Job Description
Job Description
Assignment Manager
Local 3 WRCB, Chattanooga’s NBC affiliate, is seeking an Assignment Manager with sharp editorial instincts, a drive for breaking news, and a passion for serving our local community. In this pivotal role, you’ll shape the pulse of our newsroom by helping us deliver stories that matter most to Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley.
The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced news environment, stays organized under pressure, and remains focused on what’s relevant to viewers. You bring urgency, creativity, and an eye for accuracy, ensuring our reporting is timely, impactful, and balanced. You’ll build strong community connections while working closely with reporters, producers, photographers, and our digital team to make sure we capture the stories shaping Chattanooga and the surrounding counties.
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate daily newsgathering logistics and content creation for on-air, digital, and social platforms.
- Keep the assignment calendar updated and clearly communicate upcoming events to the newsroom.
- Continuously monitor for breaking news, develop and verify stories, and direct newsroom resources where they are needed most.
- Build lasting relationships with local newsmakers, public information officers, community leaders, and sources across the Tennessee Valley.
- Work collaboratively with producers and digital editors to deliver fast, accurate, and engaging content.
- Lead planning around major community events and long-term projects.
- Collaborate with NBC News, NBC affiliates in Tennessee, and local media partners to extend content reach.
- Maintain detailed files on stories, sources, and ongoing research.
- Stay current on audience trends and industry best practices.
- Support weekend coverage planning and step in as needed to keep the newsroom running smoothly.
- Take on other tasks as assigned by the Assistant News Director or News Director.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- At least 2 years of journalism experience, including work on a local news assignment desk, is preferred.
- Strong news judgment and the ability to react quickly, especially during breaking news.
- Solid understanding of digital and broadcast news workflows.
- Excellent communication and leadership skills, with an ability to mentor and collaborate across teams.
- Proficiency with newsroom management systems and digital tools for tracking news and trends.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to juggle multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
- Excellent writing, editing, and editorial instincts.
- Familiarity with Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley is preferred.
At Local 3 WRCB, we believe in cultivating an engaging, inclusive newsroom where every voice reflects the community we serve. We’re committed to multiplatform journalism. If you want to make a difference in the conversations that drive Chattanooga every day, we want to hear from you.
Local 3 WRCB is an equal opportunity employer.
Email your resume and Local 3’s online application to Elise Collins, Head of Talent Acquisition, ecollins@sarkestarzian.com. No phone calls, please.
ABOUT LOCAL 3
Local 3 is one of two television stations owned by Sarkes Tarzian, Inc., an independent, family-oriented broadcaster with a dedication to local news and information. Local 3 tells stories with compassion and concern for our community and the people who live in it.
Local 3 is located just a few miles from the banks of the Tennessee River, the focal point of Downtown Chattanooga, a destination city and the centerpiece to a highly competitive mid-size television market. Chattanooga is known as “The Scenic City” for its breathtaking views of the Tennessee Valley from the surrounding Signal and Lookout Mountains.
Chattanooga is known for the fastest internet in the country, a walkable downtown, and a plethora of outdoor activities, live music, local cuisine, and family-friendly activities like the Tennessee Aquarium.
Just two hours from Atlanta, Nashville, and Birmingham, there is always a road trip to be had, though you likely will not need it with so much to do here at home.
Local 3 is the Tennessee Valley’s proud weather leader, investing in the market’s first mobile weather center. With the largest news and weather staff in the market, Local 3 continues to invest in local resources to serve local viewers.