Senior Editor, News and Politics, Texas Monthly

July 7, 2023
Austin, Texas

Texas Monthly is looking for a senior editor to edit stories about news and politics in the Lone Star State, with a focus on editing for the print magazine. This editor would report to the deputy editor for digital and work in tandem with the lead news and politics editor, who steers the overall direction of TM’s news and politics coverage.

Ideal candidates should be literary-minded journalists who are able to move easily among storytelling platforms, story styles, and subjects. This senior editor will be expected to help cultivate a reliable and diverse stable of writers, meet deadlines (and help others do the same), and identify and assign stories that look beyond the daily news cycle with narrative-driven angles, reported analysis, and sharp profiles. Texas politics is full of vivid characters, complex machinations, and consequential legislation, all of which often grabs the attention of the nation; this editor should be invested in assigning and editing articles that helps readers understand the who and why of it all.

This full-time staff position is based in Austin, Texas. It offers stability at a nationally renowned media company that is growing in audience and revenue and has a culture defined by collegiality, curiosity, ambition, experimentation, the highest journalistic standards, and an abiding sense of service to our millions of readers both in and outside of Texas. This position also offers generous benefits, including a comprehensive health-insurance plan, 401(k) matching, profit sharing, and eligibility for performance-based bonuses. Compensation is competitive and negotiable.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Editing 1–2 medium-length print stories and 4–6 digital-only stories per month, as well as occasional longform features in print and online
  • Developing quality story ideas, in collaboration with staffers and freelancers, and shepherding them from infancy to production
  • Making freelance assignments and developing new freelance talent
  • Supervising staff writers and helping them generate a regular flow of high-quality articles
  • Crafting headlines, deks, and all manner of display type for an array of platforms (print, web, social)

Successful candidates will possess the following skills, abilities, and qualities:

  • Great facility with language
  • Enthusiasm for telling stories in print and digitally, and using modern web tools to do so
  • Precise line editing
  • An appreciation for deadlines
  • An eye for stories that can work as quicker-turn pieces for the web, as well as stories that will hold up well in the monthly print magazine
  • Effective management of freelancers and staff writers
  • Effective communication and collaboration with other editors
  • A deep interest in Texas politics, policy issues, and key political players; previous experience in Texas political coverage is a strong plus

Education/Experience:

  • At least three years’ experience editing for a magazine or magazine-style publication

Application Process:

If you are a qualified candidate, please email a cover letter and résumé to res[email protected] with the job title in the subject line by August 6. Texas Monthly will review applications on a rolling basis and may reach out to some candidates before that date, but all applications received by the deadline will be reviewed. Promising candidates will have an initial interview with the director of editorial operations, the HR manager, and the deputy editor for digital. From there, candidates will be asked to complete an editing test. TM will then select 2–3 finalists to do a final round of interviews with TM leadership and the news and politics team.

Candidates who are interested in the position but would like to know more information about the role or about Texas Monthly before applying can book an information call with the director of editorial operations via Calendly.

Texas Monthly is committed to diversity and to 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.