FT seeks U.S. banking correspondent

The Financial Times has a vacancy on the New York financial services team covering the biggest and most important financial institutions in the world of global finance.

Working with the US banking editor, the banking correspondent will help cover Wall Street’s biggest banks as well as insurers, credit card issuers and other financial services companies that play key roles in the world’s largest economy. This is a very newsy beat. Although the successful correspondent will have opportunities to write Big Reads and longer analyses, Wall Street is one of the most competitive beats in financial journalism so breaking news will be at the core or the position.

The successful applicant will take on the beat at a time of high drama. The leading US banks are bracing for tens of billions of dollars in loan losses as a result of the economic contraction brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The Federal Reserve’s promise of rock-bottom interest rates for the next several years is raising questions about the long-term profitability of lenders. And the growing involvement of technology companies in finance threatens to disintermediate the sector’s traditional powers.

Key duties of the role:

• Cover the largest US banking institutions in partnership with the US banking editor, and the US insurance industry

• Develop sources within Wall Street banks and insurers, and their ecosystems, including lawyers, regulators, consultants

• Work closely with colleagues in London, Asia and other parts of the world where US banks have major operations  

• Break news stories on US banks, insurers and other financial institutions like credit card issuers

• Write Big Reads and other deeply reported pieces

• Participate in FT Live events and Special Reports

• Produce simple charts and identify opportunities to collaborate with visual and data journalism team, and consider presentation of story ideas across mediums

• Engage with our audience through social media

• Weekend shifts are required as part of the team rota

Who we are looking for

The successful candidate will be an energetic reporter with experience of covering busy beats, breaking stories and writing longer features. The ability to work as part of an international team is essential, as is basic competence in financial/corporate reporting. Experience in US financial services is desirable but not required.

To apply, go here.