a high-performance culture focused on output, originality and relevance.

• Lead change across teams, ensuring alignment with new workflows, tools and expectations.

4. Integration with Group Editorial Operation

• Work closely with central desks (news, digital editing, production) to ensure:

• Efficient commissioning and publishing workflows

• Strong cross-title collaboration

• Scalable content sharing across titles

• Align local output with national editorial priorities and major stories.

5. Print Oversight (Regional Titles)

• Oversee the editorial direction of regional print titles, ensuring quality, consistency and relevance to local audiences.

• Support a simplified, efficient print model, with content flowing from digital-first processes.

• Ensure print editions remain a strong revenue and brand touchpoint while reducing complexity and cost.

• Work closely with production leadership to meet deadlines and maintain standards.

6. Efficiency, Innovation & Transformation

• Drive cost-effective local journalism models, including:

• More focused coverage priorities

• Reduced duplication

• Greater use of shared content and centralised resources

• Promote adoption of automation, AI tools and new workflows to improve productivity.

• Continuously review performance and refine structures to deliver better outcomes with fewer resources.

7. Editorial Standards & Trust

• Ensure all local journalism meets the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and integrity.

• Uphold editorial codes and legal compliance across all titles.

• Build and maintain trust with local communities through strong, distinctive reporting.

Experience & Qualifications

• Significant senior editorial leadership experience, ideally across both national and regional journalism

• Proven track record of delivering digital audience growth and newsroom transformation

• Experience managing multi-site or distributed teams

• Strong understanding of subscription models and audience strategy

Key Skills & Behaviours

Leadership

• Ability to lead large-scale change and bring teams through transformation

• Strong decision-making in a fast-paced news environment

Editorial & Strategic Thinking

• Clear editorial judgment with strong news instincts

• Ability to prioritise high-impact journalism over volume

Digital & Audience Focus

• Deep understanding of digital publishing, analytics and audience needs

• Experience developing new storytelling formats

Operational Excellence

• Ability to balance quality, speed and efficiency

• Strong organisational and resource management skills