Reporter or Editor Managing Editor for Style and Standards
Job Description
Chalkbeat, the growing nonprofit news organization telling the story of education in America, seeks a Managing Editor for Style and Standards to lead our editing team, oversee editorial operations, and boost our newsroom leadership.
The Managing Editor for Style and Standards will help elevate our overall story quality and improve our collective skills so that our journalism is the best it can possibly be. This person will supervise a team of four story editors, oversee style and voice guides, and manage onboarding and training programs for reporters and editors. The role will blend day-to-day guidance on story editing with strategic thinking on how the newsroom functions.
This position will report to the executive editor and sit on the network management team that helps guide organization-wide strategy and planning.
Who are you?
You know that good writing starts with good reporting, and that editing starts before any words hit the page. You recognize the value of context. You believe that style standards matter, and so does voice, both organizationally and individually. You’re committed to providing learning opportunities no matter how experienced the employee (all of us can always improve!), and you understand the importance of a new reporter’s first few months. You geek out on process (perhaps you even enjoy a good spreadsheet). You want to make a difference, and you see how impact-driven local journalism can do that. You’re not a pageview chaser — you believe in listening to audiences and forging lasting relationships. Whether or not you have experience covering education, you find the topic fascinating.
What background and skills do you have?
- 10+ years of work experience, with 5+ years of working in a digital environment
- Experience editing breaking news, daily, and/or enterprise stories
- Proven track record of team management with positive culture
- Experience managing copy and other workflows, with examples of improvements you’ve made
- Experience with onboarding and training programs, even informal ones, with examples of ones you’ve overseen
- Ability to work autonomously while sharing pertinent information up, down, and across
- 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?
- Supervising a team of four story editors, likely with more to come in the next year as Chalkbeat continues its growth trajectory, to create compelling, impactful journalism
- Managing and updating our style and voice guides
- Examining and optimizing our newsroom workflows and systems so that they better support our journalism
- Working with our Operations team to revise our current onboarding programs for reporters and editors
- Working with other team leads in Chalkbeat’s “networked model” to help guide newsroom decisions
- Representing local needs to network leadership, and organizational priorities to story editors and local teams
- Working with the Executive Editor and other leaders on organizational growth planning, with an eye toward future expansion
- Collaborating with the Director of Product on CMS improvements
Ideally, you’d be based in one of seven cities where Chalkbeat bureaus already exist: Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Indianapolis, Memphis, New York City or Newark. 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.
