Senior Politics Editor - White House, Congress and Elections

Senior Politics Editor - White House, Congress and Elections
Washington, DC, USA

Overview
USA TODAY is seeking an experienced and highly skilled Senior Politics Editor to lead high-impact coverage of the White House, Congress and national elections for a fast-paced, competitive news environment. This editor will shape our most consequential political journalism, ensuring it is authoritative, distinctive and indispensable to USA TODAY’s audience.

This position reports directly to the Managing Editor for Politics, World and Legal Affairs and works closely with politics reporters and editors across USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network.

This position will be based in the USA TODAY newsroom in Washington, DC.

What We're Looking For

An editor with deep knowledge of U.S. politics, campaigns and governance.

An editor with proven sources within government and politics and demonstrated skill at helping reporters build deep source networks.

An editor with strong news judgment, overflowing with ideas and the knowledge of how to help reporters develop interesting and impactful stories.

A coach who can elevate reporters’ work, sharpen angles and push for ambitious coverage.

A calm, organized editor who thrives under the deadline pressure of breaking news and can also plan coverage for known events.

Job Purpose
The Senior Politics Editor will lead coverage of the White House, Congress and national elections, working with a team of reporters to break news, deliver scoops and explain why developments matter to our audience. This editor will help reporters build and strengthen sources, identify exclusive lines of reporting and frame stories with sharp, clear angles across platforms.

The ideal candidate combines superb news judgment with strong editing skills, an instinct for accountability journalism and a knack for turning complex policy and political maneuvers into engaging, accessible storytelling. This role requires the ability to move quickly in high‑pressure moments while maintaining accuracy, fairness and ethical rigor.

Responsibilities

Lead, coach and mentor reporters covering the White House, Congress and national elections, with an emphasis on exclusives, scoops and creative coverage angles.

Help reporters build robust source networks and identify original, high‑impact lines of reporting.

Sharpen story ideas and angles to ensure coverage is focused, timely and essential to USA TODAY’s unique audience.

Provide rigorous editing and guidance in shaping clear, compelling narratives and strong digital headlines.

Respond quickly to breaking political news and guide follow‑up coverage that adds depth, context and accountability.

Collaborate closely with visuals, audience, data and video teams to tell politics stories in multiple formats.

Maintain excellent planning and organization around major political events, including elections, primaries, debates and key legislative battles.

Uphold USA TODAY’s standards for accuracy, fairness, ethics and audience relevance in all political coverage.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field, or equivalent experience.

At least 10 years of newsroom experience as an editor or newsroom leader, preferably on politics or national affairs.

Demonstrated success leading high‑impact political coverage and delivering distinctive stories in a competitive news environment.

Proven ability to coach reporters, strengthen their sourcing and generate scoops and exclusives.

Exceptional news judgment, organizational and planning skills, with the ability to work calmly in fast‑paced, high‑pressure cycles.

Strong editing skills and experience shaping story structure, angles and presentation across digital platforms.

Experience collaborating with visuals and audience teams and comfort with digital tools and analytics.

Candidates should have facility with AI and automation and experience in using it to enhance their journalism.

The annualized base salary for this role will range between $103,000 and $160,938. Base compensation is reflective of many factors, including, but not limited to, the market in which one lives/works, individual education level, skills, certifications and experience. Note: variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable.

USA TODAY Co., Inc. is a proud equal‑opportunity employer committed to building and maintaining a diverse workforce. As such, we will consider all qualified applicants for employment and do not discriminate in connection with employment decisions on the basis of an applicant or employee’s race, color, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, citizenship status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, marital status, personal appearance (including height and weight), sexual orientation, family responsibilities, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy status (including childbirth, breastfeeding or related medical conditions), education, genetic characteristics or information, political affiliation, military or veteran status or other classifications protected by applicable federal, state and local laws in the jurisdictions where USA TODAY Co. employs employees. In addition, USA TODAY Co., Inc. will provide applicants who require a reasonable accommodation, as a result of an applicant’s disability or religion, to complete this employment application and/or any other process in connection with an individual's application for employment with USA TODAY Co., Inc. Applicants who require such accommodation should contact USA TODAY Co., Inc.’s Recruitment Department at Recruit@usatodayco.com . Applicants must be authorized to work in the applicable location. Applications from outside these regions will be removed from our system after submission.

#J-18808-Ljbffr