Investigative Reporters & Editors, Inc. is hiring: Editor-in-Chief in Denver

Overview

Floodlight is hiring an editor-in-chief to lead the organization's journalistic mission, guide its team of investigative reporters through the next phase of organizational growth and deepen Floodlight’s partnerships with local and national newsrooms.

Floodlight is a nonprofit, independent newsroom that investigates the powers stalling climate action. Since launching in 2021, Floodlight has collaborated with local and national news outlets including The Guardian, NPR, ProPublica, the Los Angeles Times, the Texas Tribune, the Louisiana Illuminator and Capital B. Floodlight stories reach millions and are distributed directly to hundreds of news editors and republished through aggregation services.

Floodlight produces both medium- and long-form online and video stories. Our reporting is nonpartisan, adherent to the standards of the Institute for Nonprofit News for financial transparency and editorial independence. Floodlight is supported by philanthropic grants and gifts from individuals, retaining full editorial authority and independence from donor support. Our team of seven works remotely, with occasional travel for reporting, in-person meetings, industry conferences or events.

The Role

The ideal candidate for this position is a strong leader with extensive editing, reporting and management experience in investigative journalism and a deep understanding of Floodlight’s collaborative approach and its role in climate journalism. The editor-in-chief will manage a team of investigative journalists and work closely with a network of reporters and editors from external media partners on collaborative projects. The candidate should be tough, fair and collegial, able to shape newsroom culture and deepen team members’ skillsets. The editor-in-chief will edit and fact-check stories in multiple formats (medium- and long-form text, as well as video scripts) and oversee partnerships with national and local outlets, determining which partners are best suited for a story and setting expectations for development and schedules.

Responsibilities include leading editorial strategy with the executive team, managing editorial staff and the audience director, maintaining performance reviews and recruitment, upholding high editorial standards, leading the editorial calendar and budget, securing rights for visuals, representing Floodlight at conferences, and preparing reports for internal and external audiences. The editor-in-chief will also assist with grant proposals and expand external partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Set and implement the strategic editorial vision in line with Floodlight’s goals and mission.
• Manage editorial staff and the audience director; conduct quarterly and annual performance reviews and lead staff recruitment.
• Ensure reporting meets high editorial standards, including overseeing fact-checking and legal reviews.
• Lead twice-a-week editorial meetings and maintain a current story budget.
• Oversee the editorial calendar and multi-channel distribution.
• Secure rights for visuals for publication and distribution of stories.
• Be the face of Floodlight—speaking at news industry conferences and preparing contest entries and other activities.
• Write quarterly and annual editorial reports for internal and external audiences.
• Consult with the business staff on grant proposals and reports.
• Oversee expansion of partnerships with external news organizations.

Ideal Candidate Qualities

• 5+ years of experience managing a team of journalists and at least 10 years in journalism.
• Strong editorial judgment and skills.
• Strong interpersonal and mentoring abilities with a diverse team.
• Strong collaborative skills as liaison with partner media organizations.
• Exceptional organizational, project management and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to make decisions with authority across the organization.
• Self-starter who is highly motivated and resourceful.
• Willingness to work remotely with occasional travel for events and team collaboration.

Salary and Benefits

The salary for this position is commensurate with experience, starting at a minimum of $130,000 per year. Floodlight provides 25 days of vacation/PTO, 12 paid holidays, 10 days of medical/emergency/bereavement leave, and 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Health insurance premiums and qualified health expenses are reimbursed up to the federal maximum. Floodlight offers a 401(k) match of up to 4% for employee contributions.

We encourage applicants from traditionally underrepresented communities and those who may not check all boxes but bring relevant skills and perspectives to apply.