Managing editor

This is a remote position.

About Sentient:

Sentient is the only nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization solely focused on factory farms and their effects on climate, animals, workers, clean water, public health and rural communities. Founded in 2018, Sentient’s content is fact-checked and science-driven, with reporting that serves readers—especially those in frontline rural communities—interested in the impacts of what they eat on animals, climate, water, workers and their local economy.

Position Overview:

Sentient is seeking an experienced Managing Editor to help lead our growing newsroom and oversee the day-to-day editorial operations behind our investigative and accountability journalism on factory farming and its effects on climate, animals, workers, public health and rural communities.

Reporting to Sentient’s Editor-in-Chief, the Managing Editor will manage daily editorial workflow, work closely with editors, staff reporters and freelance contributors, oversee story assignments and edits, and help set and uphold Sentient’s editorial standards across the newsroom. This role is central to ensuring Sentient’s journalism is accurate, timely and impactful, and will play a key part in managing the newsroom’s continued growth.

Key Responsibilities:

Editorial Management

• Oversee day-to-day editorial operations and manage the daily production workflow across staff reporters, editors and freelance contributors.
• Manage a number of editorial staff members, including editors, production coordinator and reporters.
• Partner with the Editor-in-Chief to set and maintain editorial standards, style guidelines and fact-checking practices across the newsroom.
• Manage editorial calendars and coverage plans, balancing daily coverage with longer investigative projects.
• As needed, edit and shape stories for accuracy, clarity, fairness and impact, from pitch through publication.
• Help recruit, onboard and manage freelance contributors.
• Ensure all published work aligns with Sentient’s editorial mission and standards for accuracy, nuance and journalistic rigor.

Newsroom Leadership

• Work closely with the Editor-in-Chief on overall editorial strategy and coverage priorities.
• Help manage editorial budgets, including freelance spending.
• Support hiring, training and performance feedback for editorial staff.
• Represent Sentient’s editorial standards in collaborations with partner newsrooms and outlets.
• Track and report on editorial output, deadlines and story performance.
• Step in for the Editor-in-Chief on editorial decisions as needed.

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Collaborate with the social media, audience and video teams to adapt and distribute reporting across platforms.
• Work with the development team to support grant reporting and impact tracking related to editorial output.
• Partner with reporters on regional projects, such as the Iowa Reporting Project, to ensure consistent editorial standards.

Requirements

• Significant experience in journalism, including several years in a newsroom manager or leadership role.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple reporters, projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong news judgment and a track record of shaping accurate, high-impact journalism.
• Excellent writing, editing and communication skills.
• Experience with fact-checking and editorial standards processes.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fully remote environment.

Highly Desired Qualifications

• Experience reporting or editing on agriculture, food systems, climate, animal welfare or environmental issues.
• Experience managing freelance writers and contributors.
• Experience in nonprofit or mission-driven journalism.
• Familiarity with audience engagement.
• Experience with data journalism or investigative reporting techniques.

The Recruitment Process

We want to provide transparency around the recruitment process so you can know what to expect when applying. We are looking to select a candidate for the Managing Editor role over the coming months and want to allow sufficient time for candidates to apply and for us to assess those who have applied.

The recruitment process is expected to proceed as follows:

1. Submit your application at the link below and we will review your application. Please include a resume and a cover letter.
2. Candidates who pass the initial screening round will be invited to a first-round interview with our hiring team.
3. Candidates who pass the first-round interview stage can expect a second interview stage with a time-limited work test for which we will compensate candidates for their time.
4. Candidates who have been successful in the second interview stage and time-limited work test will be invited to a third interview round with Sentient’s leadership team.

We appreciate your interest in Sentient and even if you are unsuccessful in applying for this position, we invite you to apply to work with us again in the future. We do think it is important to share that we are a small non-profit news outlet, and due to the volume of applicants, it may not be possible for us to respond to everyone who has applied during the first step of the process.

Benefits

This is a full-time (40 hours per week) position that is remote. We are looking for candidates that are compatible with Eastern Time Zone working hours.

Our total reward offering for this position includes the following:

• Salary: $110,000 - $118,000 USD annually.
• Health, Dental & Vision Benefits.
• Professional Development Allowance.
• 401K plan.
• Competitive Paid Time Off.
• Annual Remote Office Supply Stipend.

Equity and Inclusion Statement

Sentient is committed to building an inclusive and equitable newsroom that reflects the diversity of the communities we cover. We believe that journalism should amplify the voices of those most affected by industrial animal agriculture, particularly those from historically marginalized groups. We encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to people of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people with disabilities and those from rural or economically disadvantaged communities. We are an equal opportunity employer and encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply.