Managing Editor

About the Role
The Managing Editor oversees MBN’s day‑to‑day editorial operations, ensuring stories move efficiently from idea to assignment, production, publication, and distribution. This position leads daily editorial planning, manages newsroom workflows, maintains editorial standards, and ensures content is delivered on time, accurately, and at the highest quality. The Managing Editor serves as the operational lead of the newsroom, helping keep editorial priorities, resources, deadlines, and publication plans aligned across platforms and bureaus.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Set the agenda, assign daily coverage, resolve priority conflicts, and create a clear publication plan for reporters and writers for the week.

Maintain the live story budget: a real‑time view of what is being reported, by whom, for which platform, and by which deadline.

Make the call on breaking news—who should cover it, when and with what resources.

Manage the workflow between MBN's Middle East bureaus and the Washington D.C. bureau.

Produce an end‑of‑day report for the Editor‑in‑Chief to review stories published, what did well, what stalled, and what requires attention tomorrow.

Own MBN's master editorial calendar, creating a strategic plan for tackling the news.

Maintain and update the master editorial calendar across all MBN platforms and products—Alhurra.com, MBN Agenda newsletter, Iran Briefing, The Diplomat podcast, MBN Magazine, and the Security & Extremism unit.

Monthly planning calendar: map out four weeks ahead to cover major news events, policy moments, anniversaries[KOD1], and editorial milestones considering available resources and publishing capacity. Raise any calendar conflicts, duplications between products, or resource gaps to the Editor‑in‑Chief.

Produce a weekly forward‑planning brief for the editorial leadership team: what’s upcoming and what decisions are needed.

Enforce editorial standards for MBN's daily output.

Review and approve all editorial content before publication—checking for accuracy, sourcing, tone, balance, legal exposure, and consistency with MBN's editorial guidelines.

Make the final call on sensitive or legally complex content.

Maintain MBN's editorial standards document and ensure all editors, writers, and contributors work from the same framework.

Conduct post‑publication reviews on major stories, noting any required improvements and updating the standards framework accordingly.

Ensure that bilingual content meets MBN's editorial standard in both languages.

Provide direct editorial feedback to reporters and editors on filed copy.

Support the onboarding of new editorial hires—ensuring they understand MBN's standards, workflows, and editorial identity.

Other Duties
Perform additional job‑related duties and take on new responsibilities as needed based on organizational requirements and circumstances.

Qualifications and Requirements

Significant experience in journalism, newsroom leadership, editorial operations, or a comparable managing editor, assignment editor, senior editor, or editorial management role.

Strong editorial judgment, news judgment, and ability to make sound decisions under deadline pressure, including during breaking news and sensitive coverage.

Demonstrated ability to manage story budgets, editorial calendars, publication workflows, assignments, deadlines, and cross‑team editorial coordination.

Excellent writing, editing, communication, and copy‑review skills with a strong commitment to accuracy, sourcing, fairness, balance, and editorial integrity.

Experience with digital‑first publishing and multi‑platform content, including written articles, newsletters, podcasts, video, social media, and other audience‑facing formats.

Strong understanding of Middle East news, U.S. policy, regional impact, and issues relevant to MBN’s audiences.

Professional proficiency in Arabic and English, with the ability to assess bilingual content for accuracy, tone, context, and consistency.

Ability to lead staff, provide constructive editorial feedback, resolve priority conflicts, and maintain effective communication across bureaus and departments.

Familiarity with editorial standards, media law considerations, legal exposure, corrections practices, and handling of sensitive or high‑risk content.

Ability to work in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment, including occasional evenings, weekends, or extended hours based on news needs.

MBN is an equal opportunity employer committed to workforce diversity.

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