Editor in Chief

The 74 Media is seeking an accomplished, dynamic and inspiring Editor in Chief to partner with the CEO in shaping the next chapter of the award-winning education news outlet and to oversee all newsroom operations as we aim to keep stories of students, schools and post-COVID learning recovery on the front page every day. 

The ideal applicant is passionate about education and watchdog journalism, and invested in The 74’s mission to “challenge the status quo, expose corruption and inequality, spotlight solutions, confront the impact of systemic racism, and champion the heroes bringing positive change to our schools.” You are known for your creativity in identifying coverage opportunities that break through the noise, your tenaciousness in chasing exclusives that can drive impact, your understanding of the evolving digital news ecosystem, your skills in enhancing and elevating copy into memorable journalism, your ability to build and strengthen newsroom culture, and your deep rolodex of top-tier contributors who can help shape The 74’s coverage. 

In addition to your journalistic chops, you are a seasoned and respected manager, capable of overseeing a diverse team of a half-dozen editorial leaders as well as rallying a wider newsroom of 25+ staffers and contributors. You are organized and resourceful, respectful, and are an innovative thinker comfortable operating in an continuously evolving, entrepreneurial startup environment. 

The Editor in Chief will partner with the CEO in setting the organization’s editorial vision and goals, and will oversee execution of new content initiatives and audience development strategies. As you steer core editorial coverage, you’ll also partner with the Chief Creative Officer in orchestrating special projects, series and brand-building initiatives, and will work alongside the Director of Development & Revenue in promoting our journalistic coverage to donors, members and new audiences. 

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develop editorial strategic plan and growth priorities in partnership with the CEO
  
• Partner with other senior officers to set broader organizational strategy, aligning editorial output to key growth targets
  
• Guide all aspects of daily newsroom operations
  
• Manage a team of five senior editors to create a daily mix of urgent news updates, eye-opening analysis and mission-aligned, best-in-class enterprise features.
  
• Oversee efforts to build more efficient processes for a growing post-pandemic hybrid newsroom, particularly as it pertains to team culture, story planning, cross-newsroom communication and professional development
  
• Partner as needed with Chief Creative Officer to oversee execution of core editorial products and coverage of 74 events
  
• Partner as needed with Director of Development & Revenue to promote our work to donors, members and new audiences.

• Work with The 74’s Audience Director to develop traffic-generation strategies for The 74’s multiple digital content distribution partners and to ensure that the publication’s content is optimized to achieve the highest possible readership and engagement.
  
• Build a supportive, inclusive work environment that values diversity and camaraderie
  
• Help our journalists build out their skills and advance to the next stage in their careers
  
• Be a public representative of The 74, representing the organization at conferences, to our editorial partners and in other media outlets. 

Desired Skills and Qualifications

• At least seven years of leadership experience at journalistic organizations. (Preference will be given to candidates with experience in newsrooms prioritizing coverage of education or youth issues)

• A proven track record of assigning and editing thoughtful, novel and impactful journalism.
  
• Excellent editorial judgment and comfort juggling multiple newsroom priorities simultaneously, including oversight of daily news coverage, ambitious enterprise projects, and multimedia efforts.
  
• Experience in overseeing new newsroom initiatives, editorial experiments and/or launching new journalistic products
  
• Success in building a collaborative and inclusive team/newsroom culture
  
• Ability to work and communicate effectively across departments, both within the newsroom and across the organization 
  
• An understanding of the latest audience engagement tools and experience contributing to audience growth strategies
  
• Comfortable with a fast-paced, constantly evolving startup environment.
  

The 74 is committed to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees and encourages people of all races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran statuses, sexual orientations, and marital statuses to apply.

Please submit resumes and cover letters to careers@the74million.org.

LOCATION: 

Preference will be given to applicants in and around the New York City region but we are open to candidates living in any location, provided they are open to quarterly travel to NYC to meet with the senior leadership team, and to other cities as needed for team huddles, official organizational events or meetings with key 74 partners. 

For candidates in or near NYC, who would prefer access to an external workspace, we have several staffers who embrace a hybrid arrangement of both in-person time at our Manhattan office and work from home. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS: 

We offer a competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with location and experience, including health, dental and vision insurance with subsidized premiums, 401(k) match, four weeks paid time off and a generous company holiday calendar that includes a paid winter recess. Compensation package will depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and location. 

ABOUT THE 74 

The 74 Media is an award-winning nonprofit news organization committed to covering education and school communities across America. In the United States, less than half of our students can read or do math at grade-level, yet most education coverage and debate fails to focus on the kids who are being left behind, the barriers to increasing student achievement, and what’s working for students and families. Our mission is to lead an honest, fact-based conversation about how to give America’s 74 million children under the age of 18 the education they deserve. 

The 74’s coverage enjoys extensive reach, thanks to our strong, strategic social media presence, our syndication on such mass-audience platforms as Apple and Yahoo News, and our ongoing editorial partnerships with publications such as The Texas Tribune, Fast Company, Axios and The Guardian. Our newsroom consists of 19 editors, reporters and videographers along with a network of a dozen standing contributors. In addition to daily news coverage, we also publish a robust opinion page and are known for long-form enterprise features, in-depth investigations, short-form documentaries and informational explainers. Beyond the newsroom, we have published multiple books, oversee a suite of daily and weekly newsletters, launched numerous microsites targeting specific topic areas, and hosted/moderated more than 100 education events across the country.