Investigations Editor (AJC)

Company

Cox Enterprises

Job Family Group

Editorial & Newsroom

Job Profile

Manager, Editorial

Management Level

Manager - People Leader

Flexible Work Option

Hybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the week

Travel %

Yes, 5% of the time

Work Shift

Day

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary of $85,500.00 - $128,300.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Job Description

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is seeking an investigations editor to help guide ambitious, mission-driven investigative journalism that holds powerful institutions and individuals to account for serving the public. The editor must be able to recognize and shape relevant, high-quality storytelling that improves the lives of Georgians.

This is an important role in one of the most exciting and ambitious newsrooms in America. We are a family-owned company with a deep commitment to both interesting and important journalism. We are investing to transform from a storied daily newspaper to a modern media organization while we expand our audience, influence and coverage across Atlanta, Georgia, and the South.

We are seeking a creative leader versed in investigative journalism who can envision and embrace new approaches to connect and build audiences. As the AJC transforms, this leader will have a critical role in bringing our journalism to our digital audience. This position will help us take strong advantage of data, audio, video and other technologies to enhance our storytelling.

The team consists of reporters, multiple editors and data journalists and collaborates with other teams to provide both short-term and long-term investigative stories. This editor will need to be able to move smoothly between quick watchdog stories off the news, medium-term accountability enterprise and occasional long-term projects and series.

This leader will be expected to work in a multi-editor team collaboratively, helping drive the work of the entire team and working with all reporters on the team, regardless of direct lines of supervision. Team editors collectively shape and select stories, coach team members and backfill for each other.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced or emerging leader who has a record of improving both journalists and journalism. A candidate with a great reporting record and demonstrated leadership on a team or as a mentor to others in the newsroom is eligible, even without extensive formal editing experience. Strong editing skills and the ability to elevate reporting and polish the final product are a must.

The primary duties of this leader include thoughtful coaching of reporters, elevating investigative ideas; supervising stories efficiently and collaboratively and driving results to ensure audiences across all platforms are served with relevant, impactful and ambitious storytelling. The editor helps maintain the journalistic, ethical and professional standards of our journalism for the AJC.

This editor is responsible for collaborating to ensure that the team plans coverage, produces original journalism and maximizes the value of each piece of content to meet reader needs. This person must use real-time metrics as well as ongoing research to determine audience interests and provide expert guidance to team members on how to achieve results.

The position requires a high level of journalistic ability, attention to detail on some of our most important journalism and the capacity to collaborate effectively within the team and across the newsroom.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree preferably in a related field

• With a BA, at least 6 years of experience in a fast-paced media environment with at least 1 year experience in a management or lead role. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 4+ years' experience; a Ph.D. and 2+ years of experience; or 10 years' experience in a related field without a degree.
• Strong preference for candidates with 10+ years of relevant journalistic experience with at least 5 years of experience in a role leading/originating or editing original, deeply-reported stories that break news and get results.

• Demonstrated strong news judgment and excellent editing ability.

• Demonstrated ability to lead teams to follow standards and execute large-scale news initiatives.

• Strong record supervising/driving high-quality, ambitious work.

• Track record of effectively partnering with different teams across newsrooms and the entire organization. Excellent interpersonal and collaborative skills to work effectively across groups.

• Excellent record of accuracy and integrity.

• Excellent communication skills.
• Reliable transportation and home internet required

* While this position allows hybrid work, it will be based in metro Atlanta and will require some days in the AJC's office.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, parental leave, and COVID-19 vaccination leave.

About Us

As our primary divisions Cox Automotive and Cox Communications drive new waves of innovation, Cox Enterprises is entering spaces like cleantech, healthcare, esports and more. We're a family business guided by a legacy of bold innovation that's driven by those who want to make their mark. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer - All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual's age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.