Senior Editor, California

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest. 

ProPublica is seeking an experienced editor devoted to journalism with moral force to launch and lead its new investigative unit in California.

The editor will hire and supervise four reporters and a fellow who will be based in the state. This will be ProPublica’s sixth regional hub, complementing our presence in the Midwest, South, Southwest and Northwest, as well as our joint initiative in Texas with The Texas Tribune. 

California is not only the nation’s largest state but, in many ways, runs counter to the current policies and laws being promulgated in Washington, D.C., from climate change to taxation. Exploring the consequences of the state’s policies and the leaders overseeing them will be a key part of our new team’s mission. Beyond that, California is also a hub of technology, arts, sports and higher education. If it were a country, California would be the fourth-largest economy in the world. 

This editor will have the responsibility to hire a staff and then guide, edit and elevate the work of those reporters whose goal is to ultimately create compelling investigations that spur change.

What you would be doing:

• Helping to hire and then overseeing four staff investigative reporters and a fellow who will cover California.
• Supervising the reporters as they work on revelatory, important stories and projects that tell the story of California.
• Providing support and guidance to ensure projects are conceived of and told as ambitiously and creatively as possible.
• Working with reporters to select stories with the potential for impact and helping them overcome reporting hurdles.
• Editing stories, including identifying and fixing structural and logical issues and elevating writing when necessary.
• Helping reporters collaborate with researchers, data visualization reporters, engagement reporters and audience and visual staffers. Also collaborating with other editors to produce work that crosses regions and beats.
• Serving as a champion for accountability journalism and setting the tone for coverage in an important state with many untold stories.

We’re looking for someone with:

• At least five years’ experience managing or leading complex investigations as a reporter or editor.
• Previous experience leading a team, office, bureau or newsroom and the skills to foster a culture of inclusion, execute a vision and create team camaraderie among a distributed staff.
• Experience with — and an appetite for — collaborating, both across the newsroom and with external partners. Strong communication skills are key!
• Experience juggling multiple projects and many responsibilities at once. Strong organizational skills are a must.
• The ability to meet deadlines and handle pressure while remaining calm.
• The editing range to handle and think creatively about different types of investigative storytelling, including rolling investigations, traditional investigative projects, narratives and multimedia formats.
• The bedside manner to help reporters land what is often the most challenging work of their career.
• A track record that shows a commitment to diversity in all ways, from ensuring that story topics and sources reflect the communities we cover to empowering a team of journalists who bring with them a variety of identities, journalism backgrounds and lived experiences.
• Knowledge of California. We’re interested in the vision you have for the newsroom and for the impactful work we can do here.
• The ability to travel, as needed. 

This job is full time and includes benefits. The role must be based in California, but we are open to candidates who live anywhere in the state or who are willing to relocate there. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.

The expected salary range for this position is $150,000 to $195,000.

This is a good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position. The final salary figure will take into account a person’s experience, accomplishment and location. ProPublica is committed to paying its staff equitably, and these ranges should not be considered career salary limits or caps.We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, but we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our site.

Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org. 

No phone calls, please.

We know there are great candidates who may not fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. (Here is a breakdown of our staff.) We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. And we are taking steps to meet that commitment. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other status protected under applicable law.