Job Description

Phoenix New Times has an immediate opening for a full-time Music Editor . This editor will manage and lead our coverage of Phoenix’s vibrant music scene. Since its founding in 1970, Phoenix New Times has become a cultural touchstone in the Valley of the Sun. We have a hard-earned reputation for publishing compelling stories ignored or overlooked by major media, while also covering trending news and breaking concert announcements. 

We believe that a special kind of culture thrives in 115-degree heat, and we are looking for a music editor who wants to run the best music coverage in the region.

The most successful candidate will combine a wide-ranging love of music, a fanaticism for detail and an aptitude for exploring audience data. We are not seeking a columnist or a critic, though you will find plenty of room to write. Foremost we want to see a passion for fact-finding and a knack for getting the best possible work out of freelancers.

This management position is based in our Phoenix newsroom and reports to the editor-in-chief. Remote candidates will not be considered.

Phoenix New Times is published daily online and weekly in print. Always free.

Key Responsibilities

• Hire and manage freelance reporters and photographers to produce a range of stories. Our stories include breaking news and trending topics that need to be written at the speed of online news. We also invest in enterprise and feature stories that take longer to craft. 
• Efficiently edit stories for structure and flow. Copy edit stories to read clearly, concisely and without errors of grammar or fact. Optimize headlines, photography and art. Adhere to our house style and SEO best practices.
• Collaborate with the editor-in-chief on planning music coverage.
• Manage the editorial workflow for the music vertical. Assign stories to staffers and freelancers, monitor deadlines, and a regular cadence of story output and balance. Hit goals for volume and traffic.
• Contribute your own stories routinely.
• Coach and manage freelancers through pitching, reporting, writing, editing and production. Help them improve their work and recruit new freelancers as needed.
• Build broad relationships with the music community so that sources, story ideas, research and reporting reflect the diverse communities of Phoenix.
• Participate in our annual Best of Phoenix issue and other special projects during the year.
• Work collaboratively with the audience development director on trending news and SEO best practices and with the membership director on our membership program.

Who You Are

• An experienced journalist with at least two years of newsroom management experience and a working knowledge of — or eagerness to immerse yourself in — the character, people, and music of Phoenix.
• An adept editor who edits stories quickly and effectively.
• A competitive reporter and shrewd observer, eager to move fast and to surprise readers with your fact-finding and sourcing.
• A highly organized, resourceful self-starter committed to accuracy and meeting deadlines.
• A native of social media and digital journalism who’s comfortable using analytics to inform coverage and serve our audiences.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal.

Benefits

• Compensation range of $55,000 to $60,000.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance.
• In the first year: 10 paid holidays, 10 paid vacation days, 5 paid sick days.
• Hybrid work policy based in our Phoenix office.

To Apply

Phoenix New Times believes our journalism best serves our communities with culturally diverse staff and freelancers who offer a range of voices. We are committed to creating and sustaining an environment of inclusion, diversity, empowerment and equality. We are at our best when all our team members are respected and included regardless of race, age, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation and national origin. Women, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color and gender-nonconforming candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Email us a resume, a cover letter describing your experience and your ideas for how to run our music section, and links to your best writing. Write to [email protected] with “Phoenix New Times Music Editor” as the subject line.

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