Editor in Charge, Tibetan Desk

Radio Free Asia; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Radio Free Asia in Washington, DC seeks an Editor in Charge for the Tibetan Desk to lead editorial strategy, staff, and daily output across web, social, and broadcast platforms. This senior role steers coverage, maintains standards, and builds a robust source network in sensitive environments.

The desk operates across time zones with cross-desk collaboration and strategic oversight from the Managing Editor.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in journalism, political science, economics, or a related field; or 10+ years of professional journalism experience in Tibet-focused coverage, with at least 4 years in a senior editorial leadership role.
• Experience managing journalists across multiple locations and time zones, including follow-the-sun or distributed newsroom environments.
• Deep knowledge of Tibet and its neighboring regions, with demonstrated experience leading coverage of major political events.
• Record of producing high-quality journalism, including breaking news, investigations, and long-form reporting, to publication standards.
• Strong editorial judgment and experience making difficult calls on accuracy, sourcing, safety, and standards under deadline pressure.
• Fluency in multi-platform publishing: web, social media, video, shortwave, and audio formats.
• Demonstrated ability to build and develop an editorial team: hiring, mentoring, performance management, and professional development.
• Experience building source networks in sensitive, restricted, or high-surveillance environments is strongly preferred, with existing contacts.
• High familiarity with journalist safety principles and source protection practices.
• Native-level fluency and absolute editorial mastery of written and spoken Tibetan.
• Professional working proficiency in English.

Responsibilities

• Set editorial direction and coverage priorities of the Tibetan desk in alignment with RFA’s mission and executive guidance.
• Lead daily editorial planning, ensuring accurate, impactful journalism for web, social, shortwave, and video platforms.
• Approve high-stakes or sensitive stories before publication in coordination with Standards Editor, Safety Director, and General Counsel as appropriate.
• Maintain RFA editorial standards, sourcing practices, and ethical guidelines at all times.
• Foster original, exclusive, and investigative reporting; encourage experimentation in story formats and multimedia storytelling.
• Build and maintain a robust source network in restrictive or high-surveillance environments.
• Collaborate with the Coverage Editor to identify cross-desk story opportunities and facilitate content sharing.
• Collaborate with the Visual Editor to develop visually driven stories and meet visual quality standards.
• Collaborate with the Audience Engagement Editor on coverage strategy for major stories, aligning editorial planning with audience engagement initiatives.
• Work with the investigative team to develop and publish in-depth investigative journalism.
• Oversee the desk’s full output cycle across both time zones, ensuring editorial continuity through the follow-the-sun model.
• Direct Senior Editors in managing news assignment, development, pre-publication editing, and publishing.
• Maintain clean editorial handoffs between time zones, ensuring publication schedule and quality standards around the clock.
• Leverage data, analytics, and audience insight with the Director of Audience & Research to inform coverage decisions and optimize reach.
• Coordinate with the Senior Producer on A/V and broadcast output to meet editorial and production standards.
• Manage all editorial personnel across locations: hiring, onboarding, performance evaluation, professional development, and scheduling.
• Provide ongoing editorial mentorship and feedback to Senior Editors, reporters, and producers.
• Manage staff travel and reporting assignments; approve operational expenditures with Managing Editor and Finance.
• Partner with HR on recruitment, retention, and workforce planning for the desk.
• Flag potential journalist safety concerns, ensuring staff and source protection are built into editorial decisions.
• Represent the desk in editorial planning meetings, cross-desk initiatives, and institutional projects.
• Liaise with Technical Operations, Production & Assets, and Country Operations on desk equipment, infrastructure, and bureau needs.
• Coordinate with the Country Operations Director on personnel matters and operational issues affecting the editorial team.

Skills

Editorial leadership

Follow-the-sun coordination

Multi-platform publishing

Source network development

Risk and safety judgment

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in journalism or related field

10+ years journalism experience in Tibet-focused coverage

Senior editorial leadership experience

Job description

Job Title: Editor in Charge, Tibetan Desk

Department: Editorial

Reports To: Managing Editor, DC

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Washington, DC

Schedule: Full-Time

Overview

Radio Free Asia (RFA) is a private, nonprofit 501(c)(3) media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with editorial and operational bureaus in Taipei, Bangkok, and Seoul. A congressionally funded grantee of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, RFA operates with full editorial independence.

Our mission is to provide accurate, uncensored news and information to people living in countries where a free press does not exist. We broadcast in nine languages and dialects—including Mandarin, Cantonese, Tibetan, Uyghur, Burmese, Vietnamese, Lao, Khmer, and Korean—reaching audiences across China, North Korea, Vietnam, Burma, Cambodia, Laos and beyond via shortwave, satellite, and the internet.

Job Summary

The Editor in Charge leads the Tibetan news desk end‑to‑end: editorial direction, staff leadership, news operations management, and audience accountability. The role owns the desk’s daily output and long‑term editorial identity, ensuring RFA’s journalism reaches its audience accurately, compellingly, and across all platforms—aligned with RFA’s mission and news standards.

The Editor in Charge is the primary editorial decision‑maker for the language service, directing staff across one or more time zones and coordinating closely with counterpart desks and cross‑desk functions. The scope includes all aspects of news operations and editorial personnel. The role reports to the Managing Editor at the desk’s primary location and is the escalation point for all editorial, news operations, and personnel matters within the service.

Responsibilities

Editorial Leadership

• Set editorial direction and coverage priorities of the Tibetan desk in alignment with RFA’s mission and executive guidance.
• Lead daily editorial planning, ensuring accurate, impactful journalism for web, social, shortwave, and video platforms.
• Approve high‑stakes or sensitive stories before publication in coordination with Standards Editor, Safety Director, and General Counsel as appropriate.
• Maintain RFA editorial standards, sourcing practices, and ethical guidelines at all times.
• Foster original, exclusive, and investigative reporting; encourage experimentation in story formats and multimedia storytelling.
• Build and maintain a robust source network in restrictive or high‑surveillance environments.
• Collaborate with the Coverage Editor to identify cross‑desk story opportunities and facilitate content sharing.
• Collaborate with the Visual Editor to develop visually driven stories and meet visual quality standards.
• Collaborate with the Audience Engagement Editor on coverage strategy for major stories, aligning editorial planning with audience engagement initiatives.
• Work with the investigative team to develop and publish in‑depth investigative journalism.

Operations and Workflow

• Oversee the desk’s full output cycle across both time zones, ensuring editorial continuity through the follow‑the‑sun model.
• Direct Senior Editors in managing news assignment, development, pre‑publication editing, and publishing.
• Maintain clean editorial handoffs between time zones, ensuring publication schedule and quality standards around the clock.
• Leverage data, analytics, and audience insight with the Director of Audience & Research to inform coverage decisions and optimize reach.
• Coordinate with the Senior Producer on A/V and broadcast output to meet editorial and production standards.

Staff Management

• Manage all editorial personnel across locations: hiring, onboarding, performance evaluation, professional development, and scheduling.
• Provide ongoing editorial mentorship and feedback to Senior Editors, reporters, and producers.
• Manage staff travel and reporting assignments; approve operational expenditures with Managing Editor and Finance.
• Partner with HR on recruitment, retention, and workforce planning for the desk.
• Flag potential journalist safety concerns, ensuring staff and source protection are built into editorial decisions.

Cross‑Desk and Institutional

• Represent the desk in editorial planning meetings, cross‑desk initiatives, and institutional projects.
• Liaise with Technical Operations, Production & Assets, and Country Operations on desk equipment, infrastructure, and bureau needs.
• Coordinate with the Country Operations Director on personnel matters and operational issues affecting the editorial team.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in journalism, political science, economics, or a related field; or 10+ years of professional journalism experience in Tibet‑focused coverage, with at least 4 years in a senior editorial leadership role.
• Experience managing journalists across multiple locations and time zones, including follow‑the‑sun or distributed newsroom environments.
• Deep knowledge of Tibet and its neighboring regions, with demonstrated experience leading coverage of major political events.
• Record of producing high‑quality journalism, including breaking news, investigations, and long‑form reporting, to publication standards.
• Strong editorial judgment and experience making difficult calls on accuracy, sourcing, safety, and standards under deadline pressure.
• Fluency in multi‑platform publishing: web, social media, video, shortwave, and audio formats.
• Demonstrated ability to build and develop an editorial team: hiring, mentoring, performance management, and professional development.
• Experience building source networks in sensitive, restricted, or high‑surveillance environments is strongly preferred, with existing contacts.
• High familiarity with journalist safety principles and source protection practices.
• Native‑level fluency and absolute editorial mastery of written and spoken Tibetan.
• Professional working proficiency in English.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience leading a language service, international desk, or multilingual newsroom.
• Experience working at an international broadcaster or public media organization.
• Experience developing and publishing visual or multimedia‑led storytelling.
• Background in investigative or data journalism is highly desirable.
• Experience working with diaspora, exiled, or at‑risk source communities.
• Familiarity with audience development, analytics tools, and digital distribution strategies for contested information markets.

Physical Requirements / Working Conditions

This position is hybrid, with three days in‑office and two days remote weekly. Work is sedentary, performed at a desk using standard office equipment, with occasional lifting up to 15 pounds. Reasonable accommodations will be made for qualified individuals with disabilities.