Meteorologist

Hearst•Dallas, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Dallas Morning News is seeking a creative meteorologist to join a service journalism team built to help readers navigate daily life in North Texas. A significant emphasis for this team is weather and how it impacts people in the region. Our meteorologist will write daily forecasts for the Dallas-Fort Worth area and be the science expert on the team, focused on explaining complex weather concepts in writing to a general audience using a smart, engaging tone. This person should be ready to experiment with new formats for delivering local news and weather information while developing an original voice and pushing the boundaries of traditional text-based storytelling. Video, graphics, social media and traditional writing all should be part of their repertoire. Qualified candidates will be comfortable generating and reporting their own forecasts and weather-related stories and helping others in the newsroom incorporate weather into their reporting when it makes sense. This newsroom-wide approach means communication and collaboration skills will be vital. This is not an on-camera position in the broadcast sense, though the meteorologist’s work may include video appearances both on social media and hosted on the website. The Dallas Morning News is investing in weather forecasting, data, tools and information. This role provides a unique opportunity for an experienced meteorologist to make an impact on a new team and in local communities, while benefiting from the support of the national Hearst Newspapers team of engineers and developers.

Requirements

The ability to explain complicated science clearly and quickly as a voice of authority during major weather and weather-influenced events, including severe weather, flooding, tornadoes, fires and winter storms.
Bachelor’s degree or higher in meteorology or a related field.
Experience communicating complex weather events to the general public.
Experience writing in the Area Forecast Discussion style.
Judgment of when to shift plans and put an emphasis on public safety ahead of severe weather events.
Ability to publish effectively across channels, including social media, newsletters and news stories.
Openness to building relationships with NWS meteorologists in Dallas-Fort Worth and neighboring forecast offices.
Background in journalism, blogging or scientific writing.
This position is full time.
Weekend and evening work may be required as news warrants.
A minimum of two years working on a forecasting team.
The successful candidate must be based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area or be willing to move to the region.
Valid driver's license and registered vehicle to travel to assignments

Nice To Haves

Experience with audio or video reporting is a plus.
AMS certification is a plus.
NWS experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

Prepare forecasts and write stories from meteorological data gathered by satellites, forecast models and radar.
Report on breaking weather news as it happens.
Provide context around major weather events by explaining what happened to readers with next-day stories or videos.
Be an ambassador for The Dallas Morning News as it expands its weather forecasting and reporting effort.
Contribute to products such as a newsletter and “live updates” content.
Collaborate with the team to develop weather graphics, maps, tools and charts.
Provide support, consultation and expertise to newsroom reporters, editors and leadership during major weather events and on complex weather and climate stories.
Experiment with Advanced AI to enhance journalism and reporting efforts.