News Editor (World) - 14-month FTC

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, making its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over. We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

The role

The Independent is seeking an exceptional world news editor to join our expanding international news team. It is a wide-ranging role, covering everything from the wars in Ukraine and Gaza to European terror attacks and elections around the globe.

The right candidate will need to have experience working in a fast-paced live news environment at a national level, desking clean copy and sharpening headlines to ensure our coverage is as impactful as possible. Live blogs and breaking news are the cornerstone of our operation and you will need to be versed in best practice for both. More than just a reactive role, you will bring your own ideas to the table so that The Independent can continue to lead coverage and not simply follow.

A thorough understanding of traffic analytics is essential, as we constantly aim to maximise the audience for our award-winning journalism. You will also need to be adept at managing a team of reporters with a wide range of experience, to bring the best out of them and help your team progress as journalists. This is a senior role, where the successful candidate will need to be in regular communication with editors and other departments. You will be an expert in juggling multiple priorities and do so in a calm and co-operative manner.

About you

• Key responsibilities and accountabilities
• Commissioning and editing news copy.
• Running the news operation at evenings and weekends as required.
• Planning high-quality coverage for major international news events.
• Understand digital analytics tools.
• Have a proven track record as a news journalist.
• Act swiftly and vocally when issues arise.
• Be a problem solver with the ability to deal with issues calmly and decisively.
• Be a team-player able to work well with others.

Essential skills and experience

• Experience of successfully working in a similar role at a similar title.
• Demonstrable experience as a senior journalist.
• Strong familiarity with the Independent and our coverage.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills required to manage the daily/weekly/monthly publishing flow of an editorial team.
• Experience collaborating with editors to grow and increase audience, both on site and across platforms.
• Ability to interpret data and make insightful recommendations.
• Skilled content creator.
• Ability to clearly communicate best practices.
• Experience of working in a dynamic fast-paced media environment.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone. We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

• Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.
• Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.
• Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.

This position is a 14-month fixed-term contract. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.