Newspaper Managing Editor

Patagonia Regional Times

Managing Editor
At a time when many local news outlets are shrinking, the Patagonia Regional Times (PRT) is thriving because of a deeply engaged rural community. The successful Managing Editor will build trusted relationships across that community, stay closely connected to local life and bring a relentless curiosity to the people, issues and places that shape eastern Santa Cruz County.

The PRT is a nonprofit newsroom serving the communities of Canelo, Elgin, Sonoita and Patagonia in southern Arizona. We produce a free monthly print edition 10 times a year, a weekly e-newsletter, and breaking-news e-alerts. Our estimated readership, accounting for the industry’s pass-along rate, is 5,520. Our annual budget is $190,000 and supports a paid staff of four, three of whom are part-time.

Since our founding in 2009, our mission has been to serve as a reliable source of news for the
communities of eastern Santa Cruz County: open to all views, focused on local issues, grounded in
community perspectives and needs and committed to providing a platform for community
education and engagement.

The Managing Editor reports to the Executive Director.

This role combines editorial leadership, hands-on reporting and editing, community engagement and organizational collaboration. The Managing Editor will guide coverage, support staff and volunteer writers, strengthen the PRT’s presence in the community and help ensure that our journalism remains independent, nonpartisan and rooted in local needs.

General Responsibilities

News Operations: Oversees editorial operations for the monthly print edition, weekly e-bulletin, website, breaking-news alerts and social media. Contributes to reporting, writing, editing and story
development as needed.

Organizational Mission and Strategy: Participates actively in shaping organizational strategy in
collaboration with the Executive Director, board, staff and writers.

Community Engagement and Writer Development: Builds relationships through active participation in local events and forums and cultivates a network of staff and volunteer writers to support strong, responsive coverage.

Financial Management: Works within the financial parameters established by the annual budget, unless otherwise directed by the board.

Specific Responsibilities

• Sets the editorial vision and frames stories that drive local and regional conversations
• Works with writers (staff and volunteers) on story development
• Oversees editing and layout of print edition
• Oversees weekly electronic editions and social media posts
• Leads monthly in-person writers’ meetings for the 10 annual print editions
• Uses data analytics to inform current coverage decisions and plan future coverage proactively
• Serves as the public face of the newsroom
• Pursues opportunities to engage with readers, stakeholders and donors, coordinating with the
business side of the organization on donor relationships
• Develops and nurtures a culture of collaboration within the editorial team and across the
organization
• Recruits and hires new editorial staff
• Conducts staff evaluations, encouraging professional development and setting clear expectations
for professional excellence
• Provides regular reports to the board and attends board meetings in person
• Proposes the annual news budget
• Reports and writes for the print edition, website, e-newsletter, breaking-news alerts and social
media
• Consults on grant applications and other business activities as needed
• Identifies and adopts process and technology efficiencies as needed
• Upholds high standards for independent, nonpartisan journalism

Education and Experience
• Four-year degree in journalism or related field
• Five years of significant journalism experience
• Leadership experience

Skills and Qualifications
• Excellent news judgement
• Attention to detail
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Command of newswriting fundamentals, including AP style
• Basic photography, web and social media skills

Preferred Qualifications
• Previous work with volunteers
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) with professional fluency in speaking, reading and writing

Position Details
• This is a full-time position with a salary range of $52,000-plus, depending on experience and need for medical insurance stipend
• Remote position requiring an active presence in the community
• Accrues 80 of PTO per year

Please submit a cover letter and resume via email to Executive Director Amy Glass,
[email protected]

Salary/Compensation: $52,000 - $65,000 per year