The Managing Editor leads the team responsible for creating and publishing editorial content for Earthjustice’s owned audiences. The position plays a critical role in identifying the stories that best meet our goals and tailoring those stories to target audiences reached through social media channels, email/SMS, and a print magazine. The Managing Editor works closely with all facets of the Communications Department, Development’s donor relations staff, and program staff whose work is featured in Earthjustice copy. The management and coaching aspects of this role are significant with four staff writers and editors and, at times, contracted outside. The Managing Editor will be expected to deepen team skillsets and guide staff growth.

Preferred locations for this role include San Francisco, CA, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, CA, and Seattle, WA. Candidates for other offices locations may be considered. 

Due to Covid-19, Earthjustice staff are temporarily working remotely from approved locations until offices reopen April 27, 2022. Earthjustice staff will be working two days a week in the office. After six months, the Executive Leadership Team will evaluate whether to adjust our hybrid work plan.

Responsibilities:

Editorial Leadership (50 percent)

• Lead the Editorial team in developing digital content packages that emphasize a core theme across various story formats and drive our audiences to take a specific action.
• Head up the Earthjustice Quarterly print magazine: Set the overall direction, decide the production line-up and story assignments, ensure deadlines and budgets are met, and oversee the digital expression of the magazine content.
• Exercise significant autonomous decisionmaking on which written stories Earthjustice publishes or not in alignment with the department’s content strategy and goals.
• Editing stories and serving as final editorial gatekeeper ensuring accuracy. This includes incorporating legal edits from attorneys in ways that are friendly to the reader and do not undermine our casework.
• Guide other editors’ decisions regarding style, voice, and framing by offering initial directional edits, fielding questions from editors, and reviewing edits.
• Foster a culture of learning by experimenting with headlines, story formats, action requests, and voice; regularly review data dashboards and other audience feedback with the Editorial team and beyond to refine our understanding of what works for our target audiences.
• Partner with Program Communications on high-level message development for advocacy and brand campaigns; play a leading role in determining how to broadly stay on message while adapting our language for specific audiences.
• Lead editorial partnership with the Digital Engagement team in effectively tailoring and promoting content for specific including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Email, and SMS.
• Set and oversee editorial standards and style within Communications; elevate storytelling and editorial best practices in other teams and departments
• Run Editorial team meetings focused on sharing storytelling strategies and analyzing data to inform future story-telling approaches and promotion efforts.
• Occasionally write high-level institutional content.
• Occasionally generate new story ideas that advance the department’s content strategy, however emphasis is on encouraging and shaping pitches from others.

Management (40 percent)

• Supervise four staff writers and editors; oversee management of editorial interns. Manage production timelines and balance Editorial staff resources across the magazine, rapid response content, digital content packages, and quarterly project work.
• Mentor members of the Editorial staff by serving as a thought partner, offering rich feedback on pitches and drafts, and identifying and encouraging professional development opportunities appropriate to role. Create development plans for all staff.
• Promote change in terms of the expected benefits, as well as removing or lowering the impact of potential obstacles.
• Set clear team direction that aligns with Earthjustice strategy, mission, and vision.
• Provide staff with consistent performance feedback – both positive and constructive — and acts as a coach and mentor.
• Create a learning culture, by encouraging debriefing after completion of significant stages of projects.
• Ensure that any direct reports who have supervisory responsibility are properly executing those functions.
• Create a respectful and inclusive work environment for team and models respectful and inclusive behavior.
• Promptly address micro-aggressions and other concerns brought to their attention.
• Resolve interpersonal conflict among team members and brings in outside facilitators as needed.
• Communicate regularly with existing employees and encourages staff to raise concerns and to provide ongoing feedback.
• Create or identify strategic opportunities for team building and individual and overall staff engagement with one another in order to strengthen teamwork, interaction and collaboration.
• Value and use individual differences and talents to improve employee satisfaction and the quality of collective work.
• Celebrate successes and helps team members to understand and manage setbacks.

Learning and Professional Development (10 percent)

• Take part in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion learning opportunities and initiatives to increase awareness and to contribute fully to the organization’s commitment to these values.
• Learn deeply about the Earthjustice’s programmatic work – particularly emerging trends – by talking widely with program staff, clients, and partners; deep reading; and occasional travel.
• Stay on top of editorial content trends by attending seminars, webinars, and trainings as professional development.