As Wired enters its fourth decade and completes the merger of its UK and US websites, we are looking for an experienced newsroom leader to shape and execute our coverage across multiple platforms on an increasingly international stage.
Reporting directly to the Global Editorial Director (GED), and aided by capable deputies, you will lead a team of more than 50 of the finest reporters and editors in tech journalism across our San Francisco, New York, and London offices, producing a mixture of timely news, in-depth reporting and analysis, and investigative stories.
In this job there won’t be a lot of hands-on editing. Rather, you’ll be responsible for making sure section editors have clear coverage strategies and are enabling their reporters to do their best possible work, balancing daily news with longer-term reporting. You’ll help devise and coordinate bigger cross-desk stories or projects. You’ll ensure that important news isn’t being missed, editing is tight, framings are sharp, and headlines are on point. You’ll lead hiring, monitor site metrics, and manage the team’s performance.
In addition, you’ll work with the video, podcasts, events, and social media teams to ensure their content is in line with Wired’s strategy and editorial standards, and liaise with the advertising and branded content teams to ensure all advertising deals meet our ethics rules. You won’t oversee longform features or gear reviews, but you’ll work closely with the heads of those teams too.
It goes without saying that this is a job for a highly motivated, highly organized person with both excellent editorial judgment and superb people skills. You should have an unerring nose for news, a razor-sharp sense for what makes a story compelling, a love of big ideas, a wide-ranging curiosity, and an obsession with making everything you touch better. We’re looking for a sensitive, emotionally attuned manager who leads by inspiring people and helping them solve problems but knows when they need a push instead, and who will work on making the newsroom ever more diverse and inclusive for people with varied backgrounds, personalities, and skills.
We prefer to have you based in the main Wired office in San Francisco, but you could work from New York City instead.
Primary responsibilities:
- Collaborate with the GED in shaping Wired’s overall coverage strategy
- Work with the news editor and individual section editors to develop coverage plans and areas of focus for their teams, and ensure those plans are being followed
- Work with the news editor to ensure Wired’s response to news is timely and original
- Work with the special projects editor and collaborate with the features director to ensure consistent coverage across every type of Wired journalism
- Collaborate closely with our social media and audience development team to track audience KPIs, and work with section editors to ensure those targets are being met and opportunities for growth are being identified and exploited
- Work with Wired’s consumer marketing team and other stakeholders to continue building out our subscription offering
- Oversee hiring and talent development for our news operation
- Collaborate with the GED and other editors in formulating strategy and programming for podcasts, video series, newsletters, and events, and with the social media team in exploring new ways of storytelling and promotion of Wired content on social platforms
- As needed as time allows, edit or write breaking news stories to fill immediate coverage gaps
- Represent Wired in the media and at live events
Required skills and qualifications:
- Extensive experience of leading fast-moving digital editorial operations in a competitive environment
- Impeccable editorial judgment on news as well as longer-form reporting, and experience with handling legally sensitive stories
- A demonstrated knack for hiring at all levels, and for developing and nurturing talent
- Strong emotional intelligence and conflict resolution skills
- Exceptional organizational skills, with an ability to efficiently juggle many responsibilities and tasks
- Experience working with distributed teams
- Fluency in newsroom analytics and experience in using them to shape decision-making
Desirable skills and qualifications
- Experience in leading teams across time zones and cultural differences
- Familiarity with a variety of journalism revenue models including subscriptions/membership, advertising, and affiliate revenue
- Experience in covering technology, science, and business
To apply, go here.
