Editorial Director

Spotlight PA•Remote, PA

1d•$160,000 - $175,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re seeking a strategic, mission-driven editorial leader to guide the newsroom at Spotlight PA, an award-winning independent news organization covering Pennsylvania's Capitol, urgent statewide issues, and local government through a growing network of regional teams. The mission of Spotlight PA is simple: to hold powerful private and public forces to account by producing journalism that gets results and serves the public good. Spotlight PA has the largest collaborative network of its kind in the United States, with stories shared across 125+ partner newsrooms, allowing our journalism to be read by millions of Pennsylvanians each year.

Requirements

Significant experience leading accountability journalism at a high level, including managing editors and reporters and seeing ambitious and innovative investigative projects from idea through publication and impact.
Demonstrated experience executing priorities and workflow, juggling competing opportunities with limited resources, and communicating with a wide range of audiences, from reporters to funders to board members.
Ability to build and sustain a healthy newsroom culture.
Ability to develop staff throughout their careers.
Ability to think creatively about how technology, audience, and product can extend the reach of our journalism.
Experience being both a great editor and a great people manager, including examples of prioritizing newsroom diversity and managing personnel challenges.
Top-notch organizational skills.
Demonstrated attention to detail.
Ability to work in a collaborative environment with external partners.
Candidates must be based in Pennsylvania or willing to relocate in short order.
Resume and cover letter addressing in specific detail how they meet the qualifications listed in this posting.

Nice To Haves

Experience as an agile startup employee.
Camaraderie and passion for the work.
Willingness to pitch in across the organization.
Sense of urgency and drive.
Innovation, creativity, and originality.
Exploration of new and experimental ways of telling stories and connecting with audiences.

Responsibilities

Refine and oversee Spotlight PA’s ambitious editorial vision and strategy, ensuring we meet our high bar of high-quality journalism centered around one or more of our value pillars: relevant, revelatory, unique, useful, and impactful.
Set editorial priorities and oversee workflow across the newsroom, including story production and editing, newsletters, engagement (social, audio, video, games, etc.), and partner initiatives.
Ensure a consistent pipeline of investigative and enterprise projects and maintain our high standards for clear, accurate, and compelling writing, regularly measuring progress and impact against the organizational mission and Spotlight PA’s Vision 2035 strategic plan.
Regularly update the CEO on strategy, major investigations and projects, and new initiatives.
Collaborate closely with the CEO and Director of Growth and Product Strategy on audience and product goals, ensuring effective use of resources and engagement of underserved residents.
Recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate editorial leaders, and oversee the same for editors and reporters.
Identify new or changed roles the newsroom needs, and work with the CEO to fund them.
Communicate opportunities for advancement, skill-building, and training.
Communicate goals and strategy to the full editorial staff and provide updates as needed.
Establish a process for frank and constructive feedback, serve as a sounding board, and hold office hours to take feedback and questions.
Oversee newsroom policy, writing and implementing high-level policy documents — including on the newsroom’s use of AI — and will embrace the responsible use of technology to serve as many Pennsylvanians as possible.
Be the face of the newsroom with staff, donors, board members, community members, and other stakeholders, participating in board meetings, community events, conferences, and funding-related cohorts.
Serve as the point person for potential editorial partnerships and collaborations — both internally and with outside partners — ensuring each one fits the newsroom’s capacity and strategic direction.
Manage the newsroom budget and participate in the annual budgeting process.
Work with the development team to advance fundraising, membership growth, revenue-generating editorial products and projects, and newsroom-based grants.
Protect Spotlight PA’s editorial independence, prevent siloing, and keep communication seamless between the newsroom and the wider organization.