Assistant Editor, Health and Science

The New York Times is looking for a nimble editor to manage a team of health reporters who  produce investigative projects, as well as news and enterprise stories. 

The team’s coverage is ambitious and impactful, ranging from scoops about Medicare fraud to monthslong investigations into wrongdoing by some of the largest institutions in the health sector. These stories often involve translating complex medical research into narratives that are as compelling as they are hard-hitting. 

You will need experience with health news and a comfort with editing a wide range of story types. You will need to be a strategic thinker who can help pick and deliver big projects. Much of the coverage is investigative, but these reporters are expected to jump on breaking news and spin off scoops, explainers, essays and narrative features on their beats. 

This is a hybrid position and includes regular attendance in a New York Times office each week as established by your departmental guidance. 

Responsibilities:

•  Manage a team of reporters, overseeing and shaping their hard-hitting coverage of the health sector, including hospitals, insurance companies, pharmacies and doctors. 
• Juggle multiple ambitious reporting projects at once, acting as a  coach and careful editor, choosing when to approve travel for reporting purposes and playing a key role in decisions about what stories to run and when they are ready to publish.
• Closely monitor the news cycle and look for areas where your reporters can contribute. (And encourage the reporters to pitch their own timely ideas.)
• Collaborate with editors on the science desk, and with editors and reporters on other desks, including Business, the Washington bureau, National, Investigations and Well.
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
• Bring a collaborative, enthusiastic team spirit to the work and a keen desire to bring accountability to a powerful industry that affects every one of our readers.
• You will report to the Health and Science Editor 

Basic Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience as an editor, including landing investigative stories.
• 2+ years of experience covering health and medicine would be an asset, and a proven ability to relate these beats to a broad readership.
• Experience framing and elevating stories for the broadest possible audience.
• Experience brainstorming ideas and coaching reporters through tough situations so they produce their best work.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• 5+ years of experience editing reporters focused on health and medicine
• A track record of editing prize-winning projects

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The New York Times is committed to being the world’s best source of independent, reliable and quality journalism. To do so, we embrace a diverse workforce that has a broad range of backgrounds and experiences across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. We encourage people from all  backgrounds to apply.

The New York Times Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics.  The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Know Your Rights Poster is available here. 

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