News Director, Pitchfork

The unit job description listed below includes job duties and responsibilities that are illustrative, not exhaustive, and is designed primarily to ensure proper classification for purposes of this Agreement. The parties acknowledge that the job description does not include every job duty and responsibility of the role, that the job description shall not restrict management’s right to assign new duties or responsibilities to the role, and that any duties or responsibilities listed in the job classification also may be performed by employees in other job classifications, at management’s discretion. The parties also acknowledge that employees in the role may be asked to perform certain operational tasks such as evaluating and/or meeting with candidates for open positions and/or assisting in the training or mentoring of colleagues.

The News Director plans, oversees, and executes editorial strategy, workflow, and coverage for the News section. They also manage cross-site publishing during nights and weekends and liaise with senior editors on features or reviews assigning and editing tied to breaking news. They manage the placement of stories on the homepage, prepare News stories in the CMS, oversee social media posts for the News section, and manage schedules to ensure coverage. The News Director coordinates with editors in their own and other departments, and with fact-checkers, producers, art, and social media. News Directors supervise Associate Staff Writers and Staff Writers on designated news days. Media appearances may be requested due to the nature of work.

Responsibilities

• Overseeing news section strategy, KPIs, and team scheduling alongside senior management
• Supervising Associate Staff Writers, as well as Staff Writers on designated news days
• Supervising night/weekend news
• Managing cross-site publishing during nights and weekends
• Working with other senior editors and senior management on brand-wide projects
• Editing features, columns and lists as needed
• Liaising with senior editors on features or reviews assigning/editing tied to breaking news
• Assigning, researching, reporting, writing, editing, and fact-checking news stories
• Building and publishing posts in the content management system
• Optimizing news posts for SEO
• Posting on social media
• Gathering and editing images
• Handling corrections
• Managing the placement of stories on the homepage
• Coordinating with other departments, fact-checkers, producers, art, and social media
• Voting and writing for staff lists
• Writing and editing for other site sections as needed
• Occasional artist interviews or appearances for video or podcast projects as needed

Skills and Qualifications

• Experience writing and editing news on quick-turnaround deadline
• At least one year experience overseeing a team
• Active follower of current music news
• Ability to work independently
• Experience working with a content management system for publishing web content
• Ability to sustain a high level of care and meticulous attention to detail in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to self-motivate, meet deadlines, and take initiative to complete tasks both within and beyond the scope of duties
• Capacity to manage multiple projects simultaneously and maintain flexibility with shifting responsibilities
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to give and receive honest and direct feedback
• Willingness to be part of a close-knit team and thrive in a collaborative environment
• A knowledge of and interest in the history, style, and voice of Pitchfork

What happens next?

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply below, and we will review your application as soon as possible. You can update your resume or upload a cover letter at any time by accessing your candidate profile.