Assistant Editor, Data Journalism

The New York Times Company; Washington; On-site; USD 150,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

The New York Times Company is seeking an experienced assistant editor for the Data Journalism team to lead data reporters and shape analyses across the newsroom. You will guide projects and help elevate data-driven storytelling.

You will report to the Data Editor in New York City, collaborating with desks across the newsroom and maintaining rigorous standards of accuracy and independence.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of data journalism experience.
• Proficiency working with data in Python and/or R, spreadsheets and relational databases.

Responsibilities

• Help to lead the Data Journalism team.
• Directly supervise several data reporters on the team.
• Shepherd, shape and stress‑test the team’s data analyses.
• Consult on data analyses conducted by reporters outside the Data Journalism team.
• Be comfortable working on an unpredictable mix of short, medium and long deadlines.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
• You will report to the Data Editor, who is based in New York City.

Skills

Data journalism

Tools

Python

R

Spreadsheets

Relational databases

Job description

The New York Times Company is an independent journalism company dedicated to seeking the truth and helping people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.

The Data Journalism team is looking for an experienced journalist with editing, management and data analysis skills to serve as an assistant editor. You’ll help to run a group of data journalists who collaborate across the newsroom. You’ll also advise on analyses conducted elsewhere in the newsroom.

You should be obsessed with detail and rigor, display a knack for lifting stories to the next level and care deeply about developing your colleagues’ talents. Collaboration is at the heart of this role; the Data Journalism team works with virtually every other desk in the newsroom. We’ll expect you to deftly navigate these partnerships, which require crisp communication, a problem‑solving attitude and a dash of diplomacy.

This is an in‑office position and includes regular attendance in the office four days a week. We have a preference for candidates who will work in New York City, with a secondary preference for Washington, DC.

Responsibilities

• Help to lead the Data Journalism team
• Directly supervise several data reporters on the team
• Shepherd, shape and stress‑test the team’s data analyses
• Consult on data analyses conducted by reporters outside the Data Journalism team
• Be comfortable working on an unpredictable mix of short, medium and long deadlines
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
• You will report to the Data Editor, who is based in New York City.

Basic Qualifications

• 5+ years of data journalism experience
• Proficiency working with data in Python and/or R, spreadsheets and relational databases

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years of leadership, editing and/or mentorship experience
• Experience leading a data journalism team
• Experience with, and a preference for, working collaboratively on multidisciplinary teams
• Experience data-editing in response to major news cycles
• Comfort with command-line tooling, version control, working with large language models and other key technical skills

REQ-020639

Additional Compensation and Benefits

For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.

For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.

The annual base pay range for this role is between:

$150,000—$175,000 USD

Candidate Use of GenAI Tools

We’re excited to learn more about you and your experience. To keep our hiring process as fair and authentic as possible, we ask that you submit your own work and not use GenAI tools to generate substantive content during the application and interview process.

If you’re an engineering candidate, we’ll let you know what specific GenAI tools you are permitted to use for your technical assessment.

The New York Times Company is committed to being the world’s best source of independent, reliable and quality journalism. To do so, we embrace a diverse workforce that has a broad range of backgrounds and experiences across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of an individual’s sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Know Your Rights Poster is available here.

The New York Times Company will provide reasonable accommodations as required by applicable federal, state, and/or local laws. Individuals seeking an accommodation for the application or interview process should email [e-mail]. Emails sent for unrelated issues, such as following up on an application, will not receive a response.

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