Executive Editor

Lookout Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz (CA)

On-site

USD 80,000 - 120,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Medical, dental, and optical benefits

401(k) with matching

Stock options

Job summary

A local news organization in Santa Cruz seeks an Executive Editor to lead its newsroom and develop innovative news products. The ideal candidate will have substantial leadership experience in journalism, a strong digital focus, and a passion for community engagement. Responsibilities include shaping editorial strategy, managing newsroom culture, and fostering collaboration between editorial and business teams. The position offers competitive salary and comprehensive benefits in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.

Qualifications

Proven leadership experience in news or media organizations.
Strong background in digital journalism and audience-focused analysis.
Excellent editing skills in various storytelling formats.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage the newsroom to foster innovation and collaboration.
Develop and implement editorial vision and strategy.
Engage with the community to reflect their interests in the news.

Skills

Leadership and management experience

Digital journalism

Excellent editorial judgment

Communication skills

Community engagement

Job description

The Executive Editor, working with the Managing Editor as the newsroom leadership team, will shape the next generation of multiple news and information products offered by Lookout Santa Cruz and Lookout more widely, applying and growing the Lookout Local journalism model, making sure we meet both our mission and business performance needs.

At Lookout Local, we’ve figured out a bunch of things well – real and early‑on community engagement, multi‑stream revenue, local advertising and bedrock breaking news‑to‑accountability through the day local journalism. And we appreciate the national recognition of our work from our Pulitzerto our fast‑ramp launch and model‑building in Oregon. But that’s just a beginning in Santa Cruz and in Eugene‑Springfield, and as we plot next communities to serve.

For this position, we’re seeking a spirited, top editor/news product innovator ready to work with great colleagues to take Lookout Santa Cruz specifically and Lookouts overall to next levels of journalism, community service and revenue generation. We understand the fast‑evolving connections in that holy trinity, and believe that harnessing the latest tech/thinking (including mastering local AI application, on which we’ve laid a great foundation already) is fundamental to our future.

At this point, we focus on three key types of products: site, app and newsletter, and this leader, working with both our senior team and newsroom will build on those — and what’s to come.

At our two Lookouts, now approaching 40 strong people in number, we pride ourselves on being both fiercely mission‑driven and fiercely business‑driven, and know that only those local news organizations (like our friends and cohorts in the Knight Growth Challenge Fund, with Texas Tribune now the eighth member after we joined as the seventh) will prosper in the now‑faster changing ways all of us find and consume news. We’re ready for the task, and seek a collaborative, accomplished audience‑ and product‑focused colleague to join us in this adventure.

Ideally, we’d like the candidate to be located and (relocatable) to the Bay Area, if not Santa Cruz itself, able to join us in person at least a couple of days a week. The ideal candidate possesses a good understanding of the differentiation of Lookout’s model and a passion for building atop it, with the well‑demonstrated experience to be successful at a high national quality level. We’re asking a lot – both a history of newsroom leadership excellence and a proven product orientation that matches with the tech of our times.

This is a newly created position, and it encompasses four main initiatives:

Building on the successful, Pulitzer Prize‑winning Lookout Santa Cruz start of four years

Builds on Lookout’s already impactful new product creations – including Neighborhood Newsletters, Briefs, Story Maps, Events integrations and more – proactively assesses, innovates and tests new ways of creating news and information that will serve and delight audiences. Builds upon the Lookout Playbook, applying both audience strategy and judgment that maximizes the best use of now‑emerging technologies. Working with the managing editor, focuses on the next phase of our coverage plans, as we increase staffing, leading to the updating of a 2025‑2026 community news and information plan. In this strategic content and product analysis, and product development, works as a member of Lookout’s overall senior leadership team as well as with its product and revenue teams as well.

Leading, along with colleagues, Lookout’s expansion efforts to other cities

Patterned on Lookout’s highly successful fundraising, planning, hiring and deployment for Lookout Eugene‑Springfield, strategizes next markets.

Serving as a prominent public face, with publisher‑like interaction, in the wider Santa Cruz County community and nationally

Become a familiar face in civic and business circles, a company presence that augments what our correspondents, ad salespeople and community engagement people do. Include creating useful community partnerships, talks to civic groups, moderation of events, 1:1 lunches with elected, business and non‑profit leaders. Works with the managing editor and community and student engagement manager on a scheduled, steady, and strategic stream of Lookout Listens and issue‑oriented forums. Nationally, becomes another key spokesperson for Lookout’s success and expansion strategy.

Leads, with managing editor, next plans for development and training in the newsroom

Creating a development program for journalists, individually, and collectively, setting up a steady cadence of learning/training programs. The executive editor role requires a demonstrated, collegial leader, with substantial newsroom management, well‑tested digital and audience experience, and one who excels in building further on both a set of products and a culture of excellence and collaboration. Working with the managing editor, who will direct the newsroom day to day, the ideal candidate both values Lookout’s early success and offers a vision of its next steps, steps that are both mission‑and business‑building. Deeply using audience analytics, the ideal candidate will proactively assess and recommend initiatives that do both, using emerging digital tools to their optimal points, and work closely with both the newsroom and Lookout’s senior team to advance quickly the work that must be done to push forward Lookout locally and nationally.

Responsibilities

Leadership and Team Management

Lead, along with the managing editor, a growing newsroom of skilled journalists, fostering a culture of excellence, innovation, collaboration and reader service.
Become a key public presence of Lookout in the civic, business and non‑profit communities
Mentor and develop journalistic talent, with programs of learning and training, ensuring high standards of reporting and storytelling.
Engage with the community to understand their needs and interests, ensuring the newsroom’s work reflects and serves the community.
Represent Lookout Santa Cruz at public events and forums, building strong relationships with community members.
Aim to build local media partnerships around content and promotion.

Editorial Direction

Shapes and guides the next generation of editorial vision and strategy for Lookout Santa Cruz, applying Lookout’s overall model and high standards of reporting, editing and presentation.
Reviews current product set and lead adjustments in it with renewed strong focus on audience and analytics, working with managing editor, newsroom team and Lookout’s leadership team. Includes, website, apps, metro, niche and neighborhood newsletters, email alerts, notifications, forums.
Proactively innovates touchstone series for which Lookout can claim – and fulfill coverage – on topics of known audience interest
Puts into effect a story/series planning regimen that maximizes productive work, improves workflow and is of visible use to the Commerce & Community team.
Ensures the production of high‑quality, engaging, and reader‑centric news and information products that drive both mission and business results. Shapes expanded “Info Central” vision of positioning Lookout as a center for many kinds of information as well as news.
Maximizes regional, state and national content partnerships that add depth to Lookout Santa Cruz’s local‑first position.

Digital Expertise

Eagerly apply current digital tools and emerging technologies that grow our impact in news delivery and reader engagement.
Drive innovation in digital storytelling, ensuring content is optimized for various platforms and devices, and reaches diverse audiences, including increasing integration of video and audio storytelling.

Collaboration with Business Side and in Building Lookout Network

Partners, along with the managing editor, with the business team to align editorial and business goals.
Work collaboratively to create products and initiatives that meet the needs of readers and support business objectives.
Drives larger Lookout network expansion through both Santa Cruz and innovations beyond

Editorial Integrity and Standards

Uphold the highest standards of journalistic integrity and ethics.
Ensure all content is accurate, fair, and non‑partisan.

Qualifications

Proven, substantial leadership and management experience in a similar role within a news or media organization.
Strong background in digital journalism and audience/product‑focused analysis and familiarity with current digital tools and platforms.
Excellent editorial judgment, great editing chops from daily to investigative storytelling.
Demonstrated ability to create and sustain a collaborative, high‑performing newsroom culture.
Experience working closely with business teams to align editorial and business strategies.
Passion for Lookout Santa Cruz’s mission and a deep understanding of the local community.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment.

Application Process

Please send your resume and cover letter tojobs@lookoutlocal.com and put Santa Cruz, [Job Title] in the subject line.

What We Offer

Competitive salary and performance‑based incentives.
Full‑time benefits include highly competitive medical, dental, and optical benefits, and 401(k) with matching.
Stock options in our growing company.
An opportunity to make a significant impact on and contribute to the revival of local journalism.
A collaborative and mission‑driven work environment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lookout Santa Cruz is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Seniority level