Assistant Foreign Editor

The Sun; Greater London; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Discounted gym memberships

Bikes for Work

Up to 60% Harper Collins discount

Pension scheme

Job summary

The Sun Online is seeking a first-class Assistant Foreign Editor to join Fleet Street’s dynamic digital news operation in London. You will work in the senior Foreign News team on agenda-setting scoops, exclusives, long-form features, and breaking international coverage.

Day-to-day duties include managing editors and reporters, optimizing stories for social and homepage platforms, and commissioning video-led content while ensuring accuracy and IPSO compliance.

Qualifications

• Experience working at a senior level on the news desk or a foreign news department within a fast-paced newsroom is essential.
• Proven ability to run multiple reporters simultaneously and work calmly under pressure.
• Solid contacts with agencies and freelancers both internationally and in the UK.
• Ability to identify exclusives and original feature ideas independently.
• Strong understanding of SEO, social audiences and reader recirculation within The Sun.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Foreign Editor to manage a team of editors and reporters for 24/7 world coverage.
• Work with social/homepage teams to optimise stories for each platform.
• Edit and commission exclusive stories for Sun Club and other departments.
• Turn around stories quickly while mindful of IPSO and legal issues.
• Develop video-led stories and commissions for YouTube and platform distribution.
• Train reporters to sharpen copy and maximise use of photos, video, and graphics.
• Collaborate with stringers and partners to secure agenda-setting scoops.

Skills

Senior leadership

Newsroom management

SEO awareness

Story commissioning

Video storytelling

Deadline-driven

Tools

Social platforms

IPSO compliance

Job description

The Sun Online is the biggest mobile news brand in the UK - and still growing - with a talented, diverse team who publish the best coverage of news, sport, TV and showbiz and lifestyle.

Your role: The Sun Online is looking to bring in a first-class Assistant Foreign Editor to join Fleet Street’s most dynamic digital news operation. The role will be based within the senior Foreign News team, working on everything from agenda-setting scoops and exclusives to long-form human interest stories, video-led projects and breaking news coverage of major international events.

Day to day you will:

• Assist the Foreign Editor to manage a team of more than a dozen news editors and reporters to produce world-beating content 24/7 for audiences across the globe

• Work with social and homepage teams to ensure stories are optimised for each platform

• Be ruthless with story selection to build traffic and reach new audiences around the world

• Have a razor-sharp eye for a story - whether it’s spotting a great line buried in wire copy or anticipating how to move on a big breaking news event

• Write sharp, eye-catching headlines that set The Sun apart from our rivals

• Help spot and create new trends so we stay ahead of our rivals

• Help source and produce stories for other departments - you must have a keen eye for lifestyle, tech, consumer and features… not just hard news

• Help turn around stories quickly and accurately, mindful of IPSO and legal issues

• Ability to commission and edit exclusive stories for Sun Club

• Able to think beyond written content and commission stories that work on video - both for YouTube and on platform

• Help train reporters to ensure their copy is sharp and accurate and they are making best use of pictures, video and graphics

• Work with our network of stringers to bring in agenda-setting scoops and exclusives that resonate with millions of readers around the world

• Work closely with our picture, video and graphics desks to tell stories in the most impactful way

What we're looking for from you:

• Experience working at a senior level on the news desk or a foreign news department within a fast-paced newsroom is essential

• Proven experience of running multiple reporters at once and work calmly under pressure

• Solid contacts with agencies and freelancers both internationally and in the UK

• Ability to independently identify exclusives and original feature ideas

• Good understanding of SEO, social audiences and of how to recirculate readers within The Sun and keep them engaged

• Must have flair and an ability to spot the hidden potential in stories

• Be unflappable under pressure and work at a consistently high standard

• Positive attitude and a good team player

• Can demonstrate an understanding of the The Sun brand, across digital, print, video and social

• Flexibility to work shift patterns across 7 days, working in London office

News UK is one of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio and Virgin Radio UK, and we have market-leading local stations across Ireland.Our world-famous brands provide news, analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel, audio and video, events and experiences, our multi-format brands are home to a plurality of opinion, representing the diverse communities we serve. Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose, we exist to promote a fair society, freedom of speech and a little bit of fun. Rethinking continually the business of storytelling, we represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter.

Life at News:

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter most. To ensure these stories resonate with as broad an audience as possible, it is essential that our organisation reflects the diversity of the people we reach. Whether through age, gender, ethnicity, disability, social class or sexuality, we are committed to representing the rich variety of voices that make up our society. And we champion a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive as we continue to innovate and drive long term sustainable growth. This is done through our Diversity Strategy.

At News UK, we take pride in our exceptional employee-led networks that bring together individuals with shared interests and create a vibrant sense of community. We believe our networks play a vital role in fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture at News UK. Groups that we support include the African & Caribbean Network, Parents and Carers, and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out, and the Apprentice Society.

Benefits:

Some of our benefits include:

• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions

• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly in person/ virtual exercise classes

• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme

• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks

• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities

• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling

• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%

• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access

• 30 days holiday, plus bank holidays

• Up to 3 paid volunteering days per year to support causes you care about

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. If you require reasonable adjustments due to a disability or health condition at any stage of your application or interview, please let us know.