Senior Manager of News Editorial

About Citizen
Citizen is the #1 public safety app in the United States, connecting people to real-time emergencies and breaking news as they unfold. Our 24/7 command center monitors live incidents across the country, keeping millions of people informed and safe.

Overview
Citizen is seeking a Senior Manager of Mission Control to oversee the real-time evaluation, communication, and distribution of safety incidents to millions of users when it matters most.

Each day, our 24/7 team processes 20K+ incidents and sends 29M+ push notifications from police and fire radio communications, user reports, live video, and other public safety signals. Mission Control determines what information and experiences should be delivered, who should receive them, and how Citizen can most effectively connect people with timely information, resources, and one another to improve public safety.

This role combines the urgency and judgment of a breaking news leader with the operational discipline of a real-time command center. Success requires exceptional decision-making under pressure, strong coaching skills, and the ability to recognize opportunities where Citizen can uniquely improve public safety — not simply report on it. An additional priority for this role is working closely with Product, Engineering, and the Head of Real-Time Safety Operations to help evolve AI-assisted workflows and improve how incidents are prioritized, communicated, and surfaced to users. This is not passive familiarity with AI tools — it is hands-on collaboration to build and improve them.

Note: This role requires eligibility to obtain and maintain CJIS clearance. Continued employment is contingent upon meeting and maintaining this requirement.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Shift Operations

• Own day-to-day operations of Citizen's 24/7 Mission Control — scheduling, shift coverage, escalation, and performance standards

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of Mission Control Specialists responsible for real-time incident evaluation, communication, and community engagement.

• Be present and available: this is a hands-on role; your team works around the clock and they need a manager who shows up

Real-Time Incident Distribution

• Lead the real-time evaluation and distribution of 20,000+ daily incidents across police/fire radio, user reports, live video, and other public safety signals

• Set and enforce standards for what gets distributed, to whom, and how — with speed, accuracy, and editorial judgment in balance

Platform & Community Engagement

• Identify and act on opportunities to use Citizen's platform — push notifications, live experiences, and community engagement tools — to connect users, responders, and communities in ways that improve public safety beyond traditional news distribution.

• Establish standards for how the team interacts with the public during active incidents, balancing speed, accuracy, and safety

Editorial Standards

• Define and oversee the standards, process, and quality controls behind the 29M+ push notifications sent daily by our 24/7 team.

• Build a culture of continuous improvement; at 29M+ push notifications daily, the margin for error is low.

AI-Assisted Workflows

• Serve as a primary editorial voice in the design and improvement of AI-assisted incident evaluation, summarization, and notification workflows.

• Partner with Product, Engineering, and the Head of Real-Time Safety Operations to evolve AI-assisted workflows for incident prioritization and amplification

Qualifications

• 6+ years leading breaking news, assignment desks, newsrooms, public safety communications, or other high-intensity 24/7 operations where sound judgment under pressure is essential.

• Has built or improved an incident response protocol, editorial standard, or operational workflow under real pressure — and can walk us through it

• Sees beyond distribution: identifies moments where Citizen's platform can do more than inform — it can connect and protect beyond traditional news reporting

• Strong leadership and coaching experience, with a track record of developing high-performing teams in shift-based or always-on operations.

• Fluency with AI-assisted tools and a demonstrated ability to collaborate with Product and Engineering to improve editorial or operational workflows.

• Strong operational mindset with experience using data to improve quality, speed, and team performance.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skil