Deputy Editor

Job Description

The National Catholic Reporter, a print and digital publication covering the Catholic Church that reaches roughly 1.6 million online readers per month, seeks a talented journalist to join our team as deputy editor. 

The ideal candidate is someone with a strong background in digital journalism who holds a passion for innovation, creativity and helping others unlock their potential. Media is changing fast and the deputy editor will ensure that NCR continues to produce the best Catholic journalism and help us find ways to deliver to grow our audience in the places people consume news today.

Reporting to the CEO/executive editor, the deputy editor will oversee the daily editorial process, working closely with key team members from the moment a story idea is conceived through its promotion in our newsletters and on social media. As a member of the senior leadership team, the deputy editor will work closely with the CEO/executive editor, marketing team and other colleagues to better position NCR to fulfill its editorial mission and to develop new initiatives. 

Each day, NCR distributes newsletters to tens of thousands of subscribers, with content that covers every angle of Catholicism. The deputy editor will lead the team that produces this news while considering innovations to workflow, content delivery and editorial planning, with an eye toward becoming even more efficient and effective in how we do our work. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, someone who identifies areas for improvement and then finds and implements the best solutions. This person will be unafraid to experiment and be able to lead a team through the challenges affecting news outlets today. A typical day could include editing news articles, finding workflow technology solutions and leading an editorial team meeting about an upcoming special series. Flexibility is key. 

Creativity is key, and the deputy editor will work closely with editors and reporters to ensure that NCR's coverage of the church educates, inspires and encourages our audience.

This is a full-time remote position.

The deputy editor will: 

• Embrace NCR’s forward-looking vision and mission, with an emphasis on excellence in journalism.
• Develop a close working, collaborative relationship with the CEO/executive editor.
• In collaboration with the CEO/executive editor, lead coverage planning for breaking news, enterprise reporting and investigative journalism.
• Manage the day to day operations of the newsroom and lead the implementation of the editorial vision.
• Lead and inspire direct reports, including the managing editor, news editor, assistant opinion editor, and spirituality editor.
• Identify and nurture emerging voices for reporting and opinion writing.
• Work closely with CEO/executive editor and marketing director in exploring, adopting and implementing new publishing and social media technologies, particularly around video and audio.
• Ensure a workflow process reflecting the rigor and flexibility required to publish a high quality daily news site.
• Articulate and represent the NCR mission before public audiences.
• Work comfortably across print and digital platforms in a collaborative environment.
• Interact regularly on social media platforms that grow traffic and reach across generations.
• Travel as needed and be willing to work a flexible schedule, often driven by the news in a global environment.

Job Requirements

A successful deputy editor will have:

• A passion for Catholic Social Teaching, social justice, human dignity and the common good.
• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, English, Communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. 
• 5 or more years of journalism experience; experience managing remote/distributed teams is a plus.
• Track record of excellence in journalism that includes knowledge of the various dimensions of Catholic life and the moral issues facing society.
• Demonstrated knowledge of trends in journalism and technology, experience in addressing the financial challenges related to these trends.
• Fluency of digital platforms useful in analyzing and delivering the news.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills.
• Successful record of managing operations and budgets.
• Capacity to maintain equilibrium while writing and editing effectively on deadline.
• Willingness and ability to make tough choices.
• History of attracting and retaining a staff of high performing colleagues.
• Reputation as a fair, inclusive and perceptive supervisor with the ability to have continuous, clear and concise communication with other editors and staff.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Slack, Trello and WordPress.

National Catholic Reporter is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or disability status.

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