Pacific Standard is looking for an associate editor to work primarily on the development of special projects and packages. This is an exciting opportunity for a multi-talented journalist to join us at a time when brand recognition and readership are growing rapidly. We are a small and nimble team, and this person will be encouraged to contribute to all aspects of running a site. This full-time position with excellent benefits is based out of our office in downtown Santa Barbara, California. We will not consider candidates looking to work remotely.
This is a new position for Pacific Standard and one that comes with a lot of freedom; it will be shaped largely by the person selected for the opportunity and the vision statement they provide. The special projects editor will be working most closely with an existing digital team of six (with plans for continued growth).
Responsibilities include:
- Commissioning, editing, and producing—and sometimes reporting and writing—stories for PSmag.com.
- Developing—and then overseeing and executing—innovative ideas around packaged content, both new and old (becoming deeply familiar with and taking advantage of our extensive archives). These can, and should, take many forms. Some existing examples from Pacific Standard include our annual 30 Under 30 franchise (now being expanded to both print and online); our new This Week In storytelling format; our recent one-day report on the state of adjuncting; and a month-long, 40-story package called You Don’t Know America.
- Brainstorming new ways to expand the reach of the aforementioned work (creative partnerships, social media strategies, e-books and other offers to be used for print subscription promotions, stand-alone apps, single-serving and spin-off websites, email newsletters, etc.).
- Coordinating with the engagement editor to determine which topics and threads in existing stories are generating reader interest and deciding how those inquiries and curiosities should be expanded and explored in focused, long-term projects.
- Collaborating with the print team to design and produce ambitious online packages and extras (including infographics and multimedia) around items in the magazine feature well.
- Building and maintaining an online editorial calendar that includes special projects as well as columnists and franchises (any regular and recurring or anticipated packaged content).
- Working closely with the digital director and advertising sales team to create opportunities for sponsorships.
The ideal candidate:
- Can edit, re-write, prepare, and produce several stories daily, without breaking a sweat. Writes smart, clever, curious heds/deks.
- Has great editorial connections with awesome writers and a top-notch reputation among people who work on the Web.
- Can make a good story great, and a great story excellent (through line-edits, structural fixes, specific framing, feedback, and comments on drafts).
- Has an open mind about what kinds of things can make for a good story and encourages writers who have the facility to deliver them.
- Can manage a budget.
- Assigns stories with at least some potential traffic in mind.
- Is proactive about engaging the audience, reaching out to partners, and getting stories placed where there are eyeballs.
- Has a genuine interest in social science and can make complex ideas interesting and compelling to a lay audience, while managing not to alienate experts.
- Can participate and contribute in a fluid way to larger editorial conversation surrounding the strategy of our website and its quest to take over the Internet.
Pacific Standard is dedicated to illuminating the worlds of politics, culture, and national affairs with the best research from the social and behavioral sciences. Our ideal candidates have demonstrated the ability to synthesize technical, academic information and make it engaging and appealing to a lay audience. We are looking for independent, self-directed journalists with an ear to the national conversation and a deep understanding of how the Internet works (and how it will work in the near future). Special consideration will go to candidates with background or previous experience in social and behavioral sciences, and an active interest in social justice, the environment, education, and economics.
To apply, send your cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to Nicholas Jackson, njackson@psmag.com. Your cover letter should be structured as a vision statement for this position, outlining some of your early ideas for new packages that align with Pacific Standard‘s goals and editorial mission, and strategies for reaching the widest possible audience with them.
