Immigration, Environment and Climate Editor

Immigration, Environment and Climate Editor 

The Texas Tribune, the state's go-to source for Texas politics and public policy news, is seeking an editor to lead coverage of immigration, environment and climate — three of the most consequential and fast-changing beats in Texas. This editor will help shape how we cover the whiplash of immigration policy changes, an escalating water crisis, the explosion of data centers and the growing toll of continuous natural disasters. 

We're looking for an editor with the judgment to recognize what matters, the curiosity to keep asking better questions and the ability to help reporters consistently produce work that's both indispensable today and memorable tomorrow. Deep expertise on these beats is valuable, but it's not the only path to success. We're equally interested in candidates who have demonstrated an ability to master complex subjects, frame impactful stories, identify opportunities others miss and help reporters produce journalism that helps audiences understand Texas. This is an especially exciting moment to join the Tribune as we strengthen our audience strategy and invest in reaching more Texans. 

This editor will lead a team of three talented reporters, each of whom works remotely from different parts of the state. The job is to help them own their beats — to know what's happening today, anticipate what matters tomorrow and pursue stories Texans need to navigate life in this state. That means pushing for aggressive breaking news, accountability reporting and quick-turn enterprise while creating space for ambitious narratives and investigations. We don't see those as competing priorities: The strongest investigative and narrative journalism comes from reporters who deeply know their beats and consistently own the news. 

This person will join a talented policy editing bench that collaborates closely with our Audience, Visuals, Data and Product teams. The successful candidate will report to the Tribune's managing editor for news and state affairs and partner with them to manage and grow our newsroom fellowship program. It's a chance to identify exceptional early-career journalists, launch careers, strengthen one of the Tribune's most important talent pipelines and shape the next generation of Texas journalists. The ideal candidate will be equally energized by challenging experienced reporters, coaching emerging journalists and building a newsroom where people continually improve. 

Responsibilities: 

• Think broadly and expansively about our priorities and resources to ensure that our coverage includes a strong mix of accountability journalism, explanatory work and ground-up reporting on the people and movements that shape and are affected by policy and political discourse. 
• Collaborate with colleagues on stories on other beats as needed. 
• Collaborate with the Tribune’s Data and Product teams on daily stories, long-term features and data explorers.
• Collaborate with the Tribune’s Audience, Visuals and Events teams to ensure we have rich storytelling that addresses what Texans want and need. 
• As part of the editing team, assign and participate in panel discussions for Tribune events and the annual Texas Tribune Festival. 
• Participate in radio and television hits with our media partners. 
• All reporters and editors at the Tribune are responsible for occasional evening, weekend and holiday work, as well as general assignment shifts as news demands. 

Qualifications: 

• Experience editing or reporting on public policy, government or other complex subject areas. 
• The ability to quickly understand complicated issues, identify the most important stories and help reporters frame them in ways that reach broad audiences. 
• A demonstrated ability to coach journalists with varying levels of experience, helping them produce stronger reporting, write more clearly and grow in their careers.
• Enthusiasm for beat reporting that is both urgent and ambitious: breaking news, accountability reporting, explainers and long-term enterprise all have an essential place in our journalism. 
• Excellent news judgment and the ability to prioritize coverage in a fast-moving news environment. 
• Strong reporting, editing, fact-checking and writing skills, with a firm grasp of AP style and journalistic ethics. 
• An ability to identify potential in journalists at different stages of their careers and help them grow through thoughtful coaching, high expectations and consistent feedback.
• A collaborative approach to working across the newsroom, including with Audience, Data, Product, Visuals and Events teams. 
• Familiarity with Texas politics, government and geography is preferred but not required.
• Spanish-language proficiency is preferred but not required. 

We know some great candidates won't meet every qualification listed here. If you're excited about this role and believe you can help our newsroom produce outstanding journalism — even if your experience looks different from what we've described — we encourage you to apply. 

Location 

This position is based in Texas. 

Compensation 

The salary for this position will depend on experience. The minimum is $100,000 

Benefits 

This job is full-time and has the following benefits:

• Medical, vision and dental insurance 
• A cellphone stipend 
• 20 days of paid time off each year 
• Up to 16 weeks of paid family leave, plus four weeks of additional job protection 
• 401(k) matching 
• Support for professional training and attending industry conferences 
• Remote work flexibility 

How to Apply 

Submit your application with a résumé and cover letter summarizing your previous experience and why you want to work at our award-winning news organization. We will review applications as we receive them at least through July 31st, and we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our jobs page. The Texas Tribune is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We can't wait to hear from you! 

About The Texas Tribune 

At the Tribune, our mission is to pursue the truth so Texans can shape our future. We envision a Texas where the work of self-government is enabled by accurate information. In that, everyone can ask questions, hold leaders accountable for outcomes good or bad, and participate fully in shaping our policy agendas. We value excellence, independence and curiosity. We hold power to account, and we hold ourselves to the same standards. And we aim to participate constructively, not scoring cheap points or ignoring the humanity of our audience, our team or the people we cover. In order to do so, we want our newsroom and our coverage to reflect Texas by including a wide range of perspectives from people of different backgrounds, ideologies and experiences. 

Learn more about The Texas Tribune here.