Assistant Visuals Editor

About Our Organization

The Baltimore Banner is a nonprofit newsroom founded to bring high-quality local journalism to the Baltimore metro area. We are creating a vibrant, strong, trustworthy, and sustainable news organization, seeking to re-imagine the future of local news. Using a multi-platform news operation, covering a broad range of topics from local government to culture and the arts. We tell stories that reflect the community, connecting neighbors, holding government institutions accountable, and making sense of the world. All this work is grounded in truth. We believe we can contribute to a more vibrant, informed, and whole Baltimore, surrounding counties, and the state of Maryland. 

About The Role:

The Baltimore Banner is looking for an experienced Assistant Visuals Editor to help shape and coordinate the visual storytelling across our newsroom. This role plays a key part in enhancing our journalism with engaging visuals—spanning photography, illustration, and design—to enrich storytelling across digital platforms.

Reporting to the Visuals Director, the Assistant Visuals Editor will collaborate closely with editorial, digital, and audience teams to ensure visual content is compelling, brand-aligned, and optimized for various formats. This role also involves assigning and managing a team of staff photographers, illustrators, and freelance visual contributors.

We are seeking someone with a journalism background, strong visual storytelling instincts, and the ability to translate complex news topics into impactful imagery. The ideal candidate has experience commissioning visuals, brainstorming creative approaches to stories, and demonstrating commitment to community-centered storytelling. An emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and ethical reporting practices is essential.

This is a fast-paced newsroom role, requiring strong multitasking skills, attention to detail, and the ability to meet tight deadlines while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in managing the daily workflow of photography, design, and illustration for The Baltimore Banner newsroom.
• Assign and oversee staff and freelance photographers and illustrators.
• Provide art direction for comics, illustrations, and major journalistic projects, including occasional photo-illustration creation.
• Collaborate with editors and reporters on visual strategies for both daily news and long-term editorial projects.
• Conduct wire and archival photo research, ensuring compliance with copyright and licensing regulations.
• Write clear, concise captions and assignment briefs to support visual storytelling.
• Experiment with emerging visual techniques and styles while utilizing collaborative design tools.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Minimum 2 years of experience in photo editing, visuals editing, or art direction within a newsroom or journalistic setting.
• Strong visual storytelling instincts and the ability to deploy photography, illustration, and design effectively.
• Experience commissioning and editing visuals, working with freelance and in-house contributors.
• Familiarity with copyright permissions, licensing negotiations, and wire services.
• Strong reporting skills, with the ability to craft clear captions and assignment briefs.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines while maintaining high editorial standards.
• A team-oriented mindset, with a collaborative and adaptable approach to problem-solving.

Additional Information:

• Portfolio Requirement: Please submit a portfolio showcasing your photo editing, art direction, or other relevant visual work. If you have experience as a photographer, we welcome samples, as there may be opportunities for occasional photography assignments.
• Schedule: This position follows a Tuesday-Saturday schedule and may require evening work. Some schedule flexibility may be needed based on news demands.
• Location: This role is based in Baltimore, MD, with hybrid work options available.

Salary Range: $85,000 - $100,000 Individual pay may vary from the target range and is determined by several factors including experience, internal pay equity, and other relevant business considerations. We constantly review all teammates’ pay to ensure a great compensation package that is fair and equal across the board.

Our health and wellness benefits include:

• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Retirement savings - 401K plan offered through Human Interest, with a company match
• Student Loan Debt Repaym