Senior Editor

Longwell Partners; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching program

100% covered medical insurance

Metro-accessible, downtown DC location

Job summary

Longwell Partners in Washington, DC seeks a Senior Editor to lead and manage a team of investigative researchers. You will oversee editorial production, ensure accuracy, and guide the team to publish rigorous work.

This is a hands-on role requiring strong judgment and writing ability. The ideal candidate has a background in investigative journalism or editorial management, with a passion for high-quality research and strong mentoring skills.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in investigative journalism, editorial management, or a closely related field.
• Strong editing, copyediting, and fact-checking skills; you can take a dense research memo and make it sing.
• Strong writing skills; you can produce clear, accurate, publication-ready copy yourself.
• Sound editorial judgment and the ability to distinguish between what's interesting and what matters.
• Experience managing or mentoring junior staff in a newsroom, research, or editorial environment.
• Deep familiarity with the current political landscape and how political actors, organizations, and funding networks operate.
• A high bar for accuracy; you don't let anything out the door you can't stand behind.
• Ability to be in the office (downtown DC) five days a week. This is not a remote or hybrid opportunity.

Responsibilities

• Manage and support a team of investigative researchers, setting priorities, reviewing work, and maintaining quality and output standards.
• Edit, copyedit, and fact-check research memos, profiles, and long-form reports to ensure accuracy, clarity, and impact.
• Shape raw research findings into polished written products ready for use by communications and media partners.
• Exercise editorial judgment on what to pursue, what to publish, and what needs more work.
• Collaborate with the communications team to ensure research findings reach the right audiences effectively.
• Help develop the skills and instincts of junior researchers through feedback and guidance.

Skills

Investigative journalism

Editorial management

Editing

Writing

Mentoring

Newsroom experience

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Job description

Longwell Partners is a full-service, pro-democracy communications firm based in Washington, DC. We specialize in high-profile political projects—including The Bulwark, Home of the Brave, and Republican Voters Against Trump—and we're looking for a Senior Editor to lead and manage a team of investigative researchers.

If you have a journalism or editorial background, know good work when you see it, and aren't afraid to say when something isn't ready, we want to hear from you.

About the Role

This role sits at the intersection of editorial leadership and research management. You'll help oversee a team of investigators producing in-depth research into political actors, organizations, and funding networks. Your job is to make their work stronger and ensure it gets out the door.

That means copyediting and fact-checking research products, shaping findings into clear and compelling written output, and exercising the kind of editorial judgment that separates a good story from a great one. It also means managing the day-to-day of a small research shop, setting priorities, keeping work on track, and pushing for higher standards. You'll work within a broader editorial structure and collaborate closely with senior leadership on the project.

The ideal candidate has spent time in investigative journalism, editorial management, or a closely related field and knows what well-sourced, airtight work looks like. You won't always be the one doing the digging, but you have to know good research when you see it and know how to make it better.

Your Responsibilities

• Manage and support a team of investigative researchers, setting priorities, reviewing work, and maintaining quality and output standards.
• Edit, copyedit, and fact-check research memos, profiles, and long-form reports to ensure accuracy, clarity, and impact.
• Shape raw research findings into polished written products ready for use by communications and media partners.
• Exercise editorial judgment on what to pursue, what to publish, and what needs more work.
• Collaborate with the communications team to ensure research findings reach the right audiences effectively.
• Help develop the skills and instincts of junior researchers through feedback and guidance.

What We're Looking For

• 6+ years of experience in investigative journalism, editorial management, or a closely related field.
• Strong editing, copyediting, and fact-checking skills; you can take a dense research memo and make it sing.
• Strong writing skills; you can produce clear, accurate, publication-ready copy yourself.
• Sound editorial judgment and the ability to distinguish between what's interesting and what matters.
• Experience managing or mentoring junior staff in a newsroom, research, or editorial environment.
• Deep familiarity with the current political landscape and how political actors, organizations, and funding networks operate.
• A high bar for accuracy; you don't let anything out the door you can't stand behind.
• Ability to be in the office (downtown DC) five days a week. This is not a remote or hybrid opportunity.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Background in investigative journalism, opposition research, or public interest reporting.
• Familiarity with public records research, including FEC filings, IRS 990s, and FOIA requests.
• Experience getting research in front of journalists, content creators, and advocacy partners.

Why Join Us?

• Salary range: $85,000 - $115,000, commensurate with experience
• 401(k) matching program
• 100% covered medical insurance
• Metro-accessible, downtown DC location
• Opportunities to grow and take on more within a mission-driven, high-performance team