US Deputy News Editor (Six-month fixed term contract)
Reporting to: US Head of News
About us
Established as a newspaper in the UK in 1986, The Independent is now a truly global publisher. It is one of the fastest growing news websites in the US, with an American readership of more than 20 million people, while in the UK it is the largest quality digital news brand.
Since transforming into a fully digital publisher in 2016, The Independent has been on a remarkable trajectory of expansion, with main offices in London and New York as well as bureaus in Washington DC, Los Angeles and beyond.
About you
- Driven to succeed you are driven to optimize the impact and reach of our news coverage, to maintain and improve on The Independents position in terms of audience, and to further grow the brands reputation as a market leader in quality digital news media.
- Driving the news agenda not only do you follow the news, you are uniquely qualified to ensure The Independent leads the pack. You have an unerring sense of which stories are going to be big and how you can optimize them to make them most attractive to a mass audience, while remaining true to our values.
- Proven leadership abilities you have a demonstrable track record in leading a team and building positive and supportive working relationships with colleagues. You know how to create an inclusive and professional work environment. You are comfortable with inter-departmental collaboration at a senior level.
- Responsive delivery you work to agreed goals and objectives and deal with challenges in a constructive and responsive way. You are personally invested in the quality of our work.
- Care for others - you know the value of investing in quality, and are keen to promote training and personal development for yourself and for all members of your team. You show awareness of diversity at all times, and respect others.
Job Purpose
The Independents US Deputy News Editor (fixed six-month contract) will help lead agenda-setting news coverage as The Independent expands its editorial operation in America.
- The US Deputy News Editor will be a newsroom leader who will ensure we have regular, ground-breaking exclusives, quality comment and analysis, and play a significant role in setting the US news agenda.
- They will work closely with reporters, the US head of news and other editors across a range of shifts, including weekends and nights, to lead our US team on breaking news, key event coverage and longer-term exclusives.
- They will collaborate with other editors in the US, the UK, and Asia, as well as different teams from culture and lifestyle to sport and video to ensure high-quality, comprehensive coverage.
- With our audience team they will work to ensure our journalism is read as widely as possible and expand our US readership.
Skills
- The successful candidate will have significant experience leading news teams, editing and coordinating both breaking news and agenda-setting exclusives. Their portfolio will include work for some of the worlds best media brands. They will be able to work in a fast-paced environment and juggle multiple priorities.
- They will have a good understanding of US and global editorial environments and be excited by the prospect of working in an international news media organization.
- They must be able to exhibit an in-depth knowledge of attracting, retaining and growing a digital news audience and should have experience of working in a multimedia news environment.
Our values you will deliver across all our values
- Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.
- Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mold. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.
- Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and arent afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.
This position is a contract position for the duration of six months. This contract is expected to start November 2024 and last through April of 2025.
We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce thats representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
The Independent is an equal opportunity employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.