Director of Photography

Boston Globe Media•Boston, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

We're looking for a director of photography to run one of the most respected photo departments in journalism. This is a big job: the images we run shape how readers understand the news, and the person in this seat is responsible for getting that right, every day, on deadline. This is the top editorial leadership role for photography at the paper. The director of photography is responsible for the department's vision, its people, and its output across print and digital. You'll lead a team that includes a deputy director of photography, picture editors, a photo desk running day and night shifts, a roster of staff photographers, an archivist, and rotating interns and co-ops, some of whom are represented by a collective bargaining agreement and some of whom are not. Your job is to lead all of them as one team: set clear standards, coach people toward their best work, make the hard calls on tough days, and build a department people want to stay and grow in. You'll work closely with editors across the newsroom, from breaking news to investigations to features, making sure visual storytelling is part of coverage planning from the start, not an afterthought. The right candidate has run a newsroom photo operation before. They lead with clarity and calm under pressure, give feedback that helps people improve, and know how to build consistency across a team that includes both union and non-union staff. They're comfortable being the person who makes the final call, and equally comfortable being challenged on it.

Requirements

Significant experience managing a team in a newsroom or comparable fast-paced editorial environment, including direct people management (hiring, coaching, performance conversations)
Experience managing in an environment with a mix of union and non-union staff, or a demonstrated ability to learn and apply collective bargaining obligations quickly
A track record of strong news judgment, developed through real editorial decision-making under deadline pressure
Experience building or strengthening a team culture: setting standards, giving feedback that lands, and getting the best out of people with different strengths
Comfort making final calls on difficult content decisions and standing behind them
Familiarity with content management systems and standard photo editing and workflow tools (such as Adobe Photoshop and Photo Mechanic)
Strong relationship-building skills across departments, with the ability to collaborate and problem-solve with editors, reporters, and other leaders
Schedule flexibility to support a 24/7 news operation, including availability during breaking news
A willingness to adapt and be audience-focused, with a curious mindset and a commitment to creating an inclusive work environment

Nice To Haves

Bring experience mentoring photographers early in their careers into stronger visual storytellers
Have led a mixed union/non-union team through a significant organizational change (restructuring, new tools, new coverage models)

Responsibilities

Lead and develop the photo department's staff, including the deputy director of photography, picture editors, staff photographers, and the archivist, setting clear expectations and creating real paths for growth across both union and non-union roles
Set the department's editorial vision and news judgment standards, and hold the team accountable to them across print and digital
Make final editorial decisions on high-stakes or sensitive imagery, including content that could be considered graphic, offensive, or inappropriate for publication
Build a department culture where photographers and editors can do direct, honest work: give regular feedback, coach through mistakes, and recognize strong work
Manage the department consistently and fairly across represented and non-represented staff, understanding where collective bargaining obligations apply and partnering with HR and labor relations as needed
Oversee staffing and scheduling for a 24/7 news operation, balancing coverage needs with sustainable workloads
Partner with newsroom leadership across desks (politics, business, sports, entertainment, international) to build visual storytelling into coverage planning from the start, not after the fact
Manage the department's budget, equipment, and administrative operations, including licensing and vetting of third-party imagery
Represent the photo department in newsroom-wide leadership conversations, advocating for visual journalism's role in the paper's coverage
Handle personnel matters directly, including hiring, performance management, and difficult conversations, with fairness and consistency
Respond to breaking news situations, providing hands-on guidance and picture-editing decisions when the moment demands it