Job Abstract

This posting will close on Wednesday, July 10, 2024.

The Deputy Managing Editor, Editorial Review (aka The Backstop) will be among the leaders of a new system at NPR aimed at supporting our content and our journalists; to ensure that NPR maintains and solidifies its status as a trusted source of news and information for the American public.

The Deputy Managing Editor is one of two supervisors at the same level who will look across the day, to see that our journalistic content can get a final editorial review before air or publication on a consistent basis and within consistent parameters. The Deputy Managing Editor, Editorial Review will be managers of senior editors reviewing content and will review content themselves. They will also leverage existing editing, legal, and standards and practices protocols to maximize the pool of editors doing this work.

The team will be tasked with ensuring excellence, accuracy, fairness and consistency of individual works and across platforms, recognizing that formats, story selection, and story-telling techniques for different platforms will and should vary, in service of specific audiences.

The ideal candidates are experienced, confident leaders with wide-ranging editorial experience, including expertise across different platforms, storytelling styles and subject matter. They must be deeply curious, open-minded and flexible; be skilled at editing in a large, complex media organization where the topics and journalists vary greatly and where deadlines and the volume of content can be intense.

Two Deputy Managing Editors will be hired, most likely with one working an earlier dayside shift and the other an evening shift (based on Eastern Time hours). This position will report to the Managing Editor, Editorial Review.

This position is an on-site role based in Washington, DC, or at NPR West in Culver City, California (if appropriate for the evening E.T. role). The editors will be required to work onsite at a frequency set by their manager. There will be some flexibility to work remotely on occasion with manager approval.

• In collaboration with the Managing Editor, Editorial Review and another Deputy Managing Editor, implement and oversee a division-wide system to provide consistent final editorial review of journalism content.
• Manage the workflow of content coming through for review on a day-to-day basis, determining what kind of review is needed for a given piece of content and who best to do the second edit.
• Supervise one to two senior editors who are part of the review team, including overseeing their work as well as their job performance.
• Review content on a daily basis, as part of the team, with a focus on our standards of balance, fairness and accuracy; this is in addition to assigning content to be reviewed by others on the team.
• Work closely with the VP/Executive Editor, the Managing Editors for News and Planning and the newsroom Deputy Managing Editors to integrate your team’s work with their story/coverage planning and curation processes. In other words, know what’s in development, for who and for when, so that you can plan your team’s workload most effectively.
• Work closely with the Managing Editor for Standards and Practices and other leaders to develop guidance on editorial matters and best practices for the division.
• Alongside the Managing Editor for Editorial Review, work closely with content analysts and the Editor-in-Chief to understand the division’s collective body of work and this team’s impact on it; act on, socialize and make findings clear and actionable.

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience as an editorial leader in a journalism organization at the national level.
• At least 5 years of people management experience in a newsroom at the national level.
• Experience working and leading in journalistic organizations where stories are told on multiple platforms (such as broadcast, podcast, digital) and a demonstrated understanding of how formats and audiences differ across platforms.
• Track record of editorial leadership both in breaking news environments and on longer-term enterprise and in-depth work.
• Experience maintaining high journalistic standards under deadline pressure, including standards of objectivity, balance and fairness.
• Demonstrated ability to generate and execute complex creative ideas and to assimilate and organize large amounts of information.
• Knowledge of the rapidly changing, competitive media environment, its strategic challenges and implications for NPR, Member stations, the public radio system, the media business and society.
• Demonstrated commitment to data analysis and its use in understanding the division’s work and in service of audiences.
• Proven ability to consistently work well with others.
• Positive approach to embracing change.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, ability to get along with diverse personalities.
• Results oriented with the ability to balance other business considerations.
• Adept at communicating effectively across all levels of leadership while inspiring confidence.
• Ability to respect input but ultimately be confident enough to take decisive action and take responsibility for said action.

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in work experience

On-site: This is an on-site role based in Washington, DC, or at NPR West in Culver City, California (if appropriate for the evening E.T. role). The editors will be required to work onsite at a frequency set by their manager. There will be some flexibility to work remotely on occasion with manager approval.

This is a full time, exempt position.

Salary Range: The U.S. based anticipated salary range for this opportunity is $165,000 -$180,000 plus benefits. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

Benefits: NPR offers access to comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees.

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.