Job Description

Title: US Deputy Lifestyle & Culture News Editor

Reporting to: US Lifestyle & Culture News Editor

About us

Established as a newspaper in the UK in 1986, The Independent is now a truly global publisher. It is one of the fastest growing news websites in the US, with an American readership of more than 20 million people, while in the UK it is the largest quality digital news brand.

Since transforming into a fully digital publisher in 2016, The Independent has been on a remarkable trajectory of expansion, with main offices in London and New York as well as bureaus in Washington DC, Los Angeles and beyond.

Job purpose

The Independent is seeking an experienced Lifestyle/Culture journalist to help lead our coverage as we continue to expand our editorial operation. The Deputy Lifestyle and Culture News Editor will be passionate about a range of topics across both genres, from health, travel, and style to reality TV.

They will:

• Assist the US Lifestyle and Culture News Editor with running a team of reporters
• Perform daily editing and writing duties, encompassing breaking news and longer-term features, and plan for key events.
• 40% finding, assigning, and editing stories daily; 40% writing, 20% strategizing and planning coverage ahead of time.
• Collaborate with other editors in the US and the UK to ensure high-quality, comprehensive coverage.
• Work with our audience team to expand our US readership and ensure our journalism is read as widely as possible.

About you

• Driven to succeed – you are driven to optimize the impact and reach of our coverage, to maintain and improve on The Independent’s position in terms of audience, and to further grow the brand’s reputation as a market leader in quality digital news media.
• Driving the agenda – not only do you follow culture and lifestyle news, you are uniquely qualified to ensure The Independent leads the pack thanks to your keen eye for the types of stories people can't stop reading. You have an unerring sense of which stories are going to be big and how you can optimize them to make them most attractive to a mass audience, while remaining true to our values.
• Proven leadership abilities – you have a demonstrable track record in leading a team and building positive and supportive working relationships with colleagues. You know how to create an inclusive and professional work environment. You are comfortable with inter-departmental collaboration at a senior level.
• Responsive delivery – you work to agreed goals and objectives and deal with challenges in a constructive and responsive way. You are personally invested in the quality of our work.
• Care for others - you know the value of investing in quality and are keen to promote training and personal development for yourself and for all members of your team. You show awareness of diversity at all times, and respect others.

Skills and experience:

The successful candidate will:

• Have a proven track record of writing, editing, and coordinating breaking news, exclusives, compelling features and be able to craft polished, attention-grabbing headlines. Their portfolio will include work for some of the world’s best media brands.
• Have solid news judgment and be able to prioritize urgent Vs non-urgent news, be able to identify potential high-traffic stories and be able to mine social media and other sources for stories.
• Be able to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment and juggle multiple priorities.
• Be able to communicate quickly, clearly and respectfully to their team
• Exhibit an in-depth knowledge of attracting, retaining, and growing a digital news audience and should have at least three years’ experience of working in a fast-paced multimedia news environment.
• Flexibility to work nights and weekends when required
• Have a Bachelor’s degree, preferably in journalism or communications, related field or equivalent training and/or experience.
• Commit to upholding The Independent’s reputation for trusted, quality journalism

The Independent adheres to a hybrid work model. This role will be expected to be on-site in New York City at least 3 times a week.

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

• Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.
• Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.
• Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.
• The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

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