The Independent, News Editor - Maternity Cover

News Editor - Maternity Cover

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

Job purpose

The Independent is seeking an exceptional all-round news editor to help lead the day-to-day running of the title’s specialist correspondents. The right candidate will likely come from a strong news background, but have a firm grasp on all aspects of digital publishing.

The right person will be a decisive problem solver, with the ability and attitude to influence colleagues into positive and timely action. They will be excellent at crafting and editing copy and headlines, as well as guiding correspondents to deliver engaging exclusives on their specialist patches.

Experience in a similar role at an equivalent title is essential. This is a senior role, where the successful candidate will have regular dialogue with the editor and other senior colleagues. You will be expected to be comfortable managing multiple priorities in a calm and methodical manner.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities 

• Commissioning and editing news copy.
• Running the news operation at evenings and weekends as required.
• Understand digital analytics tools.
• Have a proven track record as a news journalist.
• Act swiftly and vocally when issues arise.
• Be a problem solver with the ability to deal with issues calmly and decisively.
• Be a team-player able to work well with others.

Skills

• Experience of successfully working in a similar role at a similar title.
• Demonstrable experience as a senior journalist.
• Strong familiarity with the Independent and our coverage.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills required to manage the daily/weekly/monthly publishing flow of an editorial team.
• Experience collaborating with editors to grow and increase audience, both on site and across platforms.
• Ability to interpret data and make insightful recommendations.
• Skilled content creator.
• Ability to clearly communicate best practices.
• Experience of working in a dynamic fast-paced media environment.

Our values – you will deliver across all our values 

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.