Overnight Live Broadcasting Supervising Editor, Morning Edition & Up First

NPR
Washington, DC
On-site

Who this role is best for

Strong fit for experienced newsroom managers who lead live broadcasting and prioritize audience-first journalism, with a focus on overnight work and editorial collaboration across platforms.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with a background in managing newsroom teams and producing daily national or international news content
    — “At least 5 years of experience producing daily news journalism content for a national or international news organization”
  • Individuals who thrive in collaborative environments and can uphold editorial standards during high-pressure live broadcasts
    — “maintaining NPR’s editorial standards for all parts of the final product”

Things to consider

  • Overnight shift commitment from 11:30pm to 8:30am ET, Sunday-Thursday, with possible holiday work and schedule adjustments
    — “This is an overnight position with a shift scheduled from approximately 11:30pm - 8:30am Eastern Time Sunday-Thursday”
  • Candidates must be prepared to manage direct reports and evaluate staff performance as part of their responsibilities
    — “As a manager, you will be assigned direct reports and are expected to evaluate and develop staff”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your experience in editing live content and managing breaking news coverage in your resume and cover letter
    — “Make editorial, programming and news judgment decisions about edits and show coverage plans, especially during breaking news situations”
  • Emphasize your ability to work under tight deadlines and maintain high editorial standards
    — “Line edit various scripts for the live show while maintaining NPR’s editorial standards for all parts of the final product”
  • Demonstrate your leadership in fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in your application materials
    — “Cultivate, promote and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in one’s work and in the workplace.”
  • Showcase your experience in coordinating with multiplatform teams to maximize content reach
    — “Collaborate with multiplatform news teams to maximize reach of show content”
  • Include examples of how you have prepared and edited live and taped interviews for broadcast
    — “Work directly with show hosts, guests and reporters to prep, record and edit live and taped interviews for the show and podcast on a tight deadline”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • managing live broadcasts
  • managing production teams
  • delivering up-to-date morning broadcasts
Typical background
journalismbroadcastingnewsroom management

Skills & requirements

Required

News JudgmentWriting SkillsBroadcastingNewsroom Management

Preferred

Podcast Production

Stack & domain

LeadershipCommunicationJournalismNews

About the role

Original posting from NPR via Greenhouse

OVERVIEW

A thriving, mission-driven multimedia organization, NPR produces award-winning news, information, and music programming in partnership with hundreds of independent public radio stations across the nation. The NPR audience values information, creativity, curiosity, and social responsibility – and our employees do too. We are innovators and leaders in diverse fields, from journalism and digital media to IT and development. Every day, our employees and member stations touch the lives of millions worldwide. 

Across our organization, we’re building a workplace where collaboration is essential, diverse voices are heard, and inclusion is the key to our success. We are committed to doing the right thing in our journalism and in every role at NPR. This means that integrity, adherence to our ethical standards, and compliance with legal obligations are fundamental responsibilities for every employee at NPR.

Application Instructions:

Please submit your resume and cover letter. In your cover letter please share your philosophy for leading a newsroom overnight in order to deliver the most up-to-date morning broadcast possible.

Intro to Position

Morning Edition and Up First are looking for a resilient journalist with strong news judgment, excellent writing skills and a willingness to work overnights as the Overnight and Live Broadcast Supervising Editor, managing  a production team that executes what is needed to get the live radio show to air and the Up First podcast to publication.

Millions of listeners depend on Morning Edition and Up First to set the news agenda to start their day. We deliver the latest national and international news stories paired with analysis to put headlines into context. Morning Edition is a platform for accountability through interviews with government officials and decision makers who make or influence policy that affect people's lives. The show also features culture stories about music, movies and books that bring joy and provoke thoughtful conversations about who we are in this world.

The right candidate for this position is committed to daily news, and is eager to deliver the freshest, most important stories to listeners. They put the needs and wants of audiences first. They believe in the mission of public media.

As the Overnight and Live Broadcast Supervising Editor, you will join a team of managers who collaboratively lead news and editorial coverage of events in the U.S. and around the world for Morning Edition and Up First. You ensure that the show is at the leading edge of the conversation across a range of issues. Most importantly, you work directly with our hosts to edit and make final changes to the show before and while it is live on air to ensure we are broadcasting our best journalism and editorial work.

Duties for this position include assigning stories and segments to hosts, producers and editors; editing show scripts, crafting live coverage and breaking news plans; leading the control room during the live broadcast; finding guests and reporters to feature on the show when needed; monitoring news and responding with show coverage plans as needed; mentoring and editing producers’ and editors’ writing for stories and show segments; managing staff work schedules as emergencies arise; coordinate and collaborate with other newsroom editors, leaders and journalists on show coverage plans, projects; upload editorial standards and ethics as the lead show manager during your shift. As a manager, you will be assigned direct reports and are expected to evaluate and develop staff.

This is an overnight position with a shift scheduled from approximately 11:30pm - 8:30am Eastern Time Sunday-Thursday.

Morning Edition is a 24/6 news operation. Successful candidates can work holidays and may be asked to temporarily change their work schedule to cover other show shifts and special assignments as needed.

This is an NPR editorial role covered under the terms of the NPR Ethics Handbook. All editorial staff are bound by this guidance. Editorial staff are defined as staff members who play a role in shaping the journalistic or creative direction of NPR's content, including events.    

RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead the show production team in bringing the live radio show and podcast to air, including the most listened to segment that airs during the 7a ET hour

Manage the editorial operation of the control room during the live broadcast

Coordinate with teams for live updates for later news feeds

Work directly with show hosts, guests and reporters to prep, record and edit live and taped interviews for the show and podcast on a tight deadline

Line edit various scripts for the live show while maintaining NPR’s editorial standards for all parts of the final product

Make editorial, programming and news judgment decisions about edits and show coverage plans, especially during breaking news situations

Provide written and verbal editorial feedback to staff on work

Evaluate, develop, and manage staff performance

Collaborate with multiplatform news teams to maximize reach of show content

Participate in the hiring of individual staff

Cultivate, promote and advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in one’s work and in the workplace.

Demonstrated awareness of intersectional identities and ability to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds

Other duties as assigned

The above duties and responsibilities are not an exhaustive list of required responsibilities, duties and skills. Other duties may be assigned, and this job description can be modified at any time.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

At least 3  years of experience managing direct reports in a newsroom or operation

At least 5  years of experience writing and editing broadcast journalism content

At least 5 years of experience producing daily news journalism content for a national or international news organization

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Experience with audio production and mixing techniques

Experience working in a live control room

Experience being the lead producer or editor for a radio or podcast show 

Experience editing news content for various platforms

Familiarity in another written language other than English, such as Spanish or Mandarin

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in work experience.

WORK LOCATION

On-site: This is an on-site role based in Washington, DC .

REQUIRED SKILLS

Mastery in project management such as managing deadlines and time management

Expert knowledge and demonstrated skill in news-writing techniques for varied formats such as guest interviews, breaking news,  feature stories

Mastery in AP style writing and editing skill for broadcast and digital platforms.

Demonstrated ability and experience in writing and editing news copy for varied platforms including broadcast, podcast, social, mobile, newsletters and other digital platforms, especially during breaking news situations

Proficiency in people management skills such as delivering constructive feedback, clear communication and conflict resolution.

Proficiency in independent, problem solving. 

Ability to adapt and accommodate differing styles of editorial workflows and communication.

Ability to negotiate and compromise.

Professional communication skills when representing the NPR organization.

Job Type

This is a full time, exempt position.

Compensation

Salary Range: The U.S. based anticipated salary range for this opportunity is $145,000-155,000 a year plus benefits. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.

Benefits: NPR offers access to comprehensive benefits for employees and dependents. Regular, full-time employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in NPR’s benefits options. Benefits include access to health and wellness, paid time off, and financial well-being. Plan options include medical, dental, vision, life/ accidental death and dismemberment, long-term disability, short-term disability, and voluntary retirement savings to all eligible NPR employees. 

Does this sound like you? If so, we want to hear from you.

#LI-ONSITE

The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salaries NPR expects to provide for new hires for the position across all US locations.NPR Pay Range$145,000—$155,000 USDNPR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. NPR is committed to being an inclusive workplace that welcomes diverse and unique perspectives, all working toward the same goal – to create a more informed public. Qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, religious belief, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, lactation, and reproductive health decisions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender status, gender non-conforming status, intersex status, sexual stereotypes, nationality, citizenship status, personal appearance, marital status, family status, family responsibilities, military status, veteran status, mental and physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, genetic characteristics of yourself or a family member, political views and affiliation, unemployment status, protective order status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or any other basis prohibited under applicable law.

If you are a person with a disability needing assistance with the application process, please reach out to employeerelations@npr.org.

You may read NPR’s privacy policy to learn about how NPR may handle information you submit with any application.

Want more NPR? Explore the stories behind the stories on our NPR Extra blog. Get social with NPR Extra on Facebook and Instagram. Find more career opportunities at NPR.org/careers.

Source: NPR careers (Greenhouse)

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