Editor, Schemes, Kyiv

We are looking for an Editor to join our Schemes program team. You will act as the editor and leading investigative journalist working on complex investigations while curating and supporting the investigations team, providing them direction and support. You will encourage investigative journalists to focus their stories, dig for facts and context, and work with a sense of urgency. Working closely with the Executive Producer of the Schemes desk, you will shape Schemes content, ­from idea generation through to editing and releasing the final product. You will have a sound news judgment stemming from years of experience in journalism, an ability to work cooperatively under pressure and a commitment to nurture correspondents are required. An absolute commitment to journalistic impartiality should guide editors from start to finish.

Responsibilities:

• In cooperation with Schemes executive producer and other senior staff in the Bureau, helps plan the investigative desk agenda. Engages in idea generation with investigative reporters on the team, finalizes assignments, supervises their completion and edits and issues the final product in a timely manner.
• Final product can include, but is not limited to, journalistic investigations, full-length web features, interviews, explainers, analyses, blogs, captions, video scripts, news stories.
• Works closely with the Executive Producer of the Schemes desk to supervise a team of investigative and reporters, providing feedback, managing the team's work activities, and setting objectives.
• Researches material and, exercising editorial judgment, selects reliable information from a varied range of reputable sources.
• Keeps deadlines and strives to meet or exceed RFE/RL standards for the quality of the output.
• Must keep up with world news and developments in RFE/RL broadcast region.
• Should cultivate one or more specialty beats.
• Editors are encouraged and expected to work closely with language service broadcasters and to suggest their own pitches and story ideas.
• In addition to working regular shifts, the editor is expected to be available during important, breaking news events, and work as assigned by the Service Director or Bureau senior managers.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

• Education in Journalism or related field.

Work Experience:

• 3+ years experience as an investigative journalist or editor of investigations, a track record of own investigations.
• History of successful projects under deadline pressure.
• Extensive experience in news and feature journalism, as both a reporter and an editor, including on digital platforms - 5 years minimum.

Competencies:

• Sound news judgment and leadership qualities in editorial tasks and sensitive situations.
• First-class investigative journalism skills and a history of multimedia investigative projects
• Proven ability to produce innovative, creative, cross-platform investigative journalism and storytelling that can be held up as examples of best-practice journalism.
• Solid grounding in TV and web production, editing and posting on digital platforms.
• Ability to produce, report and write from a network of original sources, including short and long-form pieces.
• Consistently pitches original ideas resulting in viable suggestions for coverage and delivery.
• Proven ability to work quickly and efficiently to solve technical and operational problems under tight deadlines
• Familiarity with political, economic and social issues in Ukraine and neighboring countries as well as regional and international news events.
• Ability to manage assigned staff, proactively providing support.
• Taking responsibility for personal professional development both in terms of challenging assignments and with training.
• Contributing to maintaining a positive, collegial working environment.

Languages:

• Ukrainian language, proficient level, mandatory
• English language, intermediate level, mandatory