Senior Editor

The Bellingham Herald is seeking a creative, collaborative senior editor who will be responsible for handling the newsroom’s content, strategy, personnel and experimentation.

The ideal editor will have the story-identifying and story-writing skills of a great writer or editor; the reader-engagement skills of a strong social media editor; the statistical knowledge of an analytics expert; and the coaching skills of a great leader.

As senior editor, you will ensure that The Bellingham Herald’s journalists produce unique, audience-focused coverage consistent with McClatchy’s longstanding mission of independent, essential local news that serves the public. We are seeking a leader with strong communication skills who can move quickly and creatively to drive engagement at all levels of the organization.

The ideal candidate should be comfortable juggling and shifting priorities throughout the day. This is a hands-on position with heavy editing and coaching responsibilities. The editor in this position should be eager to collaborate with colleagues throughout the organization and across McClatchy’s Northwest newsrooms.

A key requirement of the senior editor role is to serve as the face of the newsroom in the community, including developing relationships and building community support.

This editor will be expected to utilize digital analytics to the newsroom’s benefit while understanding some key nuances. You should be comfortable analyzing story performance, identifying audiences and how we reach them, and collaborating with other teams to distribute that content to multiple platforms.

The anticipated base pay range for this position is between $90,000 and $100,000 annually. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, relevant education, department equity, training, geography, and local wage and hours laws.

Core competencies:

• The proven ability to lead, inspire, and convey knowledge to others and to work effectively with a wide range of colleagues in managing change.

• Skill and versatility as an editor and a writer, including the ability to shape everything from breaking news briefs to longform pieces in a way that best serves and engages our audiences.

• Excellent news judgment and a demonstrated ability to “see the story” that is going to matter to readers and to anticipate reader interests.

• The ability to articulate and reinforce standards for ethics and professional conduct as well as journalistic excellence.

• The ability to solve problems, innovate and adapt in service of the primary goal, which is to produce quality, innovative journalism that reaches and engages readers and subscribers and has an impact.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in journalism

• At least 3-5 years of newsroom experience, with at least 1 year of that being in a leadership role.

• Fluency with analytics and how to apply them.

• A way with headlines and an understanding of what works well on different platforms.

• Good working knowledge of SEO practices.

• A proven record of driving readership through Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms.

What we’ll bring: As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on health, well-being, wealth and daily life, our package options includes healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends. Our overall benefit package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. With an excellent support team and with focus on your well-being as a top corporate strategy, McClatchy provides benefits to support you and your family in achieving your health and wellness goals. For more information on McClatchy's benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com.

When applying, include a persuasive cover letter, your resume and four to six examples of your best work.

About McClatchy: Our impact is growing every day. 30 growing markets. Over 65 million monthly readers. 56 Pulitzer Prizes. A strong portfolio of dynamic partnerships and smart investments. Our award-winning journalism, digital reach, and commitment to innovative growth have never been stronger. As a member of the McClatchy family, you are part of a flexible, empowering, and exciting culture dedicated to creating a work/life balance and consistent opportunities for growth—a place where you have a voice and the ability to impact our future. It’s an exciting time to be here. Our company is experiencing the most transformative period in its history. We’re growing rapidly in the digital space and delivering award-winning journalism in innovative ways.

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