Deputy Managing Editor

Chron is looking for a Deputy Managing Editor to drive our local and Texas lifestyle editorial slate. We want a versatile journalist who knows what Houstonians care about and who will dig deep to find unique stories that bring the city and surrounding region to life. The ideal candidate will bring a digital-first mindset and deep understanding of the Houston food scene, regional travel, culture — both in terms of arts and entertainment and what it means to be a Houstonian — to assign and edit stories that speak to a diverse audience. The Lifestyle DME will work closely with the Managing Editor and other editors to ensure that all content meets the highest standards of quality, accuracy, and timeliness.

Your duties on the team:

• Oversee editors and reporters, providing editorial direction to assure that content is compelling for a Houston audience and reflects both a creative POV and distinctive voice for the brand
• Assign news and feature stories to staff reporters, freelance writers and contributors, seeing the process through from the workshopping stage to editing and publishing
• Generate creative story ideas informed by knowledge of current trends, issues and topics affecting Houston
• Occasionally write both features and newsy lifestyle pieces
• Plan out an editorial calendar that includes offbeat, informative dailies as well as well-reported profiles and features that cast light on what makes Houston such a vibrant city
• Assure storytelling finds emotional connections for readers that illuminate or challenge locals’ love for the area
• Work closely with editorial leadership to set the editorial tone, assuring daily coverage reflects the brand’s vision and voice

Skills you would bring to the team:

• Idea generation: keep fresh ideas flowing to assure the site is fed with compelling content
• Local perspective: you know Houston well, have ideas about how residents spend their weekends, time and money, and what they gripe about over drinks with friends
• Top-notch organization skills to assure our editorial systems are humming and the editorial calendar is fed and full
• Excellent writing, editing and communication chops, particularly within news journalism
• Ability to manage a team of writers and editors daily, keeping them motivated and inspired
• Facility with analytics tools and ability to unpack those metrics to spot areas of opportunity and audience growth
• High metabolism for turning out must-read stories every day

Requirements

• 5+ years of relevant experience in writing, editing, and managing writers, editors or producers in publishing or digital media
• Experience in, and understanding of, Texas
• Top-notch reporting, writing and editing skills
• Excellent news judgment and understanding of both media ethics and AP Style
• Strong analytical skills and an ability to use data to make editorial decisions
• Experience managing or mentoring other writers
• Facility with content management systems, analytics tools like Google Trends, social media platforms, and other publishing tools

About the Houston Chronicle:

The Houston Chronicle serves Houston’s 2.3 million residents — as well as all of Texas — with content and marketing solutions across two of Houston’s largest websites, HoustonChronicle.com and Chron.com, along with our newspaper and magazine brands. The content and innovative business solutions we provide invite readers to join conversations about communities we’ve been helping prosper for more than 120 years.

About Hearst Newspapers:

With 2,500 employees across the nation, HNP encompasses a network of 24 daily and 52 weekly publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union, several top digital-only news and lifestyle sites, marketing services businesses, and entertainment businesses such as King Features Syndicate.

At HNP, we are investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories – growing newsrooms, diversifying tools, evolving platforms – to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired.

Be a part of something bigger – your headline awaits.

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