Reporter or Editor Engagement Editor
Job Description
Chalkbeat, the growing nonprofit news organization telling the story of education in America, seeks an engagement editor to grow our audience and deepen our relationship with readers.
Chalkbeat’s next engagement editor will help our network of local bureaus and national team better understand the news needs of our core audiences, elevate voices that are often ignored by mainstream media, build stronger relationships with communities that need critical information about schools, and expand our reach to inform as many people as possible about key developments in public education. This position will report to the Executive Editor.
Who are you?
You are committed to local journalism and understand that means putting the audience first. You want to make a difference, and you see how impact-driven journalism can do that. You’re not a pageview chaser — you believe in listening to communities and fostering lasting relationships. You’re a self-starter who can both see the big picture and jump in to help execute important work. You’re comfortable wearing many hats and moving in between the education policy world and journalism industry circles. You have experience in building and engaging audiences on social media, and growing newsletter subscribers. You think in headlines, tweets, and subject lines. You can strategize about in-person events, and you care deeply about the user experience online.
What background and skills do you have?
- 7+ years of work experience, with 5+ years of working on the digital side of media, journalism, or communications
- Experience reporting and writing news and/or feature stories
- Proven track record of growing a brand’s audience and boosting loyalty through email lists and social media
- Strong writing and editing skills
- Detail-oriented and able to work autonomously
- Proficiency with third-party email service providers
- Experience developing strategy informed by analytics
- Excellent news judgment
We know that many strong candidates will not have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!
What will you be responsible for?
- Develop social media strategy for the entire Chalkbeat network (seven local bureaus + national desk)
- Own newsletter strategy and help grow subscriber base
- Manage national and local news partners
- Support local bureaus with strategies for in-person events and engagement-driven reporting that brings in voices from the communities we serve
- Leverage analytics to develop best practices for growth and engagement
- Collaborate with Product, Analytics, and Revenue teams to identify and execute on optimization and growth opportunities
We’re building this team out, so you’ll also be hiring and overseeing another engagement team member, who will be responsible for supporting social and email strategy and execution.
Ideally, you’d be based in one of six cities where Chalkbeat bureaus already exist: Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Memphis, or New York City. However, working remotely is a possibility for the right candidate.
This is a full-time position with benefits. Chalkbeat offers a competitive salary, commensurate with experience, and a generous benefits package, including a paid winter recess from December 26-31.
About Chalkbeat:
Chalkbeat is the nonprofit news organization committed to covering one of America’s most important stories: the effort to improve schools for all children, especially those who have historically lacked access to a quality education. We are mission-driven journalists who believe that an independent local press is vital to ensuring that education improves. Currently in seven locations and growing, we seek to provide deep local coverage of education policy and practice that informs decisions and actions, leading to better schools. Read more about our mission and values.
