Job Description

Job Description

World and National Security Vertical Editor, Times Opinion

Join Times Opinion and help us create an international report that fits with the interdisciplinary demands of 2021. We are looking for a seasoned editorial leader with a deep background in U.S. national security and an interest in the big global questions, from climate change to trade and diplomacy.

This is a critical role in Opinion, with the potential to shape the debate on everything from election security and the rise of autocracy to global threats against democracy to U.S. relations with China. This editor will find new and compelling voices to explain global events to readers in the U.S. and abroad. A deep interest in international affairs, experience in commissioning and editing journalism about the world for a wide audience, and strong expertise in national security, defense and all aspects of the U.S. military are required.

This editor will lead a team of journalists, commission and edit op-eds, edit regular contributing writers and bring new voices to The Times for our daily opinion report, as well as Sunday Review and longer-term projects. As part of the editorial leadership of Times Opinion, this editor will help shape our overall strategy and find new ways to deepen our engagement with Times readers and find new audiences for our work. This editor will work with Opinions editors and writers, as well as our graphics, audio and video teams, to develop storytelling thats urgent and accessible, and will work on both breaking news and longer-term projects.

The World and National Security Editor will be comfortable editing lawmakers, academics, investigative journalists and career civil servants, as well as handling sensitive pieces by public officials and leaders in national security and intelligence. This editor must feel at ease discussing and finding voices to write about cybersecurity and election integrity, the inner workings of the Department of Homeland Security, the debate over the future of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, the ethical issues surrounding drone warfare, and Chinese military maneuvers in the South China Sea. This editor will also have an eye for stories and ideas that will resonate with readers in the U.S. and around the world, whether thats a piece about friendship during lockdown, life in Hong Kong during a crackdown, Brazils army of trolls or the meaning of Blackness in Britain.

Were looking for someone with wide-ranging experience and sharp editorial judgment who feels comfortable digging into academic studies and analyzing policy and who can work with writers to produce clear, digestible prose. A Rolodex of big thinkers and accomplished writers is a must. This editor must be a team player, able to collaborate with other editors and our audience team to find ways to deepen our engagement with Times readers and find new audiences for our work.

This editor will be based in N.Y. or D.C. and will oversee a team and work with writers who operate in different time zones all over the world.

Responsibilities include:

* Defining the vision, audience and priorities for Times Opinions global and national security coverage.

* Commissioning and editing smart, forward-thinking Op-Eds, from experts, policymakers, journalists and others, that advance the debate and anticipate and react to news.

* Collaborating with other editors on the vision, audience and priorities for Times Opinions coverage of national security and foreign policy.

* Working across the Opinion newsroom with editors who cover both politics and internal affairs.

* Developing a network of outside writers, including the most prominent people on this beat, while cultivating new voices on the biggest news and ideas.

* Finding fresh angles into the stories most on readers minds, about which they are most curious.

* Coordinating with the audience team to maximize the reach and impact of the work.

* Regularly developing, pitching and helping execute high-impact enterprise pieces, including collaboration with multimedia teams design, photo, graphics, audio and video on how to best tell these stories.

* Cultivating and maintaining a network of contributing writers.

* Working with the managing editor on scheduling and prioritizing the research, copy editing and production workflow.

* Continually assessing and calibrating the journalism your team publishes, considering news value, the range and diversity of writers and the tension between productivity versus impact and influence.

* Managing editors and writers as their coach and advocate.

* Reading, reviewing, and promptly responding to unsolicited submissions.

Experience and qualifications:

* At least five years of editing experience.

* At least three years of managing a team of journalists.

* Experience covering U.S. national security and foreign policy preferred.

* Please include links to a few of your published pieces in your cover letter.

The New York Times is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, one that reflects the varied global community we serve. Our journalism and the products we build in the service of that journalism greatly benefit from a range of perspectives, which can only come from diversity of all types, across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. Achieving true diversity and inclusion is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing for our business. So we strongly encourage women, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color and gender nonconforming candidates 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 New York Times Company will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local Fair Chance laws.