Assistant Editor, Opinions

The Washington Post•Washington, DC

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Washington Post is on a mission to deliver riveting storytelling for all of America, aiming to reinvent news through deep investigative spirit and innovation. The company is powered by the passion and talent of its people across various departments including Newsroom, Opinions, Brand & Events, Communications, Customer Care, Engineering & Product, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing & Advertising, Print Operations, and Sales. The Washington Post is seeking a versatile, motivated assistant op-ed editor for its Opinion Department. This editor will work with columnists and support the deputy editor by editing guest op-eds. The ideal candidate will understand how to shape persuasive coverage based on reporting and expertise, possess a strong sense of grammar, style, and story structure, and have a knack for improving copy while retaining writers’ voices. They should be comfortable with a range of subject areas, understand how to translate arguments into different forms, and be a careful, thoughtful editor with strong communication and organizational skills, an eye for detail (especially while multi-tasking), and experience elevating personality in coverage. The role requires comfort working in high-pressure news environments and willingness to work evenings and weekends as needed. The ideal candidate is drawn to complex topics, desires to present them clearly and accessibly, believes persuasive arguments are built around detailed reporting, and is passionate about opinion journalism that informs, challenges, and reaches diverse audiences. They take pride in working with writers to bring out the best in their work, appreciate the evolving editorial process, and are excited by tight deadlines in response to breaking news.

Requirements

2+ years of experience in journalism, media or communications.
Experience working with writers and editors.
Experience with new editorial forms and content strategies.
Strong persuasive writing skills.
A collaborative spirit and ability to build strong partnerships across teams.

Responsibilities

Edit columns and guest op-eds on a range of different topics, including on deadline.
Develop ideas, shape writing and publish the sharpest possible views.
Coordinate with the wider department to ensure every article is published for maximum effectiveness.
Be on constant lookout for new writers, fresh subjects and innovations in publishing.
Write unbylined editorial weekly on news and current events.
Occasionally appear on podcasts, social video and other multimedia offerings.