Politics and Government Investigations Editor

Application Instructions

Please list all professional experience and explain any gaps in employment history. All of your application materials, which may include PDF files of work samples and/or links to audio, video, photography or graphics, must be uploaded to the field labeled Resume/Cover Letter/Work Samples to be considered for the position.

Job Description

The Washington Post is looking for an experienced, rigorous and versatile editor to lead a team of journalists tackling high-stakes investigative and enterprise stories across national politics and the federal government. 

This editor will move quickly to identify important accountability targets on a range of topics. This editor will play a key role in amplifying our investigative report on major breaking stories, working in conjunction with assignment editors and reporters throughout our national politics and government team, while also helping produce sustained lines of revelatory coverage about subjects in the public interest. 

We are looking for a clear thinker with exceptional standards who has expertise or curiosity in a wide range of subject matters. The ideal candidate will have experience handling complex investigative stories, as well as a deft writing touch, high metabolism and collegial spirit. An ability to conceive and execute innovative approaches to storytelling that expand the reach of accountability stories is required, as is a competitive drive to land stories when they can have the greatest impact.

The ideal candidate has a track record of guiding experienced reporters and encouraging them to identify exclusive stories and novel storytelling forms that put audience needs first. 

Responsibilities:

• Drive enterprise and investigative coverage that sets the agenda with scoop-driven reporting that reveals information that cannot be read elsewhere.

• Manage a team of editors and reporters. Help them set priorities, identify ambitious targets and hone their crafts. 

• Anticipate coverage needs and requests from senior editors; consistently form coverage plans and communicate them in a timely fashion to stakeholders around the newsroom.  

• Edit stories to the highest standards. Sharpen and elevate copy on deadline while also ensuring fairness, rigor, precision and excellence in story framing.   

• Make sound decisions about sourcing, story construction and other editorial matters.  

• Foster strong relationships with other desks in the newsroom that cover aspects of politics in the U.S. and abroad. 

• Edit with the reader in mind. Publish stories when readers are interested and at appropriate lengths. Optimize stories for digital success and embrace creative storytelling to identify the most compelling formats.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least 10 years of professional journalism experience, including at least three years as an editor, and a track record of distinction. 

• Experience covering and/or editing major news and accountability stories, pursuing clear targets and developing creative ideas for text and other formats.   

• Exceptional communication and organizational skills.   

• Experience developing sources on a competitive beat and/or coaching reporters to do so, with a resulting track record of scoops. 

• A commitment to robust visual storytelling and a track record of successful collaboration with journalists from a variety of disciplines.

This position is based in our Washington, D.C., newsroom. 

Interested applicants should submit a résumé and a cover letter outlining their vision for the role to our jobs portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but those received by June 6 will be prioritized. Cover letters should be addressed to Deputy Politics & Government Editor Nick Baumann, Politics & Government Editor Lori Montgomery and Managing Editor Peter Spiegel. 

The salary range for this position is: $137,300.00 — $228,900.00 USD. The actual starting salary within this range will depend on individual skills, experience and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements. This positi