Managing Editor jobs in Washington, DC

Location: Remote within the US

Daily Kos is the nation’s largest liberal online political community, news organization, and activism hub. We produce news you can do something about. Powered by millions of dedicated activists, we’re transforming media and organizing by empowering regular Americans to reshape politics.

The Managing Editor oversees the day-to-day operations of the Newsroom—assigning, editing, and scheduling stories; supervising staff writers; and coordinating the publication of content from other teams in the Content Division. The Managing Editor works closely with the head of the Content Division to make data-driven decisions and execute the editorial strategy, shaping narratives and guiding political analysis. The Managing Editor also oversees the editorial calendar and publishing schedule and ensures that we have sufficient coverage, including for special events.     

This position reports to the head of the Content Division. 

The position may require weekend work.

Responsibilities:

• Manage Newsroom staff, contractors, and freelancers, including hiring, onboarding, goal-setting, regular 1:1s, performance management, assigning tasks, coordinating schedules, approving time-off requests, holding direct reports accountable for job performance, and issuing disciplinary action as needed
• Implement and maintain Newsroom policies and procedures
• Shape and oversee the goals and growth of the Newsroom team
• Serve on committees as appropriate 
• Direct daily news coverage by assigning and approving stories that reflect Daily Kos’ editorial mission and comply with the Code of Ethics
• Help writers to develop unique angles on major news of the day as well as longer originally reported and enterprise stories
• Direct coverage of live events, such as election nights and presidential debates, as well as breaking news on nights and weekends as needed
• Lead the Newsroom in tracking news developments in real time and alert the team to breaking news
• Collaborate with leadership in the Content Division on content strategy
• Oversee the front page publishing schedule 
• Oversee headline workshopping and testing and image selection 
• Contribute to ongoing improvement of editorial systems, processes, and best practices 
• Monitor analytics to continuously assess content performance to help inform editorial decision-making
• Oversee the integration of AP wire stories and other third-party content into the publishing schedule
• Work with the Director of Community to promote community, freelance, and partner content to the front page
• Other responsibilities as assigned

Experience:

• 10 years in digital media, preferably in advocacy journalism 
• 5 years in an editorial management role
• Strong leadership skills as demonstrated through previous management or mentorship experience
• A successful track record of building and managing teams with varying levels of experience
• Experience working in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment  

Qualifications: 

• Demonstrated ability to supervise, motivate, and work effectively with writers and editors of varying skills and experience 
• Proven journalism skills, including reporting and editing
• Deep knowledge of progressive and Democratic politics
• An understanding of, and commitment to, advocacy journalism
• Familiarity with SEO, content optimization, and social media distribution
• Knowledge of AP style
• Knowledge of analytics tools such as Chartbeat and Google Analytics
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills
• Commitment to diversity in sourcing topics and approaches
• Comfortable with a virtual working environment 
• Be tech and internet savvy (we use Google Docs, Slack, Dropbox, Asana, and lots of other tools that make work life easier)