[Hiring] Managing Editor @NC Local

Role Description

NC Local is looking for a managing editor to lead a talented and growing newsroom as we deliver on our mission of bringing statewide issues home to people across North Carolina.

We’re looking for a newsroom leader who can turn our mission into high-impact coverage. You’re an experienced editor and manager who coaches people to do their best work. You bring creative ideas for making news and policy easier to understand. And you lead from within the team, supporting colleagues inside the newsroom and working closely with news partners across the state.

This is a remote position based in North Carolina. You’ll be expected to travel around the state as needed for team or partner meetings and events.

What you'll do

• Manage the newsroom day-to-day: assigning stories, reviewing pitches, maintaining an editorial calendar, and overseeing publishing.
• Lead editorial meetings that keep our coverage focused on NC Local's strategy and the issues we've chosen to go deep on.
• Know the state's issues, including policy and politics, and help reporters identify stories, angles and questions that fill coverage gaps.
• Guide reporters in asking for every story: does it help North Carolinians make sense of an issue, or help them do something about it?
• Balance quick-hit reporting with longer-term projects and features.
• Edit and copy edit reporters' work for substance, accuracy and clarity.
• Help reporters sharpen framing, structure and clarity so people understand how an issue affects them.
• Think creatively about how news and information are presented, often going beyond articles — for example explainers, guides, maps, newsletters, social and more.
• Manage editing assignments for other editors and contributors, overseeing their work as needed.
• Oversee the production of our newsletters, ensuring they are produced and edited according to schedule.
• Work closely with the Director of Community Engagement to ensure our reporting reaches the people it's meant for.
• Bring what we hear through NC Local’s community listening and audience engagement initiatives into our reporting from the start.
• Work with reporters and engagement team members on plans for how each piece of content will reach people across the state.
• Conceive, execute and manage editorial collaborations and partnerships with NC Local’s news and information partners.
• Supervise reporters and help them grow their skills and their work.
• Coach reporters on story ideas, sourcing, structure and presentation.
• Build the routines and processes that keep the newsroom running smoothly.
• Help hire reporters and editors and seek out contributors, following NC Local’s growth plan and strategy.

Commitment to diversity and inclusivity

NC Local is building an inclusive team that represents the diversity and multifaceted nature of our state across geography, demographics, culture and other lived experiences. We welcome talented individuals from all backgrounds who bring curiosity, dedication and a drive to succeed. If you're interested in this role but don't meet every listed criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway.

What you bring to the organization

• You're an experienced editor with at least 5 years of news leadership experience, including time spent in supervising or editing roles.
• You have strong news judgment and can lead coverage on North Carolina’s top state issues, including policy and politics.
• You're skilled across storytelling formats and bring ideas about new ways to present information.
• You understand NC Local's role and how we set our coverage apart for North Carolinians.
• You can keep daily work moving while protecting time for deeper projects and features.
• You enjoy coaching reporters and helping them do their best work.
• You’re comfortable with editing multiple stories per day and managing a small team of reporters producing work across formats.
• You're a sharp copy editor with an eye for accuracy and plain language.
• You're comfortable publishing to digital platforms and working with content management systems.
• You work well across teams and are comfortable in an early-stage organization that's still developing processes.

You'll stand out if:

• You've led a newsroom or desk at a nonprofit or early-stage news organization.
• You've built coverage or products that go beyond the traditional news article.
• You have a track record of collaborating with other newsrooms and even non-newsroom groups.

Compensation & benefits

• This is a salaried, full-time position.
• The starting salary for this position is $105,000, with final compensation based on experience.
• Employees can participate in an employer-sponsored health insurance plan, including vision and dental coverage.
• Paid time off and holidays in accordance with NC Local policy.
• A 401(k) plan.

How to apply

Submit a one-page resume and cover letter that briefly states why you’re interested in the role and answers the following questions:

• What specific skills or experiences would you bring to an early-stage statewide nonprofit newsroom?
• Share a story or project you led that helped your audience understand how a government decision or policy issue affected their lives. What was your role, what was the goal and what was the result?
• Share an example of using a nontraditional format for a news story, whether it was a story you’ve led or one that you admire from someone else. What works about the format and what audience needs does it meet?

The priority deadline for applications is Dec. 7. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with the position open until filled.