AI Development Editor

Hearst•San Francisco, CA

2d•$90,000 - $125,000

About The Position

The San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate are seeking an AI Development Editor to lead the hands-on integration of artificial intelligence into new content products, newsroom tools, and workflows. The role works with reporters and editors across both newsrooms to identify opportunities to use AI to strengthen journalism and improve efficiency. Responsibilities include building, testing, and maintaining AI pipelines; ensuring accuracy and transparency in AI-assisted content; and training colleagues. The position combines technical knowledge with journalistic judgment to support responsible newsroom innovation at scale. It is intended to be a supervisor-level position, though its exact structure has not yet been determined. The successful candidate will help the newsrooms develop smart automation strategies that support journalists and audience growth. They should generate ideas independently and identify promising ideas across the newsroom and company, while recognizing the value of human collaboration in local journalism and educating colleagues about generative AI.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience experimenting with AI or automation tools in a journalistic context.
Familiarity with generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini, and newsroom-focused tools such as transcription, summarization, translation, or meeting monitors.
Expertise in prompt engineering.
Excellent communication and training skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts to nontechnical colleagues.
Ability to self-manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines without compromising quality.
Commitment to ethical journalism, transparency, and accuracy.

Nice To Haves

Technical literacy, including the ability to work with APIs, structured data, or scripting languages such as Python or JavaScript.

Responsibilities

Leverage AI to build utility products for consumers.
Evaluate, pilot, and integrate generative AI and automation tools into the newsroom.
Work with the Senior Editor, Data and AI Innovation to develop standards and best practices for AI use in reporting, editing, fact-checking, and audience engagement.
Lead training sessions and support editors and reporters using AI tools.
Oversee the editorial work of AI developers across the newsrooms.
Identify opportunities for AI to augment journalism, including enhanced data collection, transcription, summarization, civic coverage, and audience personalization.
Monitor industry developments and assess emerging tools, vendors, and partnerships.
Collaborate with product and engineering teams on internal tools that improve efficiency and enhance storytelling.
Ensure AI applications align with ethical journalism standards and company AI policies.
Establish guardrails for accuracy, sourcing, transparency, and human oversight of AI-assisted content.
Audit and monitor newsroom AI use and provide regular updates to editorial leadership.
Serve as a point person for AI strategy across the newsroom.
Partner with editorial leads to identify reporting beats where AI-assisted workflows can expand coverage.
Liaise with legal, HR, and executive leadership on responsible AI adoption.