Editor in Chief

Street Sense Media is looking for a hard-working, compassionate, and mission-driven individual to serve as a full-time Editor-in-Chief. This position oversees the print and digital production and operations of our editorial department.

We have a small but strong award-winning newsroom that relies on a fluid team of four student intern reporters, volunteer freelancers, and and full-time deputy editor. The ideal candidate should be able to work with a diverse team that includes other editors, writers, photographers, designers, and non-editorial staff members.

Street Sense Media (SSM) is an evolving, mid-size, nonprofit media company and social service organization committed to ending chronic homelessness by providing economic opportunities and powerful forms of self-expression to men and women living in extreme poverty. We work in a collaborative, dynamic, and collegial environment for and with the people the organization serves. We are one of more than 100 street papers worldwide.

What you’ll be doing: ·

Newspaper Production

Take final responsibility for delivering files for a high-quality 16-page publication to the press by 7 p.m. every other Tuesday.
Generate story ideas and write occasionally.
Edit and assign news stories.
Solicit, evaluate, and edit poetry and prose submissions for the Art Section.
Coordinate with the Opinion Section editors (team of volunteers).
Develop page layouts and prepare graphics for print with the Adobe Creative Suite.·

Management

Supervise the staff reporter.
Recruit, train, and supervise a rotating cohort of 5-7 interns. (Reporters, an audience engagement role, and a graphic designer).
Recruit and coordinate editorial volunteers.
Coach contributors to develop work for the News, Art, and Opinion sections.
This position reports to the CEO.

Community Engagement and Listening

Develop and nurture relationships with sources across the city.
Represent Street Sense Media at community events relevant to the issues we cover.
Remain current with research and best practices for addressing poverty.
Remain current with journalism best practices and innovative ways to build trust and serve audience members’ information needs.
Manage special projects, such as the annual news blitz, to engage new readers.

Development

Manage digital promotion of editorial content through social media, email, multimedia.
Identify funding opportunities to support and sustain our journalism and publishing. When appropriate, help apply for those opportunities.
Build and manage partnerships with external newsrooms and internal media channels.
All other duties as assigned.

We’re looking for someone who…

Has the demonstrated ability to produce high-quality, ethical journalism.
Shares a strong commitment to accountability and enterprise reporting.
Has excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Has managed a team.
Is proficient with Adobe InDesign.
Can work in a fast moving, collaborative environment.
Is organized and able to manage multiple projects at once.
Can connect policy decisions to readers’ lives.
Meets deadlines and ensures accuracy.
Thinks strategically and creatively.

Preferred but not required qualifications include…

Experience working/volunteering with people experiencing homelessness; Lived experience of
homelessness is even more highly valued.
Background in critically reviewing art: personal essays, poetry, fiction, etc.
Experience managing other journalists.
Experience coordinating volunteers.
Community listening / audience engagement experience.
Proficiency with WordPress content management software.
Proficiency with audio/video storytelling and editing.

To apply…

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, three work samples, and three professional references to jobs@streetsensemedia.org with the subject line “Editor-in-Chief.”

If you aren’t sure whether your past experience is the perfect fit, please still apply. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage candidates to apply regardless of age, color, ethnic background, country of origin, religion, disability status, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity.