Voices 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.

The Independent is hiring a Voices Editor to lead its award-winning comment desk. The successful candidate will be a team player with an excellent and diverse contacts book, a passion for representing varied opinions on the biggest news stories of the day, and a good knowledge of all aspects of digital journalism – including social media and SEO.

We are looking for someone who reads the news compulsively; who has an opinion on everything but also the ability to work fairly and diplomatically with people who might hold opposing views to their own; who prides themselves on snappy headline-writing and excellent copy-editing; who is able to think laterally and commission creatively; and who can engage audiences in innovative ways.

Experience of working in comment journalism, or for a mainstream publication in a related capacity is required. A stellar contacts book of writers to commission on topical ideas each day is essential. The candidate should be able to commission big names to write on important issues and have a proven track record in building new audiences and introducing exciting writers to a digital space. A strong understanding of social media is necessary, along with being resilient and friendly in a busy newsroom with competing demands.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading our comment team to bring together a diverse list of opinion pieces each day.
• Delivering topical pieces on issues of the day at short notice across a range of subjects.
• Building and maintaining good relationships with regular columnists and guiding ideas for their pieces.
• Planning ahead to ensure our opinion section has first-rate, thought-provoking comment on big news events.
• Attending meetings to represent the desk.

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 – 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.