Editor-in-Chief/Executive Editor

Position description

Documented is dedicated to publishing journalism for and about New York City’s immigrant communities and the policies that affect them. We publish vital, actionable information for asylum seekers and undocumented immigrants living here, as well as hard-hitting and impactful news investigations that have driven policy changes in the city and state. Our original news stories cover the ground-level impact of shifts in labor policy, law-enforcement practices and bureaucratic requirements, the effects of new federal directives as well as Q&As and instructional guides that inform New Yorkers about food, health and financial aid, and legal issues. We have a growing individual donor program and a robust institutional giving program, with support from the Ford Foundation, Emerson Collective, the American Journalism Project, as well as a host of local NYC foundations. Our work has been referenced by The New York Times, The Washington Post, in federal lawsuits, at the New York City Council and many other places.

Deadline: Friday, May 31, 2024

Apply here: https://airtable.com/appX7s4jyJ43jN40G/shrpJn9V2PuPOmFBB

The role:

Documented is searching for an Editor-In-Chief to lead our innovative and award-winning nonprofit newsroom based in New York City, which is dedicated to covering our immigrant communities. We are seeking an experienced editor, who will report to the executive director, to oversee our complex news organization, engaging our readers in four languages and on multiple platforms. The ideal candidate has a working knowledge of engagement journalism practices, daily news coverage and investigative techniques and is excited to combine all three areas in their work. Our newsroom is creative and dynamic and this job will reflect that. At Documented, we value service journalism and community engagement alongside investigative reporting, news scoops and cultural stories the ideal candidate is equally enthusiastic about them all. 

After six years of refining our news coverage, Documented is poised to grow in the coming years. We are seeking a newsroom leader to help guide us and connect our various publications that serve Caribbean, Chinese and Latin American New Yorkers and the influential people who work with them. This position will help determine the next stage in Documented’s trajectory and is an exciting opportunity for a candidate interested in helping shape the nonprofit journalism field. 

Responsibilities 

Oversee Newsroom

• Oversee a newsroom a newsletter writer, a deputy editor, and an audience team. 

• Deliver stories that drive impact on the individual or systematic level.

• Produce stories that are responsive to the needs that are outlined in community research. 

• Oversee the publication of newsworthy stories relevant to the communities we wish to serve.

• Leverage meticulous attention to detail in technical editing and proofreading all content from inception to completion.

• Ensure that our multilingual content is published regularly in four different languages.

• Increase the cadence of story production.

• Broaden the scope of stories that Documented is producing.

Audience Growth

• Grow Documented’s audience in the Spanish-speaking, Chinese and Caribbean immigrant communities in New York.

• Expand Documented’s readership among people in New York who work on issues related to immigration.

• Deepen Documented’s relationships within the communities it serves through an events strategy and messaging platforms.

• Oversee completion of annual audience research to understand the needs of each of Documented’s communities.

Management & Leadership

• Organize and build the editorial team, while ensuring effective workflows.

• Work cooperatively and constructively with strategic and revenue-side leadership within the organization.

• Work with leadership (comprised of operations, finance and fundraising) on refining the current organizational structure.

• Weigh in on culture and operations decisions as a member of the Documented’s leadership team.

• Maintain regular and open communication with all levels of staff and make sure people feel heard and understood.

• Approach management with a duty of care to employees.

Product and Innovation

• Work closely with the Chief Product Officer to ensure that Documented’s industry-leading products are consistently refined based on audience feedback.

• Ensure that community correspondents who work with particular products are listening to and incorporating feedback from the product team.

Qualifications

• 5 years of experience leading a team in a newsroom.

• Demonstrated expertise in creating an editorial agenda based on listening to audience needs.

• Strong editorial judgment, with the ability to rapidly absorb complex ideas and distill them into accessible copy

• Deep understanding of journalistic standards and ethics.

• Experience building and working with diverse teams.

• Strong appreciation for using audience data to drive decisions.

• Competitive but collaborative.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency in Chinese, Spanish, or Haitian Creole preferred.

• Experience working on news products.

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary for this role is between $140,000 and $150,000. The actual base pay offered is dependent upon many factors, such as: transferable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The base pay range is subject to change and may be modified in the future. Medical and dental benefits and four weeks paid time off are provided. This job is a hybrid of in-person at our New York office and at home with one mandatory day in-office on Tuesdays. We highly value lived experiences in the issues we cover as a news organization. 

Application instructions

Please be sure to indicate you saw this position on tendersglobal.net