Politics Reporter

The San Francisco Standard is seeking an experienced journalist to join our team as a politics reporter. In this role, you will be responsible for covering San Francisco's dynamic and evolving political landscape during a time of transformative change in the city and contribute to reporting on California politics and policy. 

You will be part of a reporting team that consistently breaks news and publishes stories that change how the city operates. Our goal is to hold political power accountable, explain its essential workings to residents, and ultimately improve the civic fabric and quality of the services San Franciscans receive.

Our aim is to hire an additional member of the team who will generate a stream of scoops of fact and analysis. This reporter will produce daily stories alongside in-depth features that explore the impact of politics, government, and policy for readers in San Francisco and beyond. 

Responsibilities

• Pitch and report quick-turn news, medium-length enterprise stories, and in-depth features 
• Develop and nurture strong contacts in City Hall, local and state politics, and the broader community to generate scoops 
• Stay on top of developments within key offices in the city. Conceive of and execute investigative stories probing problems and inefficiencies within local government and the activities of top officials 
• Contribute regularly to Power Play, The Standard's semiweekly political newsletter 
• Work collaboratively with editors, photographers, graphic designers, and the video team to bring stories to life 
• Represent the publication by occasionally attending relevant events, conferences or speaking engagements 

Qualifications

• Experience reporting on government, politics, or related topics 
• Strong familiarity with San Francisco and key political and government figures at the city and state levels
• Ability to cultivate sources and break news 
• Excellent beat reporting skills 
• Familiarity with campaign finance and the ability to spot news from filings.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team 
• Outstanding writing and editing abilities 
• Ability to make granular topics accessible and compelling to readers 
• Proficiency in generating original story ideas and pitching editors successfully 
• Ability to meet deadlines 
• Data visualization and data analysis skills a plus
• Spanish- and Chinese-language skills are a plus.

We are an in-office company and the role requires a physical presence in the Bay Area. This job may require occasional night and/or weekend work. We offer competitive salaries and excellent benefits. 

The pay range for this role is $120,000 to $150,000. Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate. We encourage you to apply even if you don't fit the preferred qualifications of the job.