Video Editor and Motion Designer, Temporary

ProPublica • New York, NY

2d • $90,000 - $115,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

ProPublica is seeking a video editor and motion designer passionate about investigative journalism to join its newly launched short-form vertical video team. This role will focus on adapting long-form investigative journalism for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts, as well as producing mid-length adaptations for YouTube. The ideal candidate will own the creative and technical postproduction for assigned videos, contribute to building sustainable workflows and best practices, and establish the visual identity for ProPublica on YouTube. The position requires platform-native expertise to drive experimentation and deliver compelling storytelling formats while adhering to rigorous editorial standards. The role involves collaboration with reporters, editors, and freelancers, and is a temporary two-year position reporting to the director of multiplatform audience strategy within the larger ProPublica audience team.

Requirements

• Four or more years of professional video editing and motion design experience in a newsroom, media organization or production studio.
• High proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite, with expert proficiency in both Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro.
• A portfolio that highlights videos you have edited specifically for YouTube, including hosted, vlog-style and/or explainer formats.
• Experience building tension in hooks, controlling pacing and navigating tonal shifts in video storytelling.
• Energized by the opportunity of being part of a founding team and creating something from scratch — establishing formats, defining visual languages and building efficient workflows.
• Thrive while collaborating, seeking input from others and iterating your work based on feedback.
• Eligible to work in the U.S.
• Ability to travel, as necessary, for team meetings, training and video-related duties.

Nice To Haves

• Experience being part of a founding YouTube team or launching a new project initiative.
• Experience in on-site production, including shooting on professional camera equipment and knowledge of lighting and audio setups.
• Experience with digital asset management and video archival workflows.
• Proficiency in Figma and Google Workspace.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with producers to create videos — and related promo cuts — that are grounded in ethical journalistic principles, standards and practices.
• Use editorial judgment to translate investigations and video scripts with the sensitivity, care and appropriate tone they require.
• Own the creative and technical postproduction for videos — editing, motion graphic design and animation, color grading and sound design — ensuring projects are shaped and paced for a YouTube-first audience.
• Own end-to-end motion design workflows, including creating storyboards, animatics and the polished final products for videos.
• Establish and maintain a central motion design library of MOGRTs, templates, toolkits and other reusable visual assets for teamwide use.
• Maintain ProPublica’s brand standards and overall design system, collaborating with the design and graphics teams, among others, to ensure visual cohesiveness in videos.
• Communicate proactively with the team regarding project status and timelines and directly collaborate with producers on scoping and delivering videos on schedule.
• Manage multiple projects in various stages of production, sometimes meeting tight deadlines.

Benefits

• Full time benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed