Senior Writer Editor, Today, Explained Newsletter

Job Description

Vox is seeking a creative, flexible journalist to lead the Today, Explained newsletter, our flagship daily email product.
This job will include both editing and writing: you should see yourself as the host of the newsletter, with the responsibility of helping the audience understand the biggest news stories and conversations affecting our world. This might mean finding an angle to write your own original news analysis, doing a quick Q&A with a Vox journalist, or assigning a short piece to someone else in the newsroom, then editing it for publication. You'll be responsible for the newsletter as a whole, and for ensuring that it's consistently engaging with the news and the zeitgeist, and that the reading experience feels creative, fresh, and surprising.
We're looking for a sharp, nimble editorial thinker - a strong writer and a sharp, creative editor - who can work with us to set a strategy and direction for the newsletter, then carry it out from day to day. Flexibility and creativity with formats is a must. You should be eager to try new approaches to bring clarity and understanding to our audience: curious people outside of the media bubble who want to be informed, not overwhelmed..
This role is housed within Vox's policy, politics and ideas team and may also include other editorial duties. Most of the work will happen during business hours on weekdays, but evening and weekend work will be required as the news demands.
WHO WE ARE
Vox candidly shepherds audiences through politics and policy, business and pop culture, food, science, and everything else that matters.
Vox is part of Vox Media, the leading modern media company. We guide our audience from discovery to obsession. We inspire essential conversations about what's now, what's next, and what's possible.
As a community of journalists and storytellers, business professionals, creators and technologists, we believe it is a moral and business imperative to amplify voices: to cultivate diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout our organization and media. This applies to our candidates, our teams, our storytelling, our creative work, and our platforms, products, and partnerships.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
• Work with editorial leadership to set a vision for the Today Explained newsletter in keeping with the broader Vox editorial and business strategy.
• Determine the editorial calendar and work with editors across the site to assign original reporting or short analysis. Stay on top of the news, both foreign and domestic, working to find and assign original angles for newsletter coverage.
• Pitch and write for the newsletter yourself. While the exact ratio of editing to writing will vary week to week, this editor/writer should see themselves as the newsletter's host - bringing the audience what they need to know, whether that's introducing a short piece from another writer, conducting an interview or Q&A, or writing an analysis yourself.
• Manage a part-time staff editor who handles newsletter production, among other tasks
• Monitor and discuss data and analytics to understand what's resonating with the newsletter audience and make it as useful as possible
• Other duties as assigned
WHO YOU ARE
• 5+ years of combined experience as a writer and/or editor
• Strong editing, writing, and idea generation skills
• Excellent news judgment and the ability to find original angles on big stories
• Flexible and creative thinking about the best way to serve the audience and create a high quality newsletter. Previous newsletter experience may be helpful, but is not required.
• A collaborative approach to your work – this is a position that requires constant cooperation with other teams to assign and adapt pieces for the newsletter
• Management experience is a plus, but not required
If you think you have what it takes, but don't meet every single point in our job posting, please apply with a cover letter to let us know how you believe you can bring your unique skills to the Vox Media team or get in touch! We've hired chefs who became editors, DJs who became UX designers, and sommeliers who became writers.
WHERE YOU'LL WORK
This job is remote.

PAY TRANSPARENCY
The salary range listed below represents the minimum and maximum base pay for this position at the time of this posting. Final salary offered to the candidate selected for the position will be based on factors including but not limited to the candidate's skills and experience.
Pay Range
$90,000 — $113,000 USD

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-pkkbw0-216-73-216-161-42 in your application.