Deputy Director of Digital Production

About the role

The Wall Street Journal is looking for Deputy Directors of Digital Production to join our newly formed Digital Production Team, an integral part of our New York publishing hub. The team brings together two distinct editorial disciplines, combining the rigorous copy-editing standards of our Publishing Desk with the strategic programming and audience development expertise of our Platforms team, moving fluidly between both functions. As one of four Deputy Directors, you will support the Executive Production Editor and the Digital Production Director in the efficient running of the new team, helping to manage schedules and ensure that work is carried out to the most rigorous standards. You should be a confident and natural leader, have excellent news judgment and possess an up-to-the minute understanding of visual storytelling. Passionate about technical innovation, you should be excited to embrace, test and suggest new ideas. While working as part of the broader team, each Deputy Director will also assume responsibility for one of four areas: Breaking News; Curation and Visual Presentation; Features and Plannable News; Tech Development and Implementation. Each will also be line manager to a group of Senior Production Editors and Production Editors. The role is based in our New York newsroom and requires schedule flexibility including weekend and evening work. Some Deputy Director tasks require mandatory attendance in the NY office.

You Will

• Be a core member of the New York hub, proactively contributing to decisions about news coverage and story promotion
• Deputize for the Digital Production Director and for other senior hub editors as required
• Have line manager responsibilities for a group of Senior Production Editors and Production Editors, providing mentoring and constructive feedback to ensure their work is of the highest standard
• Edit copy to the highest standards of grammar, style, accuracy and clarity, quickly, on deadline, and without a second pass
• Independently make packaging and presentation decisions across breaking news, features and enterprise journalism with strong, confident news judgment, not waiting for direction
• Write captions, sells and alerts that entice and engage readers
• Apply metadata, in-house coding and all technical publishing requirements correctly and consistently without reference. This is a baseline expectation
• Work fast and keep cool under intense pressure
• Execute daily programming decisions across WSJ platforms, including app and desktop homepages, push notifications and email alerts, using audience data to inform curation in real time
• Take responsibility for running a shift either as team leader or deputy
• Liaise with the London production hub to ensure the seamless transition of publishing operations between timezones
• Work with reporters and coverage editors in the pursuit of the best news coverage
• Maintain an up-to-date knowledge of publishing systems and digital design concepts
• Develop excellent relationships with tech teams to ensure that we build tools to enhance both the reader experience and WSJ internal workflows
• Uphold Dow Jones standards and ethics in every editorial decision

You Have

• 10+ years of hands-on experience in digital news editing, platform curation, or a role that required both
• Strong and demonstrable management experience
• A track record of strong, independent news judgment under deadline pressure
• Expert-level proficiency with digital publishing tools, metadata and newsroom workflows, not just an enthusiasm for learning them
• Deep, applied knowledge of SEO best practices and audience data platforms, with the ability to act on both in real time
• Experience curating digital homepages, app feeds or equivalent native platform surfaces
• Fluency editing across media types: text, graphics, captions, push copy and social
• The ability to work independently and as a team contributor with equal effectiveness
• Composure and flexibility in a fast-moving, high-stakes editorial environment

Pay

Base Pay Range: 155,000 - 185,000