Managing Editor

Description:

New Jersey Hills Media Group Job Posting

Company: New Jersey Hills Media Group

Job Title: Managing Editor

Workplace Location: Whippany, New Jersey

Workplace Type: Primarily in-office, with some flexibility to work remotely on occasion

About The Company: New Jersey Hills Media Group is a mission-driven, nonprofit-owned provider of journalism that connects communities. We are the premier local news source for 51 towns across Essex, Hunterdon, Morris and Somerset counties. Our company mission is to engage and inform the towns we serve with community-driven, professional and fact-based news and feature reporting that inspires civic participation and strengthens democracy. Our 13 publications are delivered through websites updated every day, daily newsletters, social media, and weekly newspapers. Learn more at newjerseyhills.com.

As a nonprofit organization, we prioritize community impact over profit, reinvesting all of our resources into quality journalism that serves the public good.

About The Role: The managing editor will lead our mission-driven news team of approximately 15 editors and reporters who gather and distribute news content through 13 publications online seven days per week and through printed weekly newspapers. In this nonprofit environment, you'll have the opportunity to focus entirely on journalistic excellence and community service, working with a team that values community impact. You will oversee and quality assure news gathering, production and distribution on daily deadlines. The managing editor will be supported by an editor, who will serve as their deputy, working across the news team — not assigned to specific publications.

Key responsibilities include:

• Recruiting, managing and coaching local news journalists

• Editing all articles in collaboration with the deputy editor, before they are published online, and all printed pages before they are sent to the printer

• Hands-on quality assurance of content packaging online and in email newsletters

• Ensuring all deadlines are met, in collaboration with production manager

• Maintaining news team budgeting and administrative systems, including invoicing and expense reporting, to assure compliance with overarching company budget

• Ultimately responsible for managing freelance contributor network and content sharing partner relationships

• Engaging with audience members and other constituents to establish and maintain relationships and identify and activate new opportunities

• Partnering with the CEO and Publisher to creatively transform and evolve the business toward sustainability and growth
  
  

Critical Qualities and Skills Required:

• Leadership and Team Management: Deeply committed to the cause of local journalism and excited to work in a nonprofit environment where editorial decisions prioritize community impact. Comfortable working resourcefully with a lean budget. Energized by the challenge of building sustainable local news in an evolving media landscape. Experienced team leader who relishes recruiting, managing, coaching and supporting journalists to serve local audiences.
  
  

• Editing and Quality Assurance: Thorough and efficient copy editor, knowledgeable of AP style, able to share weekday and weekend editing responsibilities with a deputy
  
  

• Technical Proficiency: Proficient using digital content management systems (we use Blox), including print and email integrations with InDesign and Constant Contact

• Budget and Operations Management: Experienced with effective ownership of deadlines, work schedules, and financial budgeting, invoicing and expense reporting processes. Proven track record of managing and quality assuring multi-channel distribution of staff, syndicated and freelance content.

• Flexibility: Comfortable taking on a variety of responsibilities, and supporting colleagues across the business, in a collaborative, open-office environment

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred

• 5+ years of experience managing local news teams preferred
  
  

Compensation: Compensation reflects our nonprofit model and is commensurate with experience. We seek candidates who share our values-driven approach to local news.

Why This Role Is Different:

As a nonprofit-owned news organization our day-to-day focus includes:

• Mission over margins — Editorial decisions driven by community needs

• Resourceful innovation — Building creative solutions with a lean budget, focusing impact where it matters most

• Democratic purpose — Directly strengthening civic engagement and democracy

• Long-term thinking — Building a sustainable, quality journalism model

• Values alignment — Sharing a commitment to serving the public good

What We Offer:

• Mission-driven newsroom where your work directly impacts community wellbeing

• Opportunities to shape the future direction of our digital transformation

• Paid time off — 10 vacation days in year one (plus increases based on tenure), five sick days, eight company holidays

• Health insurance and dental coverage

• 401K plan

• Small team environment with long-term organizational growth potential

• Opportunities for professional development and industry networking events

How To Apply: Ideal candidates are experienced editors who value mission over maximum compensation and are energized by the opportunity to lead impactful journalism in a nonprofit environment. We encourage applications from candidates who meet most of our requirements, even if not all. We're seeking to fill this position by the end of 2025. Please email your resume and a cover letter explaining how you’re a match for the role and why nonprofit journalism appeals to you to our CEO and Publisher, Joe Territo, jterrito@newjerseyhills.com.

New Jersey Hills Media Group is an equal opportunity employer, and we value a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.