Overview
Program Director, Fellowship
Job Description
Compensation: $140,000 - $190,000+ in the US; £90,000 - £115,000+ in the UK
Location: London / San Francisco (preferred); New York or Washington DC possible.
Application deadline: Sunday, March 8, 2026. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and may close early if a strong candidate is hired.
The Tarbell Fellowship is one of the most competitive journalism programs in the world. We select 20 fellows from 1,600+ applicants and provide fully-funded placements at Bloomberg, The Guardian, TIME, and MIT Technology Review. We are hiring a Fellowship Program Director to scale it during a critical period for AI reporting, leading the team that makes it happen.
In your first year, you will grow the program from 15 to 30+ fellows annually, with ownership of a $3.5M+ budget. Strong performers will have a clear path to Chief Programs Officer within 18–24 months, overseeing all talent programs with a combined budget of $8M+.
This is a rare opportunity to build a global network of AI reporters with the knowledge and resources required to cover AI during a transformative period.
About the Tarbell Center
The Tarbell Center for AI Journalism supports journalism that helps society navigate the development and deployment of advanced AI. We provide funding and training to strengthen AI reporting at major news outlets.
Since 2023, we have raised ~$20M in funding and supported 50+ journalists through fellowships, grants, and residencies. We are entering a period of rapid expansion as we scale from a $4M budget in 2025 to $14M by 2027. Across our programs, we have supported a wide range of impactful reporting:
- Accountability reporting: reporting on OpenAI’s legal tactics against nonprofits and xAI, and a Character.AI investigation leading to age-related platform protections.
- AI policy coverage: policy analysis, exclusive information on state-level AI policy developments, and investigations into AI policy lobbying.
- Impacts from AI: coverage of climate impacts, mass discrimination, and risks from frontier models.
- Sensemaking: explanatory journalism on funding deals, AI R&D automation, military integration, and developments in China.
By 2030, Tarbell aims to become a leading global institution supporting AI journalism, providing funding and training to make that possible.
About the role
As Program Director , you will lead the team behind the Tarbell Fellowship.
The fellowship has $6.5m in secured funding, 25+ newsroom partnerships, and 1,600+ applications this year. We seek an exceptional leader who can grow the fellowship from 15 to 30+ fellows annually while maintaining a high standard of excellence.
You will own the fellowship end-to-end: setting strategy, selecting fellows, shaping the curriculum, and managing the team that executes it. The Executive Director will be a thought partner, but the program is yours to run.
What you’ll inherit:
- A program poised to scale 2x this year with strong outcomes to date
- $6.5m in secured funding for the fellowship through 2027
- Marketing and recruitment processes that recently attracted 1,600+ applications
- A team of 2 with experience in journalism, AI policy, and computer science
- Strong relationships with 25+ newsroom partners, including Bloomberg, The Guardian, and others
- A 3-month training curriculum covering AI and journalism fundamentals
- Ideas to expand the fellowship in 2027 and beyond (e.g., podcasting, video/documentary, editorial, Substack fellowships)
Strong performers will have a clear path to Chief Programs Officer within 18–24 months, overseeing the fellowship, residency, and future talent programs with a combined budget of $8M+.
Responsibilities
- Program strategy and leadership: Own the fellowship end-to-end by setting the vision, defining annual goals, and making key decisions to determine success. Work closely with the Executive Director as a thought partner, but the fellowship is yours to run.
- People management: Build and lead a growing team, starting with 2 direct reports, potentially growing to 5+ over time. Hire, coach, and develop team members. The value of “Hire the best, then invest” guides people development.
- Fellow recruitment and selection: Design recruitment strategies to attract 2,000+ applications annually from top emerging journalists and global AI talent. Lead a multi-stage vetting process and make final decisions. The top 0.1% should be in the program.
- Training and curriculum: Oversee a 10-week AI Journalism Fundamentals course and week-long Bay Area Summit. Shape the curriculum, recruit experts, and improve the program based on feedback. Past speakers include Jack Clark, Kevin Roose, Helen Toner, and senior reporters from FT, Bloomberg, and TIME.
- Systems and operations: Build scalable systems for recruitment, training, placement, and fellow support to grow from 15 to 30+ fellows without quality drop. Create milestones, track progress, and prevent issues.
Who we’re looking for
We are open to two profiles: journalism expertise OR artificial intelligence expertise. You need one, not both.
- Journalism profile: Substantial professional journalism experience, understanding newsroom operations, and ability to evaluate reporting quality. Experience with top-tier outlets, potentially as a senior editor. Ideally, experience training journalists and developing world-class reporters.
- AI profile: Strong understanding of AI concepts (transformers, scaling laws, evaluations) and governance (responsible scaling policies, compute governance). Familiarity with key AI players and debates.
Whichever profile you come from, demonstrate genuine interest in the other domain. AI experts should understand journalism; journalists should engage with AI developments.
We also expect:
- Leadership experience: 5+ years managing high-performing teams, strong judgment, and capability to lead through organizational change.
- Exceptional project management: Systems that scale, maintain standards under pressure, and ensure quality. Experience in leading newsrooms, startups, consulting, or AI institutions.
- Independent execution: Ownership of complex programs with proactive initiative.
- Talent identification: Ability to assess potential for success, experience in hiring rounds, and articulating standards of excellence.
- Clear communication: Concise, persuasive writing; professional representation in high-stakes settings.
- Mission alignment: Belief in Tarbell’s mission to support journalism navigating AI development and deployment.
We care more about evidence of these criteria than a conventional resume. If your background is unusual but you can demonstrate these capabilities, we want to hear from you.
Salary and location
We offer a salary of $140,000 - $190,000+ in the US; £90,000 - £115,000+ in the UK based on experience and seniority.
Our benefits include:
- 33 days of annual leave in total (including national holidays)
- 16 weeks of paid parental leave, increasing to 24 weeks after 3 years of service
- $5,000 per year in professional development funding
- Up to 5% employer contribution towards a standard pension/401(k)
- For employees based in the US: Platinum health, dental, and vision plans, with 95% of premiums paid by Tarbell
- Flexible working hours
- Productive, collaborative offices in London and San Francisco
We prefer candidates based in London or the San Francisco Bay Area and require such candidates to work 2 days/week from our office space. We are also open to New York or Washington DC, or candidates who require short periods of remote work. We are able to sponsor UK work visas for this role.
Application process
- Interested candidates should express initial interest by filling out an application (less than 15 minutes) by Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 11:59pm PT. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and may close the role early if we identify a strong candidate.
- The application process will involve paid work tests, a structured interview, reference checks, and a paid in-person work trial. We will acknowledge receipt of all applications and aim to get back to candidates within 10 business days of the deadline. Our ideal start date is April 2026, with flexibility for exceptional candidates.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Tarbell is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, sexual preference, marital status, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law or local ordinance.
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