Higher Ed Editor: Investigative & Explanatory (Remote)

MemberSuite, Inc.; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Full‑time position

Teachers College Benefits

403(b) retirement plan

Tuition remission for employees and de

Job summary

The Hechinger Report in New York seeks an experienced editor to oversee its higher education coverage, leading a small team of staff reporters and freelance contributors.

You will assign and edit stories, shape our strategy for higher education, and collaborate with editors, engagement, web and data staff to develop innovative storytelling and partnerships with outlets such as The Washington Post, NPR and the Los Angeles Times.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 7–10 years of journalism experience with 3+ years supervising reporters.
• Experience editing explanatory and features journalism.
• Interest in education beat and ambitious feature ideas.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to motivate colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a team of staff reporters and freelancers, planning and career development.
• Assign and line-edit stories across higher education features and investigations.
• Edit freelance submissions and recruit new contributors.
• Collaborate with partner outlets and internal editors on storytelling ideas.
• Coordinate projects with other editors.
• Travel occasionally for staff gatherings and events.

Skills

Editing

Team leadership

Feature journalism

Education beat

Ambitious story ideas

Interpersonal skills

Audience engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience

Job description

The Hechinger Report , the award-winning news organization focused on innovation and inequality in education, is seeking an experienced editor to oversee our higher education coverage. The editor will lead a small team of staff reporters and many freelance contributors, assigning and editing stories that meet Hechinger’s high bar for in-depth investigative, feature and explanatory journalism.

The editor will help identify story ideas, make assignments, guide reporters and line-edit stories. This position will also be responsible for shaping our strategy for covering higher education, and for working closely with other editors, as well as engagement, web and data staffers, on ideas for new and innovative storytelling techniques and products. The editor will collaborate with our existing partner outlets , such as The Washington Post, NPR and the Los Angeles Times, and help us develop new partnerships.

Hechinger is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Building a diverse and inclusive newsroom is integral to Hechinger’s mission. Just as we seek to elevate diverse perspectives through our journalism, we also strive to ensure that the writers and editors telling those stories come from diverse backgrounds.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee a team of 2-3 staff reporters, helping with story planning, prioritization and career development
• Assign and line-edit stories, including features, analyses and investigations, primarily on higher education; assist with second reads as needed
• Work with freelance reporters to assign and edit their journalism, and assist in recruiting new freelance contributors
• Communicate and collaborate with our partner publications and help develop new collaborations and partnerships
• Conceptualize and coordinate projects with other editors
• Travel a few times a year, to our annual staff gathering and potentially to higher education and/or journalism events; occasionally meet with sources and represent Hechinger at conferences

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent professional experience
• 7 to 10 years of professional experience in journalism, with at least 3 years supervising reporters
• Experience in editing explanatory and features journalism
• Experience and interest in the education beat
• Ability to generate ambitious feature story ideas
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with experience motivating and supporting colleagues
• Familiarity with audience engagement tools and strategies

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in project management and organizational development
• 5 years of editing experience at a news organization
• 5 years on the education beat
• Experience assessing, guiding and editing investigative reporting projects

BENEFITS:

This position will be paid between $100,000 and $107,000 a year. This position also receives Teachers College Full-Time Professional Benefits , which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans, a 403(b) tax-advantaged retirement investment plan, and tuition remission for employees and eligible dependents.

RESTRICTIONS:

The Hechinger Report’s main office is located in New York City. This role may be remote.

Hechinger is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Building a diverse and inclusive newsroom is integral to Hechinger’s mission. Just as we seek to elevate diverse perspectives through our journalism, we also strive to ensure that the writers and editors telling those stories come from diverse backgrounds.