Editorial Director

Summary: We’re seeking a strategic, mission-driven editorial leader to guide the newsroom at Spotlight PA, an award-winning independent news organization covering Pennsylvania's Capitol, urgent statewide issues, and local government through a growing network of regional teams. The mission of Spotlight PA is simple: to hold powerful private and public forces to account by producing journalism that gets results and serves the public good. Spotlight PA has the largest collaborative network of its kind in the United States, with stories shared across 125+ partner newsrooms, allowing our journalism to be read by millions of Pennsylvanians each year.

What you’ll do: The editorial director will refine and oversee Spotlight PA’s ambitious editorial vision and strategy, ensuring we meet our high bar of high-quality journalism centered around one or more of our value pillars: relevant, revelatory, unique, useful, and impactful. Reporting directly to the CEO, the editorial director will set editorial priorities and oversee workflow across the newsroom, including story production and editing, newsletters, engagement (social, audio, video, games, etc.), and partner initiatives. The editorial director will ensure a consistent pipeline of investigative and enterprise projects and maintain our high standards for clear, accurate, and compelling writing, regularly measuring progress and impact against the organizational mission and Spotlight PA’s Vision 2035 strategic plan . The editorial director will regularly update the CEO on strategy, major investigations and projects, and new initiatives, and collaborate closely with the CEO and Director of Growth and Product Strategy on audience and product goals, ensuring effective use of resources and engagement of underserved residents.

The editorial director will recruit, supervise, mentor, and evaluate editorial leaders, and oversee the same for editors and reporters; identify new or changed roles the newsroom needs, and work with the CEO to fund them; and communicate opportunities for advancement, skill-building, and training. They will communicate goals and strategy to the full editorial staff and provide updates as needed, establish a process for frank and constructive feedback, serve as a sounding board, and hold office hours to take feedback and questions. The editorial director will also oversee newsroom policy, writing and implementing high-level policy documents — including on the newsroom’s use of AI — and will embrace the responsible use of technology to serve as many Pennsylvanians as possible.

The editorial director will be the face of the newsroom with staff, donors, board members, community members, and other stakeholders, participating in board meetings, community events, conferences, and funding-related cohorts. They will serve as the point person for potential editorial partnerships and collaborations — both internally and with outside partners — ensuring each one fits the newsroom’s capacity and strategic direction. The editorial director will manage the newsroom budget and participate in the annual budgeting process, and will work with the development team to advance fundraising, membership growth, revenue-generating editorial products and projects, and newsroom-based grants. Throughout, they will work to protect Spotlight PA’s editorial independence, prevent siloing, and keep communication seamless between the newsroom and the wider organization.

Who we’re looking for: The editorial director should have significant experience leading accountability journalism at a high level, including managing editors and reporters and seeing ambitious and innovative investigative projects from idea through publication and impact. Applicants should have demonstrated experience executing priorities and workflow, juggling competing opportunities with limited resources, and communicating with a wide range of audiences, from reporters to funders to board members. We want someone who can build and sustain a healthy newsroom culture, develop staff throughout their careers, and think creatively about how technology, audience, and product can extend the reach of our journalism. In short, ideal candidates will have experience being both a great editor and a great people manager, including examples of prioritizing newsroom diversity and managing personnel challenges.

Top-notch organizational skills and a demonstrated attention to detail are a must, as well as an ability to work in a collaborative environment with external partners. We’re an agile startup that values camaraderie and shares a passion for our work. Everyone on our team pitches in across the organization and brings a sense of urgency and drive to their work every day. We value innovation, creativity, and originality, and we’re always seeking to explore new and experimental ways of telling stories and connecting with audiences.

This job is full-time and includes benefits, with an estimated salary range of $160,000-$175,000, though other factors could affect an ultimate offer. Candidates must be based in Pennsylvania or willing to relocate in short order, and will need to travel for in-state engagements and national conferences several times per year. Applicants should include a resume and cover letter addressing in specific detail how they meet the qualifications listed in this posting. 

We know not everyone reading this will fit exactly what we’ve described. We encourage anyone who shares our passion for accountability reporting, collaborative journalism, and newsroom leadership to apply. Spotlight PA is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture, and we strongly encourage applications from members of underrepresented communities, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities.