Assistant Sports Editor

The Bay Area News Group, publisher of The Mercury News and East Bay Times, is looking for an assistant sports editor who can help wrangle major pro teams across three cities with a digital focus that will grow our audience for the most important sports stories of the day.

Must be located in the South or East Bay Area, or willing to relocate.

What you will do:

Coach our savvy beat reporters, cultivate fresh ideas, help our leadership team strategize and provide innovative ideas that will drive readership across every digital channel: websites, newsletters, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Assign and edit a small team of sports reporters and collaborate with other sports editors

Manage play across our websites and newsletters

Help analyze key metrics and routinely share that information with the staff

Employ an audience-first, engagement-heavy approach and show others how it’s done

Pitch ideas that appeal to the fan base rather than regurgitating press conferences

Be a master of SEO, and work closely with our writers on best practices of WordPress, social media and reader experience

Bring an editor's eye to headlines, leads, subject lines, promos and more

Jump in on aggregation or reporting assignments when needed

Assist in daily print planning and mapping out longer-term projects

Contribute ideas for stories, videos, special packages, etc.

Run our social channels and experiment with new ones

What you will bring:

3+ years of sports journalism experience; editor experience preferred

Degree in journalism, communication or equivalent experience

Solid news judgment

Previous story editing and mentoring experience

The ability to work collaboratively across teams and publishing platforms in a fast-paced digital environment

Good knowledge of digital content tools and systems and the ability to train journalists to use them most effectively

Experience using analytics tools, including Google Analytics, Parse.ly

Familiarity with and interest in sports is a must; familiarity with Bay Area sports is a big plus

Willingness to adapt work schedules around major events and ability to work nights and weekends

Must live in the Bay Area or be willing to relocate

The annual salary range is $75,000-$80,000. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, time in role, certifications, etc. In addition to your salary, MediaNews Group offers a comprehensive benefits package, and a 401K plan (all benefits are based on eligibility).