Journalism jobs have been created at an independent publisher amid a restructure which will see it dispense with regional managing directors.

Iliffe Media has unveiled a new management structure as part of the company’s bid to target digital subscription growth as its “priority”.

Under the new structure, managers will be responsible for developing content, audience, revenue, subscriptions and data, dispensing with the concept of regional MDs overseeing different areas of the business.

A number of new journalism roles have also been unveiled as part of the changes.

As part of the restructure, Iliffe editorial director Ian Carter will see his brief expanded to include recent acquisitions the Newbury Weekly News, Stratford Herald and New Milton Advertiser and Times in addition to his previous responsibilities.

Ricky Allan, previously MD of Iliffe’s Midlands and Suffolk divisions, takes up the new role of chief revenue office overseeing local sales activity across the entire group, while James Gurney, the regional MD who previously oversaw Kent and Newbury, has now left the business.

The reshuffle will also see group development director Richard Parkinson will lead the creation of a specialised data unit to build on the “highly encouraging” growth in digital subscriptions, and will retain his previous responsibilities for marketing, newspaper sales and national advertising revenue.

The data unit will be managed by Paul Fisher, who joined Iliffe from his previous role as head of audience (south) at JPIMedia.

Former MSN.com homepage editor Nic Irwin, who has also worked as news editor on the Press Association’s viral news service Snappa, has joined the company as digital news editor with a focus on developing Iliffe’s Midlands portfolio.

The company has further announced the creation of two new digital reporting roles on its recently launched website SuffolkNews.co.uk, while it is expanding its network of local democracy reporters after winning an additional three contracts in the latest BBC tender.

Suffolk LDR Jason Noble will transfer from Archant to Iliffe as a result.

Chief executive Edward Iliffe, pictured, sais: “We are emerging from the pandemic in a good position to flourish.

“The number of people subscribing to our app, which gives access to all our content in a single product at a single price, is exceeding our initial expectations.

“We will shortly be adding premium websites to our subscription bundle and developing further digital products.

“We are a truly multimedia publisher, and our radio revenues held up very well over the past 15 months. A new world needs a new approach, and that’s what we are taking.”