Orange County Business Journal seeks reporter

The Orange County Business Journal is seeking a reporter with excellent journalistic instincts, an understanding of the world of commerce, and the sort of genuine curiosity that will be needed to establish a new beat that will cover innovation as a broad-based driver of the vibrant and diverse economy here.

We’re part of the third-largest group of local business publications in the country, and we’re offering compensation that’s competitive nationally. Our editorial department has grown steadily, and we plan to continue to bolster coverage of the business community of Orange County—the fifth-largest county in the U.S.—as it continues to lead Southern California’s recovery.

The goal is to structure the innovation beat to focus on the atmosphere for startups and innovators in Orange County. That would take in several aspects of business, including:

Startups and innovative enterprises themselves, of course, with an eye on any particular standouts or trends, i.e., some company that has such significant backing, either in terms of total dollars of the power of its backer(s), that it is newsworthy; or trends such as a concentration of startups in some industry or segment.

Other areas to consider:

– The financial infrastructure of startups, including crowdfunding, angel investors, venture capital, private equity and the public markets. The advent of crowdfunding has brought shifts in the hierarchy, and that is playing out here.

– The physical infrastructure of startups, including the various buildings that are intended as incubators, launch pads, etc., as well as others that are being designed as creative-office space in hopes of attracting startups.

– The service infrastructure of startups, ranging from the organizations that provide links to investors to the law firms and accountants that get hired when a company goes public, and all the stuff in between.

– Technology, which allows greater opportunity for startups by reducing costs in many instances.

The reporter hired for the beat will have a chance to refine its scope over time.

Another key part of the job will be collaborating closely and respectfully with colleagues on other beats. The goal is to view innovation in the tech industry and beyond, so the startup beat holds the potential to overlap with every other beat.

Our coverage area includes a vibrant technology sector, with chipmaker Broadcom among the many companies based here. We are home to leading medical device makers Edwards Lifesciences and Beckman Coulter, as well as home to a sector of drug makers that includes the aesthetic and ophthalmological units of Allergan. The finance sector here includes Newport Beach-based Pimco. A roster of top consumer brands are based in Orange County, including Vizio, and the North American operations of Hyundai, Kia, Mazda and Mitsubishi.

Send your resume, relevant clips, and a cover letter to Editor Jerry Sullivan at sullivan@ocbj.com, with INNOVATION RESUME in the subject line.