The Los Angeles Times has an opening for an Environment, Health and Science Department director who can edit and manage an award-winning team of journalists in the nation’s most compelling and competitive news market.

Whether it’s recurring drought, sea level rise, extreme heat or massive wildfires, California is on the front lines of climate change and a leader in the movement toward sustainable living and renewable energy. Climate California strives to serve its readers with up-to-the-minute climate and environment news, as well as in-depth coverage and commentary on the consequences of global warming and the efforts to fight it.

At the same time, Los Angeles Times health, science and medicine reporters endeavor to cover a region that is at the forefront of scientific and medical research.

The ideal candidate will have at least 10 years of editing experience and five years of experience writing and editing environment, health and science stories and projects.

The Times is looking for a skilled communicator who is able to work with reporters of varying experience levels and inspire their best performance. They will be able to work collaboratively with editors and reporters from other departments and maintain the highest journalistic standards, striving for fairness, objectivity and accountability.

Candidates will be able to direct a team of more than a dozen reporters, juggling breaking news, enterprise stories, projects and special assignments including podcasts, live events and documentaries.
Successful candidates will be flexible, resourceful and organized, and able to use story analytics to produce work that engages readers and motivates them to subscribe. They will be responsible for directing coverage that resonates with readers, managing projects, representing the department at editorial meetings, writing annual reviews and appearing at public events.

Responsibilities:

Assign and edit coverage; ensure that reporting is attentive to detail, consistently accurate, delivered with high quality under constant deadlines and edited to conform with accepted journalistic techniques, ethical standards and the style of the publication
Work with the fellow leaders to set a strategic course that prioritizes digital development, grows audience, readership and digital subscriptions and fulfills current company goals
Apply creativity to story generation, visual element generation and the presentation of news and information in the most relevant, interesting way
Supervise a team of reporters; work with other editors to schedule staffers
Complete administrative tasks such as timecard approval and absence requests for direct reports
Provide feedback to employees on their performance and complete formal performance reviews

Requirements:

Minimum 10 years of editing experience with 5 years of experience writing and editing environment, health and science stories and projects
Substantial experience managing and directing reporters
Ability to foster excellent communication with peers, supervisors and the newsroom
Ability to navigate digital platforms and stay on top of current events
Proven ability to work well in a team setting and juggle multiple tasks in a deadline-driven environment
Excellent skills in line editing, combining strong news judgment, fluency in style and deep knowledge of taste and legal considerations
A nuanced understanding of audience data and analytics and a track record of using data to make informed decisions on coverage
An ethical and inclusive approach in the workplace that promotes collaboration
An excellent team player and effective communicator who’s able to work comfortably with a wide variety of personalities and skill levels and across departments
Versatility and adaptability, working not just across production platforms but also across subject areas

This management role is based in El Segundo, Calif. Occasional night, weekend and holiday work is expected.

Qualified candidates should submit a resume, cover letter and applicable clips to Managing Editor Hector Becerra at the Apply link.

The L.A. Times is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all qualified applicants regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We actively work to create an inclusive environment where all of our employees can thrive. This Privacy Notice for Los Angeles Times sets forth how we will use the information we obtain when you apply for a position through this career site. Explore our company history, achievement, values, mission and more on our career site.

The pay scale the Company reasonably expects to pay for this position at the time of the posting is $150,000 to $160,000 and takes into account a wide range of factors including but not limited to skill set, experience, training, licenses, certifications, and other business or organizational needs. Compensation will be determined based on the above factors along with the requirements of the position. At the L.A. Times, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for the role. Please visit our career site to view the benefits available to our employees. We recommend adding our applicant tracking system domain (@dayforce.com) as a safe sender or contact, sometimes these emails get filtered to candidates' spam folders.

The Company is a mandatory vaccination employer for COVID-19 and its variants. The Company requires that its employees be fully vaccinated as of their start date. If you require a medical or religious accommodation, we will engage in the interactive process with you. Proof of vaccination will be required prior to start. If we make you an offer and you are not yet vaccinated, we will accommodate a delay in start date.

Other details

Job Family Los Angeles Times Super Co.
Job Function Director
Pay Type Salary
Min Hiring Rate $150,000.00
Max Hiring Rate $160,000.00

California Times jobs

Environment, Health and Science Editor