Deputy Texas Editor

Job Description

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. This role will be open until at least 6 p.m. ET Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. 

ProPublica is hiring a deputy editor to help lead our partnerships with local newsrooms across Texas as we work together to produce impactful investigative journalism. The position is part of an expanding collaboration between ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, which joined together five years ago to form a joint investigative unit focused on this diverse and critical state. 

Over that time, the partnership has produced ambitious and vital work that has spurred impact. After the team reported that hundreds of soldiers charged with offenses like sexual assault and domestic violence were allowed to leave the Army instead of facing trial, the military branch stopped allowing commanders to make such decisions on their own. The Consumer Product Safety Commission proposed sweeping new regulations to make portable generators safer in the wake of our reporting about carbon monoxide poisoning. Texas legislators closed a juvenile background check loophole in response to the team’s reporting that uncovered critical omissions. The team was also a Pulitzer Prize finalist for its analysis of the flawed police response to the Uvalde school shooting.

Now we are looking for a deputy editor who will work with the Texas editor to guide the joint investigative unit and help launch a new initiative to partner with five newsrooms across the state on accountability and investigative projects. These partnerships would offer local newsrooms stipends, training and the support of a dedicated editor, as well as other resources to pursue accountability and investigative stories around a single topic.

This role will be focused on developing, managing and editing accountability stories through these partnerships and with the Texas team. You’ll be juggling a variety of high-level projects, weighing in on story selection and direction, guiding the reporting and writing process, handling big-picture editing and line editing, and navigating the complexities of collaborative journalism. We are looking for a strong investigative editor with a history of managing collaborations.

This role is based in Texas and reports to the Texas editor for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Unit.

What you would be doing:

• Developing and nurturing partnerships with newsrooms across Texas to work on revelatory, important accountability stories and projects. 
• Working in collaboration with partner newsrooms to produce stories that can take various forms, from newspaper-style takeouts to long-form, audio and video pieces.
• Supervising the reporting and writing of pieces by reporters in local newsrooms and supervising reporters who are part of the Texas investigative unit as needed.
• Coordinating with teams at ProPublica and The Texas Tribune that include research, data, news applications, engagement, audience development and design to elevate these stories.
• Coaching journalists who range in experience from veteran investigative reporters who have tackled big subjects to newer journalists working on their first large-scale investigations.
• Editing investigative stories, including identifying and fixing structural and logical issues and elevating writing when necessary.
• Serving as a champion for accountability journalism. 

We’re looking for someone who has:

• Previous supervisory experience and at least five years of experience managing, editing or serving as a lead reporter on complex collaborative investigations. 
• The editing range to handle and think creatively about different types of investigative storytelling, including rolling investigations, traditional investigative projects, narratives and multimedia formats.
• A command of the communication and diplomacy skills necessary to center building consensus and meeting the needs of different audiences served during a collaborative project.  
• The facility for high-level story honing and writing, as well as investigative reporting.
• Experience juggling multiple projects and many responsibilities at once. Strong organizational skills are a must.
• The ability to meet deadlines and handle pressure while remaining calm.
• A deep understanding of and commitment to ProPublica’s accountability mission.
• The ability for occasional travel to staff retreats, to meet with reporters and newsrooms, or to other required events.

This job is full time and includes benefits. (Read more about ProPublica’s benefits.) The role must be based in Texas, but we are open to candidates who live in different parts of the state or who are willing to relocate. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.

The expected salary range for this position is $140,000-$160,000.

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.

Questions? Send an email to talent@propublica.org.

No phone calls, please.

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