New York Teacher Editor

The United Federation of Teachers, a 195,000-member union of New York City public school educators and other professionals, seeks an experienced editor with in-depth knowledge of New York City public schools to manage the production of the New York Teacher, a closed-circulation newspaper of 40-52 pages that is published six times a year. The editor will also assign and edit photo galleries and, working closely with the communications director, will edit breaking news stories involving the union for the website. The UFT takes pride in keeping its diverse membership informed and engaged. We work in a fast-paced, demanding environment where everyone pulls together to get the work done.

How to apply:

● Send a resume, three clips and a cover letter explaining why this job is a good fit for you to www.uft.org/editor-job. No resumes will be considered without a cover letter.

● Candidates must be willing to report in person to the union’s Manhattan headquarters at least three days a week and five days a week in the two weeks before the newspaper goes to press.

Responsibilities:

● Working with the executive editor, the New York Teacher editor helps plan and assign New York Teacher coverage and creates the story list for each issue.

● The editor supervises the New York Teacher graphic designer, the photo coordinator, the advertising sales rep and the reporters to ensure that deadlines are met and work is completed satisfactorily.

● The editor copy-edits and writes headlines for all New York Teacher stories.

● Working together with the newspaper’s graphic designer and photo coordinator, the editor figures out what photos, charts or illustrations should accompany each story and writes captions.

● The editor regularly gives guidance beforehand and feedback afterward to photographers.

● The editor pages the paper and works with the executive editor to decide the placement of the editorial content.

● The editor creates the Adobe InCopy templates and adds the appropriate taxonomy for each article in InCopy, the union’s publishing software.

● The editor, together with the executive editor and the New York Teacher graphic designer, creates the newspaper cover.

● The editor proofreads the entire newspaper and leads the lockup team that prepares the newspaper to be sent to the printer.

● Working with a digital content specialist, the editor creates and edits the copy for the digital edition of the newspaper.

● The editor reviews the online version of newspaper articles and manages the creation of the table of contents on the UFT website.

● The editor is responsible for pre-approvals (when appropriate) and review by union officials and the inputting of revisions for all New York Teacher content.

● The editor works closely with union leaders on columns written under their byline.

● The editor writes articles for the newspaper when time permits.

● The editor re-checks all pages after they are transmitted to the printer, using the printer’s website.

● Working in conjunction with the executive editor and the printer, the editor creates the schedule for each year’s issues.

● Working in conjunction with the executive editor, the editor assigns and edits breaking news for the union website.

● Other communications tasks, including proofreading and copy-editing, as assigned by the department director.

Qualifications:

● Either a DOE-employed UFT member with a journalism background or a newspaper or magazine editor with in-depth knowledge of NYC public schools.

● Experience as a managing editor able to ensure all elements of the publication’s production stays on track so there isn’t a mad rush at the end.

● Superior writing and editing skills.

● Excellent spelling, grammar and punctuation and ability to apply style guidelines to copy.

● Experience with print media as well as a demonstrated ease with digital technology.

● Ability to create clear and compelling headlines, captions and blurbs.

● Strong organizational skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.

● Strong interpersonal skills and mentoring ability.

● In-depth knowledge of NYC education policy.

Additional skills that would be a plus:

● Working knowledge of InDesign and InCopy.

● Working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and website content management systems.

Experience/Education

Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in liberal arts or education, while a master’s degree in journalism is a plus. A minimum of five years of relevant full-time editing experience for a magazine or newspaper or news website is required.

Salary: $95,000-$110,000, depending on experience. Excellent benefits. Equal opportunity employer.