Deputy Editorial Director, Standards and Editorial Quality (Remote)

About Us

The Athletic is a digital sports media company that brings true sports fans closer to the athletes, teams and leagues that captivate their attention. We serve a multi-faceted audience that craves a richer connection and understanding with immersive storytelling and a like-minded community of fans. Founded in 2016 and with major operational hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Melbourne, we empower a truly global team of more than 600 creators and cover more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams across the United States, Canada and the UK. Our newsroom has produced thousands of in-depth reports along with more than 120 podcasts and other forms of premium content. Put simply, The Athletic is at the center of a sports fan’s universe.

About the Role

The Deputy Editorial Director, Standards and Editorial Quality is a leadership role in the newsroom designed to safeguard our journalistic standards and maintain reader trust.

The editor will take the leading role in shaping and maintaining our journalistic standards across all platforms on which we publish. This includes ensuring that we maintain the highest ethical standards, regularly updating our guidelines, being a resource for staffers on ethics and fairness issues and helping to shape sensitive stories prior to publication. The editor will also be a leading voice in determining whether someone has violated our standards, and what action, if any, should be taken. 

The editor will also focus on the overall quality of our daily report, working closely with senior editors every day to ensure that our stories are clear, concise and framed appropriately. We want someone with the ability to elevate stories and a passion for high-quality journalism.

The Deputy Editorial Director, Standards and Editorial Quality should be an ally of the newsroom, helping our journalists navigate the ever-changing and complex aspects of our craft. The editor’s role is to help chart a way through this landscape that both fosters risk-taking and remains rooted in our core Athletic values. This includes an understanding of the norms of sports journalism and accepted journalistic standards for our newsrooms in North America and Europe.    

The role is remote for candidates currently residing in the United States or Canada.

Responsibilities

Safeguarding our standards and editorial quality on social media. Monitoring content and advising colleagues in all areas in which we publish content, including video, audio and newsletters. Training programs focused on standards. Monitor and respond to reader concerns. Updating and maintaining our formal ethics and style guidelines. Oversee the review of sensitive stories and work with the legal team to assure those stories receive legal review when needed.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in sports journalism. Sound judgment and credibility to weigh in on difficult issues. Tested journalistic judgment. Strong editing skills. Expert ability to mentor writers and more inexperienced editors. A deep understanding of The Athletic’s ethics and standards. The role is remote for candidates currently residing in the United States or Canada, requiring some travel.

The annual base salary range for this role is $175,000.00 - $200,00.00 USD. The total compensation offered for this position may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills, and location. It may also include non-cash rewards and benefits. The base salary range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

The Athletic offers unique perks and benefits to all full-time employees based on their country of residence. Our comprehensive US benefits package includes:

- Highly competitive, employer-contributed medical, dental, vision, basic life and disability insurance plans.

- Savings accounts for medical, wellness, and childcare expenses.

- 401k retirement savings plan and employer match.

- Paid time off including paid sick leave, 12 paid holidays, 15 days of accrued vacation to start, and up to 20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.

For international candidates: Our global benefits packages offer similar benefits and perks, competitive to the local market.

The Athletic Media Company is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Athletic will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

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