Director, Media Research

About the Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Head of Research leads the team responsible for Agility's Media Database, the directory of journalists, editors, producers, creators, and publications our clients rely on to find and reach the right people with the right story. You will own the accuracy, depth, and organization of the database, ensuring every journalist profile is current, categorized by beat, and rich with the insight our clients need to pitch effectively.

As a former journalist, you understand how newsrooms work from the inside: how stories get pitched, assigned, and published, and what makes a journalist open an email or hit delete. You will turn that knowledge into research standards, processes, and data that make our Media Database the most trusted in the industry. You will lead and develop the research team and work collaboratively with Product Development, Customer Success, Sales Enablement, Marketing, and our leadership team to deliver data that helps our clients succeed and strengthens our reputation with the journalist community.

What you’ll do

• Lead, hire, train, and develop the research team, setting clear goals, workflows, and quality expectations.
• Own the accuracy, completeness, and freshness of the Media Database, including contact details, outlets, roles, beats, and pitching preferences.
• Set and enforce research standards, verification methods, and update cycles for journalist and outlet records.
• Track and respond quickly to newsroom changes, including job moves, layoffs, outlet closures, mergers, and new launches.
• Build and maintain a consistent categorization system for news beats, topics, industries, outlet types, geography, and audience.
• Identify emerging beats and media formats, such as newsletters, podcasts, and independent creators, and determine how they are represented in the database.
• Enrich journalist profiles with outreach intelligence: preferred contact methods, deadlines, content interests, and pitching do's and don'ts.
• Define and report on data quality metrics such as bounce rates, record accuracy, update frequency, and coverage gaps.
• Champion an AI-forward research operation, partnering with Product Development to build AI-powered automation tools that scale research capacity while keeping expert human oversight at the center of data quality
• Work with Customer Success and Sales Enablement to resolve data issues and identify coverage gaps based on client needs.
• Collaborate with Marketing on client education, including pitching guides, webinars, and best-practice content.
• Manage journalist requests to update, correct, or remove their information, and ensure data practices comply with privacy and anti-spam legislation such as GDPR and CASL.

What You'll Bring

• 7+ years of experience in journalism as a reporter, editor, producer, or assignment editor.
• 3+ years of experience leading or managing a team.
• A deep understanding of how newsrooms operate, including editorial structures, beats, deadlines, and how journalists evaluate pitches.
• A strong sense of what journalists value in a pitch and what frustrates them, and the ability to turn that insight into practical guidance.
• Hands-on familiarity with AI tools (such as large language models and workflows automation platforms), and an eagerness to use them to automate research tasks 
• Exceptional research and verification skills, with a high standard for accuracy.
• Comfort working with databases and a systems-minded approach to data quality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly to both internal teams and clients.
• You are data driven and use metrics to guide decisions and measure results.
• You're curious, organized, and a self-starter who can build processes from the ground up.
• Experience in media research, media intelligence, PR software, or the newswire industry is an asset.
• An established network within the journalism community is an asset.

Why You'll Love It Here

• Fully remote work environment
• Collaborative culture – and key tools enabling it
• Competitive compensation package
• Health, Dental & Vision benefits
• RRSP matching
• Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Career Development & Progression opportunities
• Paid Vacation, Personal Days and Sick days
• Week off between Christmas and New Years'
• No Internal Meetings Fridays

Compensation for this role is expected to fall within the range of $120,000-$150,000CAD annually. The final offer will reflect each candidate's experience, skills, and internal equity. 
This is for a new position.

AI Usage

We use technology to make hiring smarter, faster, and more personal, never less human. Artificial intelligence (AI) tools help us manage applications efficiently and highlight qualifications that align with each role, allowing our recruiters to focus more on meaningful conversations with candidates.

AI does not make hiring decisions at Agility. Every decision is made by people, our hiring managers and recruitment professionals, who are trained to apply sound judgment and equitable practices at every stage.

We believe technology exists to amplify human insight, not replace it. That belief shapes how we build relationships, tell stories, and grow our teams.