Washington and Politics Editor

USA Today is seeking an editor with excellent storytelling and communications skills to lead a team of reporters covering Washington and Politics.

We are looking for someone who can inspire and lead with a goal of delivering impactful journalism and exclusives on some of the biggest stories of the day, from the Trump investigations to the 2024 campaign. You enjoy brainstorming ideas and being in the middle of a big story. You are skilled at elevating news copy and meticulous about editing for accuracy and fairness.

You are passionate about accountability journalism, have an eye for people-focused politics stories and want to deliver compelling content for a broad audience, rather than Washington insiders and pundits. You have the versatility to lead coverage on big breaking stories, quick-turn enterprise and more deeply reported enterprise.

You are innovative, collaborative and eager to use metrics, SEO and experimentation to grow our audience.

Job Level: Manager, Content

Minimum salary: $95,000

Responsibilities

Lead a team of reporters focused on delivering compelling stories, scoops and exclusives about the biggest stories in politics, from the Trump investigations to the 2024 election.
Collaborate across the USA Today Network, teaming up with editors, reporters and visual journalists to create multimedia content that will help us grow audience.
Work with reporters to package and optimize stories to help them reach the widest possible audience.
Promote personal brand, the brands of colleagues and the institutional brand.
Provide great customer service, helping readers find answers and solutions.
Uphold the highest standards of journalistic integrity, ethics and credibility. Perform other duties as necessary.

Requirements

Bachelor's or master’s degree in journalism or any other subject or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum of 5 years' reporting experience. At least 2 years’ experience editing and/or leading newsroom teams is strongly preferred.
The ideal candidate is a team builder and excellent line editor with strong news judgment. You must also excel at story conceptualization and vetting copy for accuracy and fairness. You love storytelling and working with reporters to create political content that is focused on people, not on process or punditry.
A mindset of curiosity, growth and change, and a willingness to try, be wrong, and learn from setbacks.
A flair for lively, conversational writing and engaging headlines and the ability to help reporters hone these skills.
A track record of leading teams that generate scoops and exclusives.
Experience generating quick-turn news stories, thoughtful enterprise, and in-depth projects.
An interest in new ways of informing and engaging audiences on social platforms and alternate story forms.
Flexibility to work night and weekend shifts as needed.
Familiarity with SEO best practices a plus.
A collaborative approach and strong communication skills.
Understanding of – or eagerness to learn about - audience analytics and how they can help inform content decisions.
Employment is contingent on passing a post-offer pre-employment background check.