Director of Photography
The Seattle Times
- Seattle, WA
- Permanent
- Full-time
- Lead a team of award-winning photojournalists, video journalists, photo editors and photo production staff. Foster a culture of creativity and innovation across the team.
- Edit photography on a daily basis. Establish structure of responsibilities for photo editors and photo production staff with a goal of creating clarity of roles for other newsroom teams.
- Elevate the level of visual storytelling, quality and inclusiveness across all Seattle Times publications. Maintain adherence to journalism ethics.
- Utilize audience metrics to make strategic coverage decisions that align with company growth goals. Make strategic coverage decisions that support a subscriber audience growth strategy.
- Ensure management of each staffer encourages professional and personal growth while supporting the visual goals across online and print publications. Hold staff accountable to goals and standards.
- Determine workflows and strategies necessary to publish photojournalism across breaking news, local news, business, features, sports and in-depth investigative stories with an emphasis on accuracy, quality, speed, representation and community impact. This includes assigning and editing photo/video staff, editing content created by other newsroom staff, editing wire agencies, negotiating freelance contracts, acquiring courtesy content and purchasing content from other sources.
- Work with other editors and journalists across the newsroom to brainstorm best approaches for photo and video assignments.
- Foster meaningful, productive collaboration between the photo/video team and other newsroom teams.
- Plan visual coverage in advance of news events and during breaking news.
- Ensure that standards on news judgment, ethics, style and fairness, with specific focus on equity and inclusion, are consistent across all Seattle Times platforms.
- As needed, communicate directly with audience and community members about publication decisions.
- Manage budgets for equipment, travel and coverage expenses in order to maximize impactful community journalism within cost restrictions.
- Oversee purchasing of photographic equipment as well as repairs and maintenance.
- Manage staff schedules in order to maintain coverage and publication.
- Contribute to newsroom initiatives and committees as required.
- Experience: At least 8 years of experience in a fast-paced newsroom is preferred, including at least 4 years editing photography and management of visual teams.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience required.
- Demonstrated ability to lead a visual team.
- Demonstrated experience in making data-driven coverage decisions to support audience growth and retention goals.
- Demonstrated ability to successfully work across teams to create impactful collaboration.
- Demonstrated visual acuity in the selection of photos for daily publication, showing a wide-ranging knowledge of news, feature and sports photo editing.
- Demonstrated ability to apply news judgment and make sound ethical decisions under pressure and while multi-tasking.
- Demonstrated ability to manage budgets.
- Demonstrated experience advancing equity and inclusion in news coverage.
- Must be willing to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends, as needed.
- Must have strong prioritization, organization and communication skills.
- Must show ability to coach and mentor as well as a track record of fostering teamwork.
- Medical, dental insurance and long-term disability insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Optional life and AD&D insurance and long-term care insurance
- 401(k) plan with employer match
- 10 days of annual vacation accrual, increasing with tenure up to 20 days
- 10 days of annual sick accrual; unused sick pay accrues to an extended illness bank
- 9 paid holidays
- Subsidized transit cards
- Complimentary Seattle Times subscription
- Wellness program
- Parental leave options