Strategy & Operations Deputy, Washington

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for. 

The New York Times is looking for a Deputy for Strategy and Operations for our Washington Bureau. 

You will be part of the leadership team of this high-impact department, which produces distinctive news, enterprise and investigative journalism. You will oversee the areas related to how the department functions: its workflow, culture and its people. You are a team player and an executor who looks for opportunities to advance the department’s priorities and ensure that its journalists are set up to make an impact. 

You will work with Newsroom Strategy and the newsroom’s Culture and Careers group to contribute to and adopt new newsroom-wide approaches.

This hybrid position is based in Washington, D.C., and includes regular attendance in the office each week per departmental guidance.

Responsibilities:

• You will advance the bureau’s coverage, audience and operations strategy, helping the department look beyond the daily report to the opportunities and challenges ahead on the horizon and develop and implement plans to address them.

• You will work with Culture & Careers to shape team culture and management practices, support leaders across the department and ensure the bureau is a great place for a range of journalists to work and grow. This includes overseeing (and building, where needed) the best practices within the department for hiring, performance and feedback, career development and mobility, training, communication and beyond. 

• You will oversee and improve operations for the bureau to ensure that it operates as effectively as possible and supports our journalistic goals – including journalistic workflow and processes, collaboration and communication within the department and with other groups and department budgets. Department operations managers will be important partners in this work.

• You will work with editors in the bureau to plan for major news events.

• You will help oversee staffing and scheduling.

• You will help arrange for training and implementation of new story forms and adaptation to new technology. 

• While you will focus on your own department, you will also help improve newsroom-wide strategy, operations and culture. An important responsibility will be to share and learn from best practices across departments and to identify department-specific issues that should inform approaches across the wider newsroom. Strategy & Operations Deputies will participate in regular working sessions led by Newsroom Strategy and Culture & Careers, who will occasionally call on them to support strategy and operations work beyond their department. 

• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.

• You will report to the Washington Bureau Chief.

Basic Qualifications:

• 10+ years’ experience at a journalism organization, with experience in a strategy or operations role in addition to coverage 

• 3+ years of experience managing operations, including improving systems and workflows to increase department effectiveness

• Experience with people management, including hiring, performance and feedback, career development, training, culture and communication

• Commitment to and experience improving organizational culture, including diversity

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience taking the initiative to surface challenges and opportunities and develop and act on solutions

• Experience identifying strategic issues, analyzing problems and opportunities and developing and implementing applicable solutions 

• A willingness to be flexible as the newsroom’s needs evolve

• Track record of developing strong and trusting relationships, collaborating, and building consensus

• Ability to communicate in writing and in person clearly, concisely and persuasively