ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This role will be open until at least Oct. 21, 2024.
We’re hiring a visuals editor who will work collaboratively with ProPublica colleagues and partner newsrooms across a wide range of topics. The editor may also work with external partners on long- and short-term projects through the Local Reporting Network. As with all our work at ProPublica, the job is ultimately to help create compelling investigations that spur change. Collaborative projects with our Local Reporting Network partners have garnered the Pulitzer Prize for public service, the George Polk Award and the Selden Ring Award for Investigative Reporting, among others.
The visuals editor will work closely with the art director and the rest of the visuals team to find compassionate, incisive and original approaches to story presentation. We’re looking for someone with exceptional abilities to understand and interpret complex investigations, and to facilitate a meaningful and resonant presentation of a story. This role requires individual creative initiative, collaborative curiosity, enthusiasm and a rigorous commitment to the impact-based mission of ProPublica.
A successful candidate will have extensive experience commissioning outstanding visuals, including illustration and photography. A commitment to diversity and inclusion, as well as care for the health and safety of those working in the field, is essential.
We’re looking for someone who has:
- Strong news judgment and a solid understanding of photojournalism and visual journalism ethics.
- The ability to clearly communicate a vision and guide it to fruition when commissioning visual artists, photographers and other creatives.
- Experience compiling visual storyboards and writing creative project briefs, and working in visual design tools like Photoshop, Sketch and Figma.
- An outstanding eye for visual narrative and the demonstrated ability to deploy photography, illustration and design elements for effective storytelling and art direction.
- Fresh ideas on how to experiment with novel formats, new artists and established illustrators to create meaningful work unbound by precedent.
- Wire and archival photo research skills, a deep familiarity with copyright permissions and demonstrated competency negotiating licensing rights.
- A collaborative mindset, stellar communication skills and the ability to work on several projects at once. You’ll need to stay organized and focused.
- A good working knowledge of HTML and CSS. Experience with JavaScript, Sass and other dev tools/languages is a plus but not required.
Because this is a news environment, the ideal candidate should also have confidence working simultaneously on multiple projects with frequent, fast-paced deadlines. Great time management skills are a must, but just as important is a commitment to being a great colleague and a respectful human being.
What you should send us:
The most important part of your application by far is your work examples. Typically that means your portfolio, but if you don’t have one, please send links or screenshots of projects you’ve worked on or contributed to in some way and describe your role in detail, even if you weren’t the lead. We want to know what worked, what might not have and how your contribution fit into the context of what was needed for the project.
This job is full time and includes benefits. (Read more about ProPublica’s benefits.) ProPublica is based in New York, but we’re open to remote candidates. We also have locations in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Chicago; Austin, Texas; Phoenix; and Berkeley, California. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.
The expected salary range for this position is $95,000 to $120,000.
This is a good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position. The final salary figure will take into account a person’s experience, accomplishment and location. ProPublica is committed to paying its staff equitably, and these ranges should not be considered career salary limits or caps.
We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, but we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our site, through at least Oct. 1.
Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org.
No phone calls, please.
We know there are great candidates who may not fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.
We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. (Here is a breakdown of our staff.) We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. And we are taking steps to meet that commitment. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other status protected under applicable law.
