The Texas Tribune, the state’s go-to source for Texas politics and public policy news, is seeking a full-time education editor to conceptualize, assign, edit, and project manage work produced by a talented team of journalists covering K-12, higher education, and the pathways from classrooms to employment in the state.
The perfect fit for this position will have a keen understanding of how a confluence of political and social forces is reshaping education in Texas. Most importantly, they will have a passion for managing and developing front-line journalists. The education editor will work with reporters to define how we approach topics, including student outcomes, school vouchers, religion in schools, district takeovers, limits on teaching about race and ethnicity, college readiness, academic freedom and university governance.
The right editor will be equipped to guide reporters in producing breaking news, explainers, quick-turn enterprise, ambitious long-term projects and a weekly newsletter — all of which help Texans navigate a rapidly changing and highly consequential educational environment in a state that has an outsized influence over national policy.
The education editor will report to the Tribune’s managing editor for news and state affairs. They will lead a team that has three full-time reporters, though we plan to expand with at least one additional reporter in 2026. The editor will also be assigned student fellows to supervise from time to time. Those with solid education reporting backgrounds, but who are new to editing, are welcome to apply.
The salary for this position will vary depending on experience and qualifications; the minimum is $90,000.
Responsibilities
- Think broadly and expansively about our priorities and resources to ensure that our coverage includes a strong mix of accountability journalism, features and ground-up reporting on the people and movements that shape and are affected by policy and political discourse.
- Collaborate with colleagues on stories on other beats as needed.
- Collaborate with the Tribune’s data and product teams on daily stories, long-term features and data explorers.
- Collaborate with the Tribune’s Audience, Photo and Events teams to ensure we have rich storytelling that addresses what Texans want and need.
- As part of the editing team, assign and participate in panel discussions for Tribune events and the annual Texas Tribune Festival.
- Participate in radio and television hits with our media partners.
- All reporters and editors at the Tribune are responsible for occasional evening, weekend and holiday work, as well as general assignment shifts as news demands.
Qualifications
- Experience guiding and editing public policy coverage
- A demonstrated ability to work quickly and under tight deadlines to keep reporters organized and help them triage their beats
- A deep commitment to and enthusiasm for robust beat coverage that includes breaking news and quicker-turn enterprise reporting, as well as ambitious long-term projects
- Evidence of strong reporting, fact-checking and writing skills and a firm grasp of AP style
- A demonstrated ability to manage a talented and ambitious team, coaching and developing reporters with varying levels of experience
- Strong familiarity with journalistic ethics and libel law
- A clear desire and proven ability to collaborate with other colleagues across the organization
- Experience and a deep knowledge of Texas politics, government and geography are preferred, but not mandatory.
We know some great candidates won’t check all of these boxes, and we also know you might bring important skills that we haven’t considered. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.
Location
The Texas Tribune office is located in downtown Austin, steps away from the Texas Capitol. We prefer the Education Editor to be based in the Austin area but will consider candidates living in other parts of Texas.
Benefits
This job is full-time and has the following benefits:
- Medical, vision and dental insurance
- A cellphone stipend
- 20 days of paid time off each year
- Up to 16 weeks of paid family leave, plus four weeks of additional job protection
- 401(k) matching
- Support for professional training and attending industry conferences
- Remote work flexibility
How to Apply
Submit your application here by Jan. 26, along with
- a résumé,
- cover letter,
- three links to stories that you’ve worked on with explanations that walk us through how your editing improved the stories, as well as any challenges you faced, and
- a memo detailing your vision for the Tribune position and how you would approach the work.
We can’t wait to hear from you.
The Texas Tribune is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
About The Texas Tribune
Here’s what you should know about the Tribune. From day one, we’ve had disruption, innovation and risk-taking in our DNA. We’re ambitious as all get out but still have the punch-above-your-weight mentality of a scrappy start-up. We believe we can meet the demands of our audience and our own expectations for excellence without breaking the bank — or our staff. We understand not everything is a story for us — we have to make choices — but we’re always looking to expand our boundaries.
We’re nonprofit because the challenging economic reality for media these days obligates us to find a different way, reliable and sustainable, to fund serious journalism. We’re nonpartisan because we live in the United States of Confirmation Bias — and we don’t need to be part of the problem. We don’t need to be yet another source of information affirming the voices and perspectives that are already in people’s heads. At the same time, nonpartisan is not non-thinking. We call B.S. when B.S. needs to be called.
The Texas Tribune seeks to ensure that its newsroom and its news coverage reflect Texas by including a wide range of perspectives from people of different backgrounds, ideologies and experiences.
Learn more about The Texas Tribune here.