US Consumer Correspondent

The Financial Times is looking for a US Consumer Correspondent to lead our coverage of the world’s largest consumer economy and the companies that drive it.

We envisage this position as a potential team leader role with broad scope, so we are looking for an experienced journalist, capable both of managing a group of companies reporters in New York and Chicago and of delivering confident, competitive coverage of some of the world’s largest businesses and the economy they shape.

At the heart of the beat are retail and consumer products companies such as Procter & Gamble, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Walmart that are not only brands of global reach and influence but also lenses through which to identify and explain shifts in consumer behaviour, in their home market and around the world. Retailers and the brands that fill their shelves account for 17 of the 100 largest US companies by revenue. Critically, they can also help the FT answer key questions about the US economy, such as how the interplay of inflation and interest rates is affecting consumer confidence; how spending will be affected as pandemic savings buffers thin and student loan payments restart; and where the next supply chain disruptions may come from.

The biggest retailers and consumer brands have been important sources of insights into the future of globalisation, employment and wage trends, the rise of ecommerce and the growing challenges brands face in navigating geopolitical challenges such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and political challenges closer to home, such as the conservative backlash faced by Target or Bud Light. We will be looking for a journalist with the breadth to capture a wide range of topics with confidence.

What we are looking for

You will have a record of breaking news, fluency in corporate reporting and the competitive instincts to beat our rivals to the stories FT readers care about most. We are also looking for somebody who has the writing skills and analytical ability to balance news coverage with the thematic stories, trend pieces and profiles that bring one of the FT’s most exciting beats to life.

We will expect the US consumer correspondent to work closely with colleagues around the US network and those covering similar beats in London and beyond. This is a position that offers the opportunity to report for all corners of the FT, from breaking news to Big Reads, multimedia packages to FT Weekend.

Please submit your application by the end of the day, Tuesday October 17 2023.