Job Description

Posted 3 weeks ago

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.

Note for US based roles: Any offer of employment is contingent on providing proof of Covid-19 vaccination prior to your start date, subject to approved medical and/or religious exemptions, in accordance with applicable law.

Job Description

“The Daily” led a revolution in the narrative news podcast space. Now, NYT Audio is seeking to broaden its reach inside the newsroom. As part of that, we recently brought back our politics show, The Run-Up. Heading into the 2024 presidential election, we are looking for a senior editor to help guide and craft its ambitious future. You will be joining as the team looks to turn the show into an essential listen during this huge moment in the newsroom and country.

The editor will be a thought leader on the show and must have a keen understanding of politics as well as a desire to challenge the conventional ways of engaging it. The editor will work closely with the host and show producers to determine episode ideas and guests, and to define our angle. You will help to lead to every aspect of pre- and post production – from pitching to booking to scripting to line editing through to publish. The result should be must-listen audio programming.

Responsibilities

• Direct, train and produce NYT journalists who are new to audio, and may also manage producers.
• Guide the production of stories and programming from conception to completion, including structuring interviews and conversations, scripting, studio and field direction and final edits, and strengthen them in the post-production editing process by paying close attention to clarity, sequencing, pacing, and scoring.
• Develop ongoing relationships with reporters and editors across the newsroom to identify and grow new voices for audio first stories, in particular engaging deeply with the Politics and National desk, with The Times’ 2024 political coverage and the competitive landscape.
• Manage an editorial calendar, juggling immediate priorities and longer-term ambitions.
• Provide editorial feedback to producers and help guide their growth in collaboration with the audio leadership team.
• Work with leadership to coordinate calendars & workflows.
• Make effective recommendations and participate in decision-making regarding staffing decisions.

Requirements

Basic Qualifications

• 7 + years experience in audio production.
• 2 + years of story editing experience.
• Fluency in audio editing, ideally using Pro Tools.
• Experience in developing and directing audio hosts, including those new to the medium.
• Experience in building and editing structured conversations in audio.
• Experience writing and editing sharp and compelling scripts.
• Strong editorial judgment & obsessed with the finer details of editing, from stray breaths to music cues lining up just right.

Preferred Qualifications

• Able to identify when a recording isn’t going as planned and diagnoses problems with edits that aren’t working, identifying solutions and effectively articulating those notes to producers.
• Can communicate notes & feedback clearly and compassionately.
• Proven understanding of music scoring and sound design techniques and strategies.
• Well-developed and adaptive cultural competence and emotional intelligence.
• Willingness and ability to use data to inform decisions.
• Experience in a deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to think creatively about how to make smart audio shows that will get listeners hooked.
• Ability to pivot quickly in a fast changing, experimental setting where requirements will shift and goal posts constantly move.
• Believes in The New York Times’ mission and dedicated to being a part of our innovation and growth.
• Eagerness to create the best work possible and work collaboratively.