Team Editor, Public Policy

THE POSITION

The Colorado Sun seeks a confident and collaborative team editor to help shape our politics and public policy coverage. This person will lead a team of four to five people focused on statehouse and state political coverage and the issues that radiate from state government, potentially including transportation, education, environment and housing, and help center the reporting on the impacts to people across Colorado.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Story planning and editorial direction

• Story planning: Meet in person or virtually with the staff to generate and fine-tune story ideas, including everything from breaking news to projects. Manage both short- and long-term story planning with the team in collaboration with other team editors and the executive editor.
• Daily budget oversight: This position demands a balanced organizational hand in managing the daily story budget. With guidance from the executive editor and others, assemble the weekly budget to ensure a broad, timely and engaging mix of stories.
• Idea development and pitches: Help reporters develop their beat coverage and stories, including by identifying potential stories. Reporters typically produce two stories per week, so the cadence of their work must be managed.
• Visual asset planning: Manage development of graphics and freelance photography assignments. 
• Newsletter oversight: Make sure The Unaffiliated, the newsletter produced by the team, is stocked with engaging and heard-here-first content that its subscribers have come to expect.
• Enterprise and Sunday coverage: Work on enterprise projects throughout the year, including Sunday 1A-type reporting for the Colorado Sunday newsletter.
• Alternative story forms: Help develop alternative storytelling possibilities, including video and audio.

Editing and reporter support

• Management: Help the executive editor manage assignments for freelance writers and photographers, and coordinate with staff writers when necessary.
• Editing: Serve as the first edit on stories by staff and freelancers, which includes developing headlines, and helping with production when needed.
• Story development: Help reporters to structure their stories – long or short – and to write clearly.
• Standards and accuracy: Help reporters produce politically neutral, factual work.
• Copy editing: In addition to team responsibilities, this position will copy edit the work of other teams as well as daily newsletters, the work of freelance reporters and occasionally columnists, and external communications created by our membership and development departments.
• Breaking news: This editor may also need to step up to help in breaking news situations.

Public engagement and organizational responsibilities

• Audio and broadcast: Participate in our daily podcast and appear on morning shows with our public radio partners as needed.
• Events and live journalism: All Colorado Sun staffers are expected to participate in developing and presenting our live and virtual journalism events, including pre- and post-legislative session gatherings.
• Staff meetings and committees: Editors at The Sun are expected to attend monthly staff meetings and participate in committees to help our organization operate better. After one year on staff, editors are eligible to run for a seat on our employee-directed nonprofit board.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Self-starter: Ability to recognize what needs to be done and do it.
• News consumer: Familiarity with the online ecosystem and a voracious appetite for keeping up to date with the news is an essential skill.
• Skillful editor: Solid knowledge of AP style is a must, plus experience working with writers ranging from developing talents to established veterans. Strong language skills that recognize and enhance individual writing styles.
• Technical skills: Ability to work with both text and graphic applications, and learn them quickly as new ones arise. Must use social media, including X, to monitor public statements by officials and community members, and promote content on platforms including Instagram, Facebook and Reddit. Familiarity with WordPress, Google docs, Gmail and Slack required.
• Flexibility: Ability to jump into any of the roles described above on short notice.
• Management skills: Three to five years of experience managing a team, in any setting, is preferred.

WHY JOIN US

• Be part of a nonprofit newsroom with a mission that matters: serving the people of Colorado with independent, community-centered journalism
• Shape the statewide growth of one of the country’s most ambitious nonprofit newsrooms
• Lead strategies that balance audience reach and community trust, ensuring The Sun reflects and serves the information needs of Colorado’s diverse communities
• Manage and mentor a talented team, collaborating across departments to build sustainable growth
• Flexible hybrid schedule (approx. 75% remote, 25% in-person for team meetings, strategy sessions and events)
• Unlimited paid time off
• Health, dental and vision benefits
• Employer contribution to 401(k) retirement plan