Now hiring: Commentary and engagement director

If you're a regular reader of Star Tribune Opinion, you know our pages serve as a "water cooler" of public opinion for Minnesota. Commentary and letter writers come here to make a case to their neighbors about where our state should go next, sparking debate and discussion that's different from what you'll find in our news sections.

But who exactly is invited to the water cooler? Does everyone know how to find it? Is the discussion as dynamic and diverse as it could be?

On a recent statewide listening tour, our conversations with Minnesotans led us to believe that we can do more to expand the viewpoints highlighted here. We've always believed that an opinion section that brings perspectives from across the political, social and demographic spectrum is more enlightening than one that features only perspectives from "officialdom." Today we're announcing a new effort to expand our ability to do just that.

The Star Tribune is hiring a commentary and engagement director. This new leader will focus on actively soliciting commentary pieces from across Minnesota on issues of the day and will establish a regular corps of writers on topics that matter to our state. The engagement director will help start conversations on broad topics, like our "Where does Minnesota go from here?" series earlier this year, and will regularly write columns that highlight and reflect trends in public conversation about issues that matter most to Minnesotans.

In short, this new leader will strengthen the bridge between the Star Tribune and its diverse audience across the state. You can learn more about this new role in the job description, which we've just posted.

Hiring a commentary and engagement director is one more step toward meeting the Star Tribune's mission to build a better Minnesota by connecting us with the people, ideas and stories that strengthen our communities. We hope it creates a livelier and more productive water cooler for Minnesota, one that helps our state make progress at a dynamic moment in our journey together as Minnesotans.

Steve Grove is CEO and publisher of the Star Tribune, and Scott Gillespie is the editor of the editorial pages.