Deputy Editorial Director

Title: Deputy Editorial Director, Opinion Special Projects

Location: New York City, NY

Job Description:

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for. 

Times Opinion is looking for an experienced and innovative editor to lead our biggest department-wide projects as deputy editorial director.

The Special Projects team shapes and executes the department's most ambitious collaborations that bring together expertise and input from all parts of Opinion. Some of our projects have focused on homelessness, politics, climate change, covid and the intersection of science, law and commerce. The subjects and story forms we produce vary wildly — from long-form pieces to immersive projects that span text, video, audio and graphics — but the constant is the excellence we strive for in every corner of our journalism. 

You will be responsible for guiding and producing Opinion's defining works. That requires excellent editorial judgment to channel groundbreaking ideas and arguments into journalism that can meet and challenge the reader, whatever the form. You will elevate the perspectives of others, while bringing their own vision to the team's work.

Developing the ideas that drive this journalism is key, so the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a deep level of curiosity and the willingness to chase down promising story ideas, wherever they find them, to help Times Opinion continue to set the agenda. 

A proven track record of overseeing large-scale journalistic projects that have demonstrated impact is a must.

This is an in-office position, based in New York City and includes regular attendance in the office. There may be some flexibility to work remotely per your departmental guidance.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and commission high-impact enterprise ideas from Opinion staff and external collaborators 
• Foster a culture of creativity and collaboration that allows original ideas to bloom across the department
• Guide other editors on the Special Projects team and staff from across the department — including video producers, designers and others — to produce path-breaking work
• Assess which ideas have the potential for impact and are worth investing in; recommend the right size of resource investment based on story idea and help determine coverage 
• Lead large teams across skills and different areas of expertise to produce high-impact enterprise pieces in a deadline driven, high pressure environment
• Manage a staff of editors which includes annual performance reviews, managing schedules and long-term goals and serving as their coach and advocate
• Work in deep collaboration with multimedia teams — design, photo, graphics, audio and video — on how to best tell these stories
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world
• You will report to Opinion Editorial Director Meeta Agrawal, and help her define the vision and priorities of Times Opinion projects

Basic Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience working with and editing staff or contributing writers
• 5+ years of experience managing journalists in a digital or daily publication
• Experience leading multimedia journalism and comfort with working outside of text (i.e. visual, video or audio)
• Experience in ideating, commissioning and editing large-scale journalistic projects that have demonstrated impact

Preferred Qualifications:

• Deep experience with design-intensive projects, digital development, and non-text-based story forms

The annual base pay salary for this role is between $165,000.00 and $180,000.00.

REQ-019333

The annual base pay range for this role is between:

$165,000 - $180,000 USD

The New York Times Company is committed to being the world’s best source of independent, reliable and quality journalism. To do so, we embrace a diverse workforce that has a broad range of backgrounds and experiences across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. We encourage people from all  backgrounds to apply.