The Hechinger Report seeks an executive editor

The Hechinger Report is seeking an executive editor to lead our independent, prestigious nonprofit newsroom dedicated to in-depth and innovative coverage of education. We’re seeking a forward-looking leader to run a small nonprofit newsroom, one with a family-friendly workplace, and one that leads the nation in terms of quality education journalism, published on our site and with major local and national partner publications.

Since its inception 13 years ago, The Hechinger Report has helped fill an education journalism gap left by the disintegration of many other news outlets, playing a critical role in helping the public better understand issues and trends. We publish news feature stories, investigations, op-eds and narrative magazine stories, and our partners include The Associated Press, National Public Radio, The New Republic, The New York Times, USA Today, The Washington Post and many other national outlets, as well as local and regional publications such as AL.com, The Boston Globe and The Seattle Times.

As executive editor, you’ll oversee our newsroom, developing ideas for new editorial projects, collaborations and ways to connect with and grow our readership. You’ll work closely with the editor in chief (who leads our fundraising and organization-wide strategy) and development director to promote our work to new audiences, members and funders. You’ll help set editorial strategy, spearhead the recruitment of a diverse and talented workforce, and motivate and inspire staff members and build their skills. You’ll seek out new partnership opportunities and help support our work exploring new platforms for distributing our journalism.

We’re sure that not all candidates will match exactly what we’ve written below. The Hechinger Report understands that good journalists can come from all kinds of backgrounds. If you have skills and experiences that you think would allow you to thrive in this role, apply and tell us what you will bring to the newsroom.

Responsibilities:

Lead our editorial strategy, working closely with editors and writers to develop and plan our coverage
Help our journalists build their skills and develop their careers
Work with our leadership team and business-side colleagues to help set our organizational strategy, ensuring a healthy future
Collaborate with our engagement and production teams, as they seek creative new ways of getting increased exposure for our work
Be a public face of Hechinger, representing us at conferences and in other media outlets
Cultivate an inclusive, supportive work environment, one that values diversity
Supervise the senior editors who lead the editorial staff

Minimum Qualifications:

At least five years in a leadership role at a journalism organization
A track record of success overseeing high-caliber journalism with impeccable integrity, including ambitious projects with multimedia components
Experience managing, motivating and inspiring staff
Excellent editorial judgment and skills, and detailed understanding of different forms of journalism, including investigative reporting and narrative writing
Ability to work effectively and eagerly across departments, promoting a collaborative and inclusive newsroom
An understanding of the importance of the latest audience engagement strategies and methods
Commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
Superior organizational skills and ability to balance many different priorities

Preferred Qualifications: