Editorial Director

InMaricopa & InBuckeye; Maricopa (AZ); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid holidays

Base rate plus commission pay

Flexible schedule

Paid time off

Training & development

Wellness resources

Job summary

InBuckeye/InMaricopa is seeking an Editorial Director to lead editorial direction and production across both outlets. You will supervise editors, mentor staff, and drive ethical, open reporting that serves the community.

You'll recruit and train reporters, manage relationships with stringers and vendors, oversee content strategies, and ensure timely, accurate storytelling aligned with our core values. This is a senior leadership role demanding strategic vision and hands-on journalism.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership and editorial experience.
• Experience in journalism and content production.
• Ability to train and coach staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead editorial direction for InBuckeye and InMaricopa, overseeing production and strategy.
• Mentor editors and manage editorial relationships with reporters, stringers, designers, and printers.
• Recruit, hire, and train new team members as we grow.
• Develop content strategies and ensure ethical standards and legal compliance in reporting.
• Drive community relations and represent the outlets to stakeholders.

Job description

Benefits:

• Paid holidays


• Base rate plus commission pay


• Flexible schedule


• Paid time off


• Training & development


• Wellness resources

The Editorial Director (ED) is responsible for the editorial direction and production for both companies:

Leadership

ED is member of leadership team and plays critical role in strategic planning and other important organizational decisions. ED supervises – and mentors – InBuckeye and InMaricopa editors and manages Editorial-related relationships, including stringers, designers, printers, et al. Recruiting, hiring, training and coaching new team members will be critical as we grow. The ED also should have an ethical sense of fairness for sources, readers, and the community, and buy into the core values of journalism.

Content creation

ED must understand how to feed the copy-gobbling monster as efficiently as possible and find innovative ways to create content opportunities without adding resources. ED will also contribute directly at times with news reporting/writing, copy editing, photography and/or videography.

Community relations

Be a “face” of InBuckeye/InMaricopa building rapport with stakeholders in a professional and tactful manner, being helpful and supportivewithout being bullied.

Additional expectations include:

• Understand value position and how to fulfill it.


• Brainstorm and recognize good stories.


• Train editors and reporters to find, interview, report and write stories clearly and concisely, so readers are compelled to read them and understand what they mean to them personally.


• Understand the moral and ethical imperative of our constitutionally protected position and place in a functioning democracy and fulfill that responsibility. That means knowing Open Records and Open Meeting laws.


• Understand legalities of libel, invasion of privacy, false light and other landmines you can step into absent that knowledge (plus the evolving law regarding internet publishing).


• Understand the operation needs to come up with stories that meet the obligations of multiple interests (sports, news, schools, features, etc.) and develop systems to get them.


• Have a sense of urgency about getting the story first and a competitive spirit that can be instilled in the editorial staff.


• Know how to make it all fun.


• Look at a story and find the “what does it mean to me?” element – or recognize what is missing and train the editor/reporter how to flesh out this information. Understand fairness to sources, the community and people who find themselves in a news story.


• Collaborate with an editor editing a story rather than simply “fixing” it to his/her liking, which often creates incorrect information and seldom creates better reporters or editors.

Ideal Candidate

What is our culture?

We believe in:

• An informed citizenry.


• Holding ourselves and others accountable.


• The success of deserving businesses.

Our core values are non-negotiable and the easiest way to determine whether a career with InBuckeye/InMaricopa is right for you. They are:

1. Integrity.


2. Accountability.


3. Open, honest, real-time communication.


4. Prosperity for clients, community and company.

Am I a good fit?

Skills and experience are important, for sure; but not as important as character. We can teach you new skills and help you hone existing ones, but we cannot teach personality or character. The primary barometer of your longevity with InBuckeye/InMaricopa is our core values. If they resonate with — even excite — you’re likely a great fit for our team. If they don’t, that’s OK; it’s a lot better to find out a job is not right for you before you even apply than after you’ve been hired.

In addition to having a passion for helping people and living our core values, you are results-oriented, competitive, coachable, cheerful, helpful and not afraid to laugh. You work effectively independently and within a team, are self-motivated and take initiative.

What are the benefits of working at InBuckeye/InMaricopa?

The important, albeit less traditional, benefits include working for the market leader in an environment that provides flexibility, freedom, fun, autonomy and stability. We have supportive ownership and myriad opportunities to learn, grow and advance your career.

The opportunity for an equity position in the company is available to the person who showcases leadership and character commensurate with our core values and contributes to the success and growth of the company.

We also offer the opportunity to earn a competitive salary, bonuses, paid time off, sick time, holiday pay, auto/cell phone allowances and more.

Equal Opportunity

At InMaricopa, we are an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.