Deputy Editor, Engagement Job at Investigative Reporters and Editors in New York

Deputy Editor, Engagement role at Investigative Reporters and Editors

ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

We are seeking a deputy engagement editor to grow our unique, award‑winning engagement reporting team. In this role, you will help set the course for ProPublica’s signature crowdsourced investigations, from callouts to tip lines to citizen‑fueled science. You’ll supervise members of the engagement reporting team, identify opportunities for the team in existing lines of reporting and show editorial leadership on new initiatives, reporting to the engagement editor and working together to direct the team.

The ideal candidate is a sharp communicator, an organized project manager and a creative engagement thinker who is comfortable collaborating across teams, advising colleagues and shaping processes that help powerful journalism reach and involve the people who need it most.

Like everyone in our newsroom, our team focuses on accountability journalism and measures success by impact. From equipping patients with better information to a promised $2 billion to fix Idaho public school buildings, this journalism has led to impact big and small. As deputy editor, you’ll edit projects that channel thousands of people’s stories—including educators, parents, mental‑health providers, wildfire survivors, migrant dairy farm workers, and residents near toxic hot spots—helping engagement reporters fill information gaps with calculators, guides and letter generators and pushing efforts to reach people in the spaces where they gather, both online and off.

What You’ll Do Here

• Alongside the engagement and crowdsourcing editor, manage engagement reporters as they work on investigative stories reliant on community outreach and engagement. You’ll be the direct supervisor of at least three reporters on the team.
• Work with team members—including engagement reporters, a product manager and a tips coordinator—to bring project ideas and pitches to fruition.
• Identify promising crowdsourcing opportunities by consulting, brainstorming and meeting with teams across the newsroom. Help prioritize projects and stories so the team can be deployed strategically across the organization.
• Support and guide the team in designing and managing callouts, building surveys, crafting pitch‑perfect outreach language and developing the right crowdsourcing strategy for each investigation.
• Edit and co‑edit stories geared toward the communities we cover, including service journalism, tools and guides.
• Collaborate with national, local and specialty reporting teams across ProPublica and in partner newsrooms, including through our Local Reporting Network.
• Brainstorm the biggest ideas you can imagine with a team of the most creative engagement journalists in the country.
• Work full‑time; the position includes benefits. ProPublica is based in New York, but we’re open to remote candidates. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.
• Location: ProPublica offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Chicago; Phoenix; and Berkeley, California.
• Expected salary range: $135,000 to $145,000.

You Should Apply If You Have

• An interest in pushing the boundaries on how crowdsourcing and engagement journalism can fuel investigations and innovative ideas.
• At least five years of experience editing, guiding or leading engagement‑driven investigations, with preference for candidates who have managed and supervised staff.
• Experience building esprit de corps among distributed staff, motivating them and helping them reach career goals.
• A strong news sense, keen attention to detail, and the ability to connect dots in investigations. Evidence of shedding light on injustices and holding the powerful accountable, with a firm commitment to accuracy and editorial standards.
• Experience with and an appetite for collaboration, both across the newsroom and with external partners. Strong communication skills are key.
• The ability to see great potential in ideas but also recognize—and say—when engagement is not the right tool.
• Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to juggle many responsibilities, meet deadlines and handle pressure while remaining calm.
• Proficiency in survey‑building and data‑management tools such as Airtable, Jotform and messaging bots.
• A track record of working with communities whose collective experiences require thoughtful approach, with trauma‑informed journalism experience a plus.
• Ability to set and track engagement analytics, report results to peers, management and senior leadership, and adjust strategies accordingly.
• Willingness to travel as needed for team retreats, training, conferences and reporting projects.

What You Should Send Us

Work examples are the most important part of this application. The application form requires you to submit three projects from your portfolio and walk us through your contributions. Tell us everything you did—including behind‑the‑scenes wins—you’re proud of. Show us how you think; don’t be shy. Provide numbers and evidence of impact, and feel free to share details on how you’d do it differently next time. Make sure to read the section above titled “You should apply if” as it highlights the evaluation criteria for the position. Use your projects and the rest of your application to demonstrate that the skills you have are exactly what we need.

Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org.

Apply here: https://grnh.se/fqzo4q5b6us