Managing Editor Job at AAJA25 in Oakland

Location: Oakland, California, United States

Postal Code: 94612

Job Category: Online | New Media

Employment Type: Full time

Salary: 110000-120000 USD per year

Posted: 12.16.2025

Job Description

Managing Editor, EdSource

EdSource is seeking a Managing Editor to serve as the operational backbone of our newsroom, reporting to the Executive Editor. This role requires someone who can both drive day‑to‑day newsroom coverage and execute our editorial and audience strategy.

Founded in 1977, EdSource is an award‑winning, independent, nonprofit organization with a long track record of reporting on important education issues. While its primary focus is on California, EdSource covers issues within a national context. Stories are published online, in daily email newsletters, and through partnerships with other news organizations.

The successful candidate will be the person reporters turn to first, the one who knows where every story stands, and the driving force behind our day‑to‑day coverage decisions.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development

• Directly supervise and manage four reporters, providing regular coaching, feedback, and professional development.
• Help reporters develop sources and deepen their beat expertise.
• Collaborate with reporters to develop story angles and framing that maximize audience impact.
• Oversee editors in the student journalists program and manage the story flow, production, and publishing.

Editorial Standards & Story Production

• Edit stories at all stages—from ideation through publication—for clarity, accuracy, engagement, and impact.
• Implement rigorous fact‑checking and editorial review processes.
• Exercise final editorial authority on story readiness and publication decisions.
• Maintain EdSource’s editorial standards and voice across all content.

Workflow & Operations Management

• Manage day‑to‑day workflow, ensuring stories move efficiently through the editorial process and deadlines are met.
• Maintain and run the editorial calendar, planning coverage around key education events, policy deadlines, and project timelines.
• Maintain story budgets and assignment tracking systems.
• Monitor beat coverage to ensure reporters stay on top of assignments and identify important stories.
• Coordinate breaking news coverage and timely responses to developing stories.
• Balance enterprise projects, series, and special coverage with daily news demands.
• Set agenda and define outcomes for all editorial meetings.
• Work with the executive editor to improve the editorial workflow.

Audience Engagement

• Use audience data and analytics to inform story angles, headlines, presentation, and distribution decisions.
• Collaborate with the audience team to optimize content performance and ensure wide distribution.
• Identify opportunities to increase EdSource’s impact through improved workflow, format experiments, and rapid prototyping of new initiatives.
• Ensure coverage aligns with editorial priorities established by the Executive Editor.

Education Coverage Expertise

• Bring knowledge of California TK‑12 and higher education policy and issues.
• Identify emerging trends and underreported stories in the education landscape.

Job Requirements

Qualifications

Required:

• At least 7 years of daily journalism experience, with substantial news editing experience.
• Experience covering education and schools required; California education experience strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to manage complex newsroom workflows, juggle multiple deadlines, and maintain quality under pressure.
• Strong editing skills across multiple formats—online stories, newsletters, video, social media.
• Experience using audience data and analytics to inform editorial decisions.
• Excellent news judgment and ability to make quick decisions.
• Collaborative working style with editors, reporters, freelancers, and contributors.

Preferred:

• Deep knowledge of California TK‑12 and higher education stories and policy issues.
• Experience running an editorial calendar and coordinating complex coverage schedules.
• Track record of experimenting with new storytelling formats and approaches.

EdSource offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a range of medical plans, a retirement savings plan, generous vacation leave, paid holidays, and professional development opportunities. The hiring range for this position is $110,000 to $120,000.

To Apply:

Send a cover letter, resume, and provide contact information for three references, as well as links to your social media accounts and links to, or attachments of, three‑to‑six examples of your journalism to jobs@edsource.org.

Please include the job title in the subject line and, in the body of the email, how you heard about this opportunity (job post, referral, etc.).

EdSource is an equal opportunity employer that places a high value on diversity. People from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

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