News Editor

Launched in 1994, SFGATE.com was one of the first large-market media sites in the world and served as the exclusive digital home of the San Francisco Chronicle for 19 years. In 2019, the Chronicle (which can now be found online at the paywalled sfchronicle.com) and SFGATE officially became two separately run entities with their own editorial staffs and independent newsrooms.

Today, SFGATE is a digital-only publication that reaches more than 28 million readers every month and tells the stories of the people, places and ideas that make San Francisco, and the Bay Area at large, the weird and wonderful place that it is. We help readers navigate their day, whether it’s by keeping them updated on big breaking news, guiding them to interesting local experiences or sharing a part of the Bay they haven’t seen before.

The site is home to eight verticals: Culture, offering a unique mix of the entertainment news you actually need and the underground stories from hidden corners of the Bay Area you want; Local, the premier destination for everything that life in San Francisco encompasses (from wildly expensive real estate to schools to what it’s like to live above a raucous bar); Sports, covering the intersection of sports and culture; Tech, covering the intersection of tech and culture; Travel, covering everything from flight deals and travel news to hotel hacks and under-the-radar day trips; Politics, where we keep you up to speed on all local, state and national politics that have implications on the Bay Area; Food + Drink, where we tell you the backstory of the people behind the bar and in the kitchen; and News. Plus, the site has satellite editors covering Lake Tahoe, California Parks, the Central Coast, Hawaii, Disneyland and Cannabis.

Your impact:

Under the direction of SFGATE’s Senior News Editor, the News Editor will be a versatile journalist who is able to toggle between brainstorming content ideas, helping to oversee editorial calendars, dissecting growth and performance data, and, of course, writing and editing stories. We want someone who can really do it all — and do it with a unique editorial voice and extensive writing, editing and managerial experience. We’re especially looking for someone who likes to edit and work with new reporters. They must have a deep knowledge of and appreciation for feature journalism and news, as well as familiarity with the Bay Area and California generally.

What you'll do:

Report to the SFGATE Senior News Editor, editing three to six short news stories per day, editing larger features and writing stories as needed at the Senior News Editor’s direction.
Consistently have ideas about stories that matter to people in San Francisco, the Bay Area and California at large. You need to have a constant stream of ideas yourself but also be able to workshop someone else’s idea and ensure it has a wide audience funnel. We want someone who knows how to trace longer-term trends in the SF Bay Area and distill them for our audience.
Work autonomously when needed and meet deadlines consistently. This position comes with a lot of trust to oversee editorial calendars, meet deadlines and manage several reporters. You have to be able to do all of these things, and do them well, without a lot of hand holding.
Be consistent: This is a job that requires solid organizational skills. We want someone who can constantly ensure that all of the editorial machines are running effectively and meeting our vision, applying generous amounts of creative oil where necessary.
Communicate with the copy, audience and photo desks and editors to ensure all of the stories from the news desk are fully packaged.
Monitor analytics and build an understanding of which stories resonate with readers and which don’t.

Who you are:

You have five-plus years of relevant experience in writing, editing and management of writers or editors at a publication or in a digital media environment.
You’re comfortable overseeing a growing staff in day-to-day site operations, and you’re able to balance both assigning and editing stories and writing.
You respond nimbly to cultural and news events, unpacking them to find an SFGATE angle that can help readers find emotional or practical connections.
You know how to motivate a team and not only keep yourself organized but also inspire others to do the same.
You have a deep knowledge of the region that spans beyond a single discipline.
You have a passion for journalism and telling stories.
You are flexible and can shift your schedule to work breaking news events.
You can both work the phone and talk to people on the scene with ease.
You’re persistent and aren’t afraid to make lots of calls and knock on doors to track down a source.
You're based in the Bay Area or willing to relocate by an agreed-upon date.
You've read SFGATE and have an understanding of the brand and voice.