Incoming ORF Director General Initiates Search for 13 New Directors

Clemens Pig, who is set to become the next Director General of Austria's national broadcaster ORF, has started a recruitment process to appoint 13 new directors. On Tuesday, Pig officially announced the openings for these senior roles within the organization, which will be responsible for shaping ORF's strategy and operations from 2027 through 2031.

The newly structured directorate includes positions overseeing 'Programme and Brands,' 'Audience and Platforms,' 'Finance and Administration,' and 'Technology and Innovation.' In addition, there are nine regional director roles open for each of Austria's federal states. This restructuring marks a departure from the broadcaster's current division of responsibilities, which are grouped into Technology, Finance, Programming, and Radio. Notably, Pig intends to retain direct oversight over information and news, which is expected to remain a point of internal discussion.

Pig emphasized a commitment to achieving gender balance in the appointments, explicitly stating that selection would be based on merit rather than political arrangements. The recruitment criteria specify that only candidates with relevant educational backgrounds or at least five years of professional experience closely related to the respective role will be considered. Individuals who have served as politicians within the past four years or who are currently employed by other media companies are not eligible to apply.

Applicants must hold a university degree--preferably in law, economics, or media management--or possess equivalent professional experience. Additional requirements include proven leadership skills, strategic planning abilities, thorough knowledge of the ORF Act, strong analytical capabilities, and high social competence. Candidates will also be expected to demonstrate their commitment to the public service mandate of ORF, adherence to its programming principles such as objectivity, diversity of opinion, respect for human dignity, and compliance with ORF's editorial guidelines.

Alongside their curriculum vitae, candidates are required to submit a detailed proposal outlining their vision for the medium- and long-term development of the directorate they hope to lead. This submission must also include concrete measures for promoting gender equality within ORF.

The selection process will be managed personally by Pig and carried out exclusively according to objective standards. The process is designed to ensure that appointments are based on trustworthiness, integrity, and behavior consistent with the credibility required of a public broadcasting institution. While there has been public discussion about informal political agreements between Austria's major parties regarding the allocation of certain directorates, Pig has reiterated that decisions will be based on transparent and impartial criteria.

Once Pig selects his preferred candidates, he will present the proposed team to the ORF Board of Trustees for formal appointment. The Director General has discretion to decide whether the board votes on each candidate individually or on the entire slate collectively. All board members have the opportunity to question nominees during a session expected to take place at the end of July.

A recent change in the appointment process means that the right of Austrian state governors to be consulted before regional directors are named has been eliminated. This modification was made by the federal government the previous year, streamlining the appointment procedure for regional leadership roles within ORF.