Audience Editor, Climate and Science

Socket.dev; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

The New York Times Company is seeking an audience editor to join the newsroom Audience team in New York City. You will partner with Climate and Science desks to grow readership, guide framing, and optimize distribution across search, social, homepage, and newsletters.

Expect to track performance data and provide actionable insights to editors. This in-office role requires four days a week in New York, with some flexibility to work remotely per department guidance.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in digital journalism with a track record in audience development.
• Ability to bridge reporting, editing, product, analytics, design, and user research.
• Demonstrated ability to drive work independently in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Inform coverage with audience strategy and framing.
• Maximize distribution through search, social, and homepage coordination.
• Provide daily/weekly/monthly audience performance reports and insights.
• Collaborate with newsroom audience analytics for deep analysis.
• Write social copy and advise on platform strategies.

Skills

Audience development

Cross-functional collaboration

Data-driven storytelling

Independent work

Job description

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help 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.

We are looking for an audience editor to join the newsroom Audience team and partner with our Climate and Science desks to help them continue to reach more readers and deepen our engagement with those readers.

This editor will work with the desk to inform coverage, both day-to-day and long-term, suggesting timely stories as well as evergreen topics, with an eye toward framing. They will help maximize distribution through search strategies and social programming, and by pitching internally to the homepage, newsletters and other alerts. And they will track data for the desk, using analytical skills to provide context and recommendations to the editors.

This is an in-office position, based in New York City and includes regular attendance in the office four days each week. There may be some flexibility to work remotely per your departmental guidance.

Responsibilities:

• Audience strategy & growth: Partner with senior editors to inform coverage decisions, suggesting timely stories, evergreen topics, and longer–term franchises that resonate with reader interest and important news moments, with a keen eye toward framing and formats.
• Identify coverage and format opportunities that will attract new readers, particularly those who may not currently view The New York Times as a regular news source.
• Maximize content distribution through sophisticated search strategies, strategic social programming, and by coordinating publication with the homepage, newsletters, and notifications.
• Identify trending topics and competitive trends, along with coverage and format opportunities that will drive growth and competitive performance with a deep understanding of the off–platform landscape, trends and what's driving conversation.
• Data analysis & reporting:
  • Interpret data and audience signals to strategically shape how we present stories both on and off our platforms.
  • Deliver actionable daily, weekly, and monthly reports.
  • Contribute to regular audience performance updates, including but not limited to morning audience notes, monthly masthead presentations, and quarterly and annual audience reports to company leadership.
  • Partner with the newsroom audience analytics team on deep and actionable analysis.
• Social media & engagement:
  • Write compelling social copy, analyze our presence and strategy on existing platforms, and evaluate opportunities for potentially launching new accounts on social platforms.
  • Work with journalists on best social media practices, including framing pieces for specific audiences and effectively using the Reporter Reply commenting feature.
• Cross-functional collaboration:
  • Liaise with the main search, social, community, home, notifications, and newsletter teams on breaking news and enterprise, coordinating overlapping coverage with Well and other relevant desks.
• 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 a Senior Audience Editor.

Basic Qualifications:

• 5+ years of progressive experience in digital journalism, with a demonstrated track record in audience development.
• Proven skill at bridging specialties, including reporting, editing, product, analytics, design, and user research.
• Demonstrated ability to drive work independently and efficiently in a fast–paced environment.
• Experience communicating and collaborating effectively with diverse stakeholders at all levels.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Deep knowledge of news competitors.
• In–depth knowledge of the search landscape, with the ability to spot trends and identify misinformation.
• Solid understanding of all mainstream and emerging social channels, with a willingness to continuously learn about new platforms.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with knowledge of Times style or the ability to absorb and apply it quickly.
• The ability to write in an engaging, smart tone that feels native to other platforms while remaining consistent with the values of The Times.
• A highly strategic and analytical mind; comfortable with data, A/B testing, and iterating to find what resonates with various audiences.
• A dedication to The Times and its journalistic mission.

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: $120,000 — $135,000 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.