Senior Investigative Reporter

Responsibilities

• Cultivating sources who can provide investigative leads.
• Working with the Vice President of Investigations and other colleagues to identify prospective investigations.
• Conducting preliminary investigations into promising leads, including leads obtained from POGO’s tipline.
• Developing and executing thorough investigative plans, utilizing tips and other human intelligence, open-source intelligence techniques, the Freedom of Information Act, government databases, and interviews with members of impacted communities and other sources.
• Managing investigative projects by assigning tasks to researchers, fellows, interns, monitoring their progress and providing feedback.
• Authoring accurate, concise, and balanced reporting to be published on POGO’s website and on/in third party websites/publications.
• Adhering to publication and production timelines, as well as editorial requirements and policies.
• Presenting original investigative findings to POGO’s policy team, along with any discussion of potential recommendations to correct the abuses or problems that were uncovered.
• Engaging in follow-up activities, which may include drafting press pitches and social media content, appearing on television, radio, and podcasts, testifying before congressional committees and federal agencies, and disseminating information to Congress and the Executive Branch staff and/or allied organizations.
• Mentoring more junior investigators, researchers, fellows and interns.

Qualifications

• Minimum of eight years of experience as an investigator, journalist or demonstrated equivalent experience.
• Able to work independently and collaboratively, with well-developed time and project management skills.
• Keen eye and ear for storytelling, especially when it comes to building stories around complex subject matter with accountability in mind.
• Exercises excellent editorial judgment with respect to journalistic ethics and libel laws.
• Able to think critically and apply POGO’s previous work/policy positions to new issue areas, with an eye toward identifying the systemic reform angle.
• Excellent interpersonal and interview skills, and the ability to work effectively with colleagues, media organizations, and government officials and employees.
• Well-organized with a strong attention to detail.
• Experience successfully managing team projects.
• Demonstrable track record of taking initiative to solve problems and adapt to changing circumstances.
• Committed to working in a nonpartisan manner with diverse stakeholders and policy makers.
• Able to work independently when necessary, multitask, take direction, and meet strict deadlines.
• Works respectfully and collaboratively with POGO staff, and demonstrates a strong commitment to POGO’s justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) values.
• Strong research skills, including the ability to effectively use government and other open-data sources.
• (+) Familiarity with federal government policy, structure, and operations preferred.
• (+) Prior reporting on election interference, war profiteering, and/or regulatory capture preferred.