Editor in Charge, Burmese Desk

Radio Free Asia•Washington, DC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Editor in Charge leads the Burmese news desk end-to-end, encompassing editorial direction, staff leadership, news operations management, and audience accountability. This role is responsible for the desk's daily output and long-term editorial identity, ensuring RFA's journalism reaches its audience accurately, compellingly, and across all platforms, in alignment with RFA's mission and news standards. The Editor in Charge acts as the primary editorial decision-maker for the Burmese Desk, directing staff across different time zones and coordinating with counterpart desks and cross-desk functions. The management scope includes all aspects of news operations and editorial personnel. The role reports to the Managing Editor and serves as the escalation point for all editorial, news operations, and personnel matters within the service.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or above in journalism, political science, economics, or a related field; or a minimum of 10 years of professional journalism experience in Burma coverage, with at least 4 years in a senior editorial leadership role overseeing a team or desk.
Experience managing journalists across multiple locations and time zones, including in follow-the-sun or distributed newsroom environments.
Deep knowledge of and political sensitivity toward Myanmar and its surrounding neighbors; demonstrated experience leading coverage of major political events and developments; comprehensive subject-matter expertise in the desk's coverage area.
Demonstrated record of producing high-quality journalism — including breaking news, investigations, and long-form reporting — to publication standards.
Strong editorial judgment and experience making difficult calls on accuracy, sourcing, safety, and standards under deadline pressure.
Fluency in multi-platform publishing: web, social media, video, shortwave, and audio formats.
Demonstrated ability to build and develop an editorial team: hiring, mentoring, performance management, and professional development.
High degree of familiarity with journalist safety principles and source protection practices.
Native-level fluency and absolute editorial mastery of written and spoken Burmese.
Professional working proficiency in English.

Nice To Haves

Experience building and operating source networks in sensitive, restricted, or high-surveillance environments is strongly preferred, with existing networks and contacts.
Prior experience leading a language service, international desk, or multilingual newsroom.
Experience working at an international broadcaster or public media organization.
Experience developing and publishing visual or multimedia-led storytelling.
Background in investigative, data journalism is highly desirable.
Experience working with diaspora, exiled, or at-risk source communities.
Familiarity with audience development, analytics tools, and digital distribution strategies for contested information markets.

Responsibilities

Set the editorial direction and coverage priorities of the Burmese desk, in alignment with RFA's mission and strategic guidance.
Lead daily editorial planning, ensuring the desk produces accurate, impactful, and relevant journalism across web, social, shortwave, and video platforms.
Approve high-stakes or sensitive stories before publication, coordinating with relevant editors and counsel.
Ensure the desk upholds RFA's editorial standards, sourcing practices, and ethical guidelines.
Foster original, exclusive, and investigative reporting; encourage experimentation in story formats and multimedia storytelling.
Build and maintain a robust source network relevant to Burma coverage.
Collaborate with the Coverage Editor to identify cross-desk story opportunities and facilitate content sharing.
Collaborate with the Visual Editor to identify and develop visually driven stories and ensure multimedia content meets quality standards.
Collaborate with the Audience Engagement Editor on coverage strategy for major stories and events to maximize reach and impact.
Work with the investigative team to develop and publish in-depth, high-impact investigative journalism.
Oversee the desk's full output cycle in different time zones, ensuring editorial continuity through a follow-the-sun model.
Direct Senior Editors in managing news assignment, development, pre-publication editing, and publishing.
Ensure clean and consistent editorial handoffs between time zones, maintaining the desk's publication schedule and quality standards.
Leverage data, analytics, and audience insight to inform coverage decisions and optimize content reach.
Coordinate with the Senior Producer on A/V and broadcast output, ensuring all multimedia content meets editorial and production standards.
Manage all editorial personnel on the desk across locations: hiring, onboarding, performance evaluation, professional development, and scheduling.
Provide ongoing editorial mentorship and feedback to Senior Editors, reporters, and producers.
Manage staff travel and reporting assignments; approve operational expenditures.
Partner with HR on recruitment, retention, and workforce planning for the desk.
Flag potential journalist safety concerns to the Safety Director and relevant Managing Editor.
Act as the desk's representative in editorial planning meetings, cross-desk initiatives, and institutional projects.
Liaise with Technical Operations, Production & Assets, and Country Operations on the desk's equipment, infrastructure, and bureau needs.
Coordinate with the relevant Country Operations Director on desk personnel matters and operational issues affecting the editorial team.