Economic Development Reporter

The Silicon Valley Business Journal is looking for a reporter with a deep interest in a local economy that serves as the home to some of the biggest companies in the world. This reporter will break news, unearth trends, interview local business, political and community leaders and explore the intersection of business and government. This beat is a high-profile position, not just at the Business Journal, but in the broader local business community.

Among the topics that this reporter will follow:

How Silicon Valley cities approach taxation, permitting and other types of business licenses

What local cities are doing to address arguably their — and the business community's — biggest challenge: housing
Higher education, including the campus development efforts at institutions including San Jose State, Stanford and Santa Clara University; the direction provided by their leadership; their interactions with the local business community and their efforts to train the workforce of the future.
Transportation, including regional and local transit issues that are important to employers and their workforces.
Small business, including the challenges such entities face in the post-Covid recovery period.
The local banking and legal industries.

Politics, particularly during election years.

Reporters are the beating heart of every Business Journal. They have the vital task of pumping news, information and life into our print and digital publications.

Business Journal reporters need to establish themselves as the go-to sources of news, data and analysis in their assigned areas of coverage. Scoops matter. A lot. Only by being “out front” of the news can reporters establish their credibility with their audience, identify the most influential newsmakers and explain the news on their beats with authority. The top mission of the Economic Development Reporter is the same as every other reporter at the Business Journal — to attract and build an audience for their coverage and to own their beat.

Our reporters must marry strong traditional journalism skills — source building, sharp interviewing techniques, strong analytical and investigative reporting skills, clear writing, document use — with online and social media know-how. They are expected to contribute both short articles and in-depth reports for both our print and online publications.

A Business Journal reporter is widely recognized as the community’s foremost authority on their assigned beat. The Business Journal brand provides the kind of access to business and community leaders that other journalists can only hope for, and it is the responsibility of our reporters to use networking events, Twitter, LinkedIn and other community-building outlets to develop sources and build their audience. With online and other metrics, the Business Journals can determine how engaged readers are with our online content. Reporters and editors are responsible for attracting loyal readers and convincing them to keep coming back. Constant audience growth is a key measure of success.

The SV Business Journal uses a hybrid work setup with at least two days spent working from SVBJ’s offices in Downtown San Jose. Extensive computer use required. Some travel required. Ability to work flexible work schedules, including nights, weekends and holidays on occasion, as needed.