Sports Editor

The Peoria Journal Star / pjstar .com , part of the USA TODAY NETWORK, is seeking an editor to lead the sports desk that covers high school sports in central Illinois, Bradley University basketball and other items of local interest.

The ideal candidate will work with our experienced sports writers, accentuating their work with deft editing, headline writing and SEO knowledge. The editor will be the lead for the sports department on our print and digital platforms, coordinating with an award‑winning photographer to ensure we get memorable visuals for routine stories and championship events.

In this role, you will:

Respond to a robust local sports community

Assign and edit stories for collegiate, high school and recreational and minor league sports

Occasionally, coordinate coverage for multiple sites

Establish and maintain ongoing lines of communication among sports teams across the USA TODAY Network

Monitor metrics and use SEO best practice

Write columns, briefs, trending articles and/or predictions

Requirements:

Bachelor's or master's degree in journalism or related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience

5+ years of relevant management/supervisory experience

Proven proficiency in applying analytics to content strategy

Strong communication and collaboration skills

Exposure to deadline‑driven environment

Exceptional planning and organizational skills

SEO knowledge

Self‑motivation and self‑direction

Strong line‑editing skills

Strong people‑management skills

Strong problem‑solving skills

Industry knowledge:

Understanding of the multi‑faciated sports environment — from game coverage to fan experiences

Understanding of how to engage audiences on digital platforms

The ability to multi‑task and excel under intense deadline pressure

The ability to work collaboratively

#J-18808-Ljbffr