Deputy Editor, Digital at Texas Monthly

December 8, 2021
Austin, TX

Texas Monthly has an immediate opening for a deputy editor for digital journalism, reporting to the editor in chief. This opening comes at a critical and exciting time when Texas Monthly is investing aggressively in headcount and other resources to grow its website audience. TexasMonthly.com aims to be the indispensable resource on life in the Lone Star State through rich narratives, sharp analysis, consequential scoops, and timely service journalism, in the tradition of Texas Monthly’s 49-year-old print magazine.

This editor will be responsible for overseeing digital storytelling on TexasMonthly.com and, in coordination with the editor-in-chief and the assigning editors, crafting and executing a strategy that will grow TM’s digital audience.

This is a full-time position with generous benefits, including a comprehensive health-insurance plan, 401(k) matching, profit sharing, and the opportunity for annual bonuses. Compensation is competitive and negotiable. This position will be based in Austin. 

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Supervising several assigning editors and the off-platform editor (each of whom supervises multiple staffers and contractors), along with the digital copy editors
  • Helping editors and writers to find ways to distinguish TexasMonthly.com’s stories from those of competing sources of news and service journalism about Texas, including through original approaches to reporting and analysis
  • Providing constructive feedback and coaching to editors, and helping them do the same with their writers and other direct reports
  • Guiding editors on best practices for publishing on the web, including story selection, SEO strategy, formatting, and publication timing
  • Helping develop a strategy for significant expansion of the website’s video storytelling
  • Leading the brainstorming of strategic and tactical initiatives for the website and working closely with the managing editor to determine how they will be executed
  • Overseeing the website’s editorial calendar and ensuring a steady flow of engaging stories
  • Collaborating with colleagues on the business side of the company, including in the audience department and the product-innovation team 

Successful candidates will possess the following skills and abilities:

  • Strong editing skills, from critically assessing the structure and focus of a story to sharpening language on a line-editing level
  • The ability to coach editors and provide feedback in a way that is at once direct and encouraging
  • Savvy judgment around how to best deploy editorial resources and staff time for the biggest impact on the web
  • Strategic editorial thinking on how to best position a website’s voice and stories in today’s competitive digital media landscape 

Education/Experience:

  • At least five years of digital journalism experience
  • At least two years of managerial experience
  • Knowledge of Texas’s culture and politics, and how Texas Monthly fits into the media landscape of the Lone Star State, is a bonus 

Application Process:

If you are a qualified candidate, please email a cover letter and résumé to [email protected] with the job title in the subject line. Applications for this position should be submitted by December 30; applications may be reviewed on a rolling basis until that date. Promising applicants will be selected for an initial screening interview. Candidates who move forward in the hiring process from there will be asked to take an application test. Finalists will then have an interview with the editor-in-chief and other major stakeholders, and another with their potential direct reports. 

Texas Monthly is committed to diversity and cultivating an inclusive environment. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status. 

NO PHONE CALLS OR WALK-INS ACCEPTED. TEXAS MONTHLY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.