Assistant Editor, Space

The New York Times is looking for an editor to manage its space coverage. The Times's large readership takes enormous interest in the Science desk's stories about space and astronomy — which include reporting on SpaceX's latest launches, NASA missions to Mars, meteorites falling to Earth, solar and lunar eclipses, powerful new telescopes studying cosmic mysteries and a growing collection of interstellar comets. 

We are seeking a real space ace, someone with significant experience as either an editor or a reporter in covering multiple aspects of the beat. The editor will need to launch reporters on stories quickly, stay abreast of the desk’s competitors and be determined to beat them. But the editor will also need to possess a strong sense of the deep trends underlying the space beat, and be capable of assigning and editing idea-driven and explanatory features that help readers see the past, present and future of space exploration. 

The ideal candidate will also have a passion for scientific subjects outside space, helping to manage some reporters on other beats. And they will have a comfort with editing a wide range of story types, as well as strong line editing skills with an ability to improve and elevate every story. 

The Science desk is a highly collaborative team; editors and reporters will work closely together to produce varied storytelling forms that resonate with readers. The ideal candidate will have a track record of thinking about the interests of a broad general audience like The Times’s, with a passion for conveying complex stories in plain language. 

This is an in-office position, based in New York City, and includes regular attendance in the office four days each week. There may be some flexibility to work remotely per your departmental guidance.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the Times’s space reporters, overseeing and shaping their coverage. 
• Maintain an internal calendar to track and plan in advance for space and astronomy events.
• 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 closely with colleagues on other desks (International, Business, National and Live) when space and astronomy overlaps with their departments' coverage.
• 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.

Basic Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience as an editor or reporter on space, ideally with experience across multiple forms of storytelling, from news to investigations to features.
• Experience with framing and elevating stories for the broadest possible audience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A collaborative, enthusiastic team spirit and a desire to ask deep, tough questions — but also to bring the fascination and delight of new achievements and discoveries to the Times’s large and curious readership.

REQ-019959 

For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs. 

For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.

The New York Times Company 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.

We are  an Equal Opportunity Employer and do 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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