Design · New York, United States
ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.
ProPublica is seeking a senior editor to expand its Washington Bureau and manage a talented team of five to six D.C.-based investigative reporters assigned to cover politics and the federal government. We’re looking for a news leader with a track record of helping reporters navigate some of the most competitive beats in the country and produce stories that explain how Washington works and to whose benefit. Their work may or may not ultimately be datelined in Washington, but will be rooted in the people, policies and power found there. Some of our previous coverage includes stories about lapses by consumer protection agencies that put countless lives at risk, the subversion of the administrative state, stock dumping by members of Congress, and beneficial relationships among members of the Supreme Court and billionaires.
The ideal candidate for this job has been immersed in covering Washington long enough to know where to look for important stories that haven’t been told and how to develop the sources needed to report them. They’ll be comfortable departing from the pack and unafraid to compete against it. They’ll know how to help reporters manage public records requests, sensitive interviews and the mountains of material that come from months long investigations. They’ll have experience with different kinds of storytelling and a knack for honing and elevating copy. They will understand and embrace ProPublica’s accountability mission, and they will be dedicated to helping our reporters grow and develop.
We’re looking for an experienced editor with sound news judgment who is equally comfortable and adept at weighing in on what’s working, or not, in a long-form narrative as in a complicated, multipart investigation.
This position involves juggling a variety of high-level projects, weighing in on story selection and direction, guiding the reporting and writing process and handling big-picture editing and line editing, as well as working with staffers from other ProPublica teams, such as data, research, video and audience.
The Washington editor will report to a managing editor.
What you would be doing:
We’re looking for someone who has:
The expected salary range for this position is $185,000-$210,000.
This is a good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position. The final salary figure will take into account a person’s experience, accomplishment and location. ProPublica is committed to paying its staff equitably, and these ranges should not be considered career salary limits or caps.
The role is full time, includes benefits and is based in our Washington office. Read more about ProPublica’s benefits.
What you should send us:
The most important part by far is your past work. We’d like to see examples of projects that show how you work. Specifically:
Finalists for this position will be given an editing test.
We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, but we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our site.
Questions? Send them to talent@propublica.org or talent acquisition manager, Sarah Feiser at sarah.feiser@propublica.org. No phone calls, please.
We know there are great candidates who may not fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.
We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. (Here is a breakdown of our staff.) We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. And we are taking steps to meet that commitment. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other status protected under applicable law.