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Chief Meteorologist

Job no : 538235

Work type : Staff Full-Time

Location : Main Campus (Gainesville, FL)

Categories : Communications / Public Relations / Marketing, Executive / Director / Management

Department : 23130100 - CJC-WUFT-FM

Classification Title :

Chief Meteorologist

Classification Minimum Requirements :

A bachelor's degree in an appropriate area of specialization and four years of appropriate experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Description :

The College of Journalism and Communications - Division of Media Properties WUFT-TV / FM, home of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN), seeks an innovative, experienced, and driven Chief Meteorologist. This opportunity is a high-profile leadership role serving as the Lead On-Air Scientist and Talent of the weather department for WUFT, WRUF, FPREN and its affiliates across the states of Florida and South Carolina. Headquartered at one of the nation's top research and academic institutions, the University of Florida, this position also impacts future generations of broadcast and multimedia meteorology through UF's "MIT", or "meteorologist in training" program, where students work alongside professional staff learning in the high impact environment that FPREN creates utilizing state of the art facilities and industry standard equipment. WUFT-TV / FM and WRUF-AM / FM / TV operate the nationally recognized "FPREN" or Florida Public Radio Emergency Network, an award-winning forecasting service that drives television, radio, digital, social and mobile content through every public radio and television organization covering the states of Florida and South Carolina. Click to Hear a Message from Our Executive Director

Chief Meteorologist Key Functions and Responsibilities include but are not limited to :

• Serving as a member of the senior leadership team of WUFT, WRUF and FPREN.
• Leadership, coaching and mentoring of the full and part-time staff of meteorologists and content producers that contribute to FPREN's multi-state impact.
• Managing and coordinating FPREN's content services and coverage plans for public safety and emergency alerting events related to hurricanes, tropical storms, and other significant weather events throughout Florida and South Carolina.
• Coordinating and communicating with appropriate local / national government agencies to ensure emergency messaging priorities are being appropriately broadcast and communicated through WUFT, WRUF and FPREN.
• Overseeing the compilation of daily meteorology and public safety-focused products for distribution on television, radio, digital, social and mobile media platforms across two states and multiple markets.
• Providing visionary direction, fostering teamwork, and motivating the team to achieve excellence in severe weather coverage and public safety communication.
• Directing, guiding, and supporting the MIT program (Meteorologists in Training).
• Managing daily operations of the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network (FPREN) and South Carolina Emergency (SCEIN) including budgetary review.
• Orchestrating and providing guidance to FPREN strategic direction on a statewide basis from a content-creation standpoint and coordinating with Florida Public Media (FPM) stations across Florida to ensure FPREN is positioned appropriately and performing to the mission of emergency messaging via Florida's public media.
• Establishing routine contact with Florida Public Media (FPM) and South Carolina ETV / Public Radio personnel and leadership to ensure severe weather and other FPREN or SCEIN content is being deployed appropriately on local market stations including on air, web, and social media based weather-related products and associated platforms.
• Fostering and maintaining crucial strategic relationships with governmental weather and public safety entities on local, state, and national levels. Ensuring effective collaboration with these entities is essential for accurate and timely emergency alerting and to the success of this role.

Normal Work Schedule (Essential Personnel)

The University of Florida offers a competitive salary commensurate with similar positions and includes a full benefits package. Click here Total Reward Benefit Packages to view the university's plans!

About the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications

The University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) and is home to four departments - Advertising, Journalism, Public Relations, and Media Production, Management, and Technology (MPMT). The college provides hands-on learning immersion experiences through broadcast stations WUFT-TV / FM, WRUF-AM / FM / TV, the Innovation News Center, The Agency, Frank Gatherings, the Division of Multimedia Properties, the Summer Media Institute, undergraduate research, various extracurricular groups, and activities, etc.

The College of Journalism and Communications respects and recognizes activities that are consistent with our mission. We are committed to an inclusive environment, preeminent scholarship, cross disciplinary education, superior skills development, and collaboration spanning the science and practice of communication to produce significant societal impact on a local, state, and global scale.

About the College of Journalism's Division of Media Properties

The Division of Media Properties, includes seven broadcast stations, allowing students from throughout the college to gain experience in a competitive broadcast and multimedia environment. More than 200 students work in news, sports, production, management positions, web design, promotions and advertising for the radio and television stations (WUFT-TV / FM, WRUF-AM / FM / TV and FPREN) each semester.

About the City of Gainesville (Click Here)

Expected Salary : $90,000-$110,000

Required Qualifications :

A bachelor's degree in an appropriate area of specialization and four years of appropriate experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred :

Special Instructions to Applicants :

For complete and full consideration your application must be submitted online and include the following required materials :

Please direct questions to search panel chair Rob Harder (rharder@ufl.edu).

Application must be submitted by 11 : 55 p.m. (ET) of the posting end date.

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for these positions, please call (352) 392-4621 or the Florida Relay System at (800) 955-8771 (TDD).

The University of Florida is a public institution and subject to all requirements under Florida Sunshine and Public Records laws. Searches are conducted in accordance with Florida's Sunshine Law.

Health Assessment Required : No

Advertised : 17 Dec 2025 Eastern Standard Time

Applications close : 17 Jan 2026 Eastern Standard Time

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