Address
Form of work
SalaryPolitical Editor
Reports to: Assistant Editor
About us
The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.
The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.
Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.
We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
- We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone.
- We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.
The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.
Job purpose
The Independent is recruiting a dynamic Political Editor who shapes our coverage and delivers exclusive stories and presents a wealth of ideas to ensure our content is both original and compelling. The Political Editor will advise the news desk on how best to cover significant events, possess a contacts book that will help to set the news agenda, and confidently lead the lobby team to produce the highest quality journalism.
Key responsibilities and accountabilities
The Political Editor will have an encyclopaedic knowledge of British politics, a track record of delivering regular exclusives, and a genuine desire to hold politicians, government and the civil service to account.
The Political Editor will report to the Assistant Editor, but will have a close working relationship with the Deputy Editor, the Editor-in-Chief, and other executive editors. They will be expected to develop strong working relationships with colleagues on the news desk to agree on the best ways of tackling stories.
They will also need to closely manage the work of other members of the lobby team to ensure that the right stories are being pursued and that the team can deliver the breadth of reporting required – including a regular supply of exclusives.
They will be confident in representing The Independent publicly and being a brand ambassador.
They will also be expected to work closely with teams such as Audience and Independent TV, to ensure we optimise news packages and maximise our audience.
They will be a self-starter with a strong ability to plan the work of their team, coming up with daily and weekly lists as well as advance planning for major events.
The post-holder will have a track record of developing relationships with senior politicians across all parties and senior civil servants.
Skills and experience
- A prolific breaker of exclusives.
- Extensive knowledge of government and politics.
- A strong understanding of digital publishing and the associated opportunities and challenges, both on- and off-platform.
- Able to cultivate first-class working relationships with colleagues and contacts.
- Proven ability as a writer, correspondent, and editor.
- Demonstrable organisational and planning skills.
- Skilled content creator alive to the possibilities of multimedia.
- Ability to communicate clearly.
- Expert knowledge of trends and social media
- Experience of working in a dynamic fast-paced media environment.
Our values - you will deliver across all our values
Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.
Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.
Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.
Click 'apply now' to send an up-to-date CV along with a full covering letter.
