Live Politics News Editor

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.

In 2024 The Independent’s portfolio of brands increased through a new licensing partnership with BuzzFeed Inc. to operate the BuzzFeed brands in the UK - BuzzFeed UK, Tasty, Seasoned and HuffPost UK. The additional brands echo the existing business ethos and allow for increased audiences and a further strategic diversification of revenue streams.

The Independent is seeking an exceptional Live Politics News Editor to help lead the title’s political coverage from Westminster. The right candidate will likely come from a strong news background with experience in political journalism, but have a firm grasp on all aspects of digital publishing.

They will be a decisive problem solver, comfortable guiding correspondents as well as writing breaking news and running live blogs themselves in order to ensure our live political coverage is industry-leading. Experience in a similar role at an equivalent title is essential. This is a senior role, where the successful candidate will have regular dialogue with the Editor and other senior colleagues. You will be expected to be comfortable managing multiple priorities in a calm and methodical manner.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities:

• Commissioning, editing and writing political news copy.
• Working with political editor to ensure smooth running of our Westminster operation, taking ownership of our live political coverage and strategy.
• Liaising with newsdesk and senior editors.
• Understand digital analytics tools.
• Have a proven track record as a political 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 political journalist in Westminster.
• 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, Equality 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:

• 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 maternity cover until May 2025. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.