Editor in Chief

J. The Jewish News of Northern California is the award-winning, nonprofit news organization serving the Bay Area’s diverse Jewish community. J. covers the range of what it means to be Jewish today — from politics to the arts, religion and food, lifecycle events, and news of the local, national, and global Jewish communities.

J.’ s newsroom of 5 full-time editors, 1 full-time reporter and 2 part-time reporters is recognized for its excellence and consistently wins awards, including 18 Rockower Awards in 2021 alone. Online, J. reaches 200K unique visitors per month, with a weekly newsletter distribution of 13,000. The biweekly print edition serves nearly 20,000 homes throughout Northern California. The organization’s budget of $2.5M comes from a diverse mix of ad/sponsorship revenue, foundation grants, individual donors and subscriptions.

The Editor in Chief (EIC) sets the editorial vision for J., ensures the smooth running of the news operation, continuously adapts newsroom operations based on best practices within the field, and serves as the public face for the newsroom.

The Editor in Chief reports to the CEO, but will be hired jointly by the CEO and Board of Directors.

WHO WE SEEK

Editorial Vision: The EIC is an experienced journalist with a background in news, and is a keen observer of what is important to the Bay Area Jewish community. Embedded in Jewish American life, the EIC understands that differing opinions and points of views are a strength of J. and will encourage discourse. J. subscribes to the JCRC’s Consensus Statement on Israel.

Newsroom Manager: The EIC is a tactical, decisive, transparent, and inspirational team leader, skilled in managing people and projects. This leader is equally skilled in managing up and across the organization, with a track record of delivering on time and within budget. The EIC creates a collaborative and openly communicative team culture that is continuously learning and looked upon as a model by peer publications and other organizations in the community.

Digital Leader: J. launched its first website in 1995, but in many respects is still a print-first organization. The EIC will partner with the CEO to bring best digital practices to the newsroom, including a strong focus on analytics, community engagement, and developing new digital products to serve different market segments.

Ambassador: The EIC is a savvy communicator who brings an authentic passion for J.’s mission as its chief spokesperson. The EIC will represent J. to the public (for example by appearing on TV and radio, writing for other publications, and appearing at conferences). The EIC will partner with the CEO to develop relationships with other publications, community organizations, and key leaders in the community, as well as support the development team’s fundraising efforts.

Not everyone who can excel at this job will have all of these skills and experience. If that’s you, apply anyway and tell us about what you’ll bring to the role that we haven’t even imagined!

QUALIFICATIONS

– Significant news experience including as a reporter and an editor, including previous experience managing reporters.
– Knowledge of the Jewish world; immersion in Bay Area Jewish culture a plus.
– Exceptional news judgment.
– Demonstrated interest in and knowledge of best practices in a digital news environment.
– Comfort with public facing work, including public speaking.

SALARY AND COMPENSATION

Salary range begins at $110K plus medical and life insurance.

Location: Our office is located in San Francisco; most newsroom employees work a hybrid schedule.

J. The Jewish News of Northern California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity, and we encourage all—especially those whose identities are traditionally underrepresented in Jewish organizations—to apply. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

TO APPLY

Please send cover letter, resume, and three references to:

Jo Ellen Green Kaiser, CEO
[email protected]

Please also send any questions to the CEO. Applications will be kept confidential.