Position Summary
The managing editor at CommonWealth Beacon is responsible for producing original journalism on policy, politics, and civic life in Massachusetts.

The managing editor will oversee the daily flow of copy for our newsroom, collaborating closely with reporters to develop story ideas, support reporting progress, and edit both long-form and breaking news pieces for publication. The managing editor will assist the administrative team in building out business strategy. This role will also share in the editing of the Daily Download and Saturday Send newsletters, review copy for social posts, and identify areas of coverage expansion.

This position reports to the editor of CommonWealth Beacon.

About CommonWealth Beacon
CommonWealth Beacon’s mission is to contribute to a more inclusive and vibrant civic culture that makes our government more responsive and effective by providing rigorous coverage of important issues affecting life in Massachusetts. We are the trusted source for in-depth news, analysis, and original reporting on policy, politics, and civic life in Massachusetts. We are nonprofit, non-partisan, and make our work available for free to all, with no paywall.

CommonWealth Beacon is published by the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth, or MassINC, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to promoting economic inclusion and civic vitality through the provision of unbiased research and journalism and respectful civic dialogue.

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain CommonWealth Beacon’s editorial calendar
• Develop coverage priorities and topics to increase impact and meet the needs of our audience
• Edit staff reporters
• Work with administrative team to execute on audience development plan, event planning, and other business-side tasks
• Serve as lead editor of the Download and Saturday Send newsletters, as well as any others that may be launched
• Liaise with the digital producer to review copy and ensure social assets are delivered on time

Performance Expectations

• Ensure deadlines are met and the highest standards of accuracy, fairness and ethics are upheld
• Attend staff meetings regularly to coordinate coverage and share feedback
• Work in-person at least 3 days a week, in coordination with events, interviews, and other reporting activities that may take place outside of the office
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the newsroom by sharing feedback and ideas and learning from other peer newsrooms and networks

Core skills and competencies

• An eye for editing both in-depth, long-form feature articles and fast-paced breaking news
• Excellent written skills, with a focus on translating complicated public policy issues into digestible and compelling stories
• Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Well-developed news judgment
• Strong research and analytical skills
• Demonstrated understanding of the Massachusetts political and policy landscape, its core institutions, and key players
• Ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously
• Effective interpersonal and communication style for engaging with other staff, sources, and other external partners

Qualifications

• At least 6-10 years of experience in journalism
• Familiarity with Massachusetts politics and policy, especially covering the State House
• A familiarity with a range of issues, including housing, transportation, energy, environment, and politics Well-developed news judgment
• A bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, or a related field
• Experience in other mediums of journalism, including audio, video, data journalism & visualization, among others (desired, but not required)
• Familiarity with using newsletter and website publication platforms (desired, but not required)
• Familiarity with the nonprofit news landscape, especially locally in New England (desired, but not required)

Salary & Benefits

The salary range for this position is between $90,000 – $110,000 per year. MassINC, the publisher of CommonWealth Beacon, provides a full suite of benefits including health care with HRA, dental insurance, 401K plus 6% company match, FSA and DCA, unlimited paid time off, generous parental leave, and 13 paid holidays throughout the year, among other benefits.

This role requires work outside of normal business hours to keep pace with the news cycle, attend relevant events, and coordinate with the rest of the newsroom.

MassINC is an equal-opportunity employer. At MassINC we believe that diversity and inclusion is not only critical to our workforce, but to our overall mission and purpose to move the organization and Massachusetts forward. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.

To apply, please send the following to Maeve Duggan at mduggan@massinc.org:

• A thoughtful, personalized cover letter that displays your qualifications, enthusiasm, and communication skills and style
• A resume
• Five story samples that demonstrate your ability and interests as an editor