The Water Education Foundation has a full-time opening for an experienced, energetic and motivated editor who can elevate our online and print publications with sharp editing, innovative storytelling and a passion for clearly explaining the complexities and nuances of water resource issues.

The Foundation is an impartial nonprofit in Sacramento that has been a trusted source of water news and programming in California and across the West for 45 years. We are looking for a veteran journalist who is a strong editor with fluency in digital media (including website management and social media). This position oversees our staff writer and is responsible for producing monthly articles examining water issues in California and the Colorado River Basin, managing our weekday water news feed and posting breaking news and other news on social media.

This position also serves as editor to our Layperson’s Guides series on key water issues and our online water encyclopedia, as well as our annual report and any grant-related projects involving writing and editing. In addition, this position helps with our weekly news announcements. This position reports to the Executive Director and works on a hybrid schedule with Tuesdays through Thursdays in our Sacramento office and Mondays and Fridays from home.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

Editing

• Serves as editor of our Western Water online newsroom, which features monthly articles examining key water topics, and posts the articles online with photos, maps and other graphic elements.
• Oversees the Aquafornia water news roundup each weekday that is put together by a freelancer. Occasionally updates with outside articles when major breaking news occurs.
• Edits updates to our Layperson’s Guides on key water topics.
• Edits new and updated entries on Aquapedia, the Foundation’s online water encyclopedia.
• Edits other special projects such as printed water maps and online projects.
• Works with a freelance graphic artist and printer when needed.

Other Duties

• Supervises a staff writer and a freelancer who cobbles together our weekday water newsfeed known as Aquafornia.
• Keeps up to date on current water issues across the West and develops contacts.
• Works with the Development Director and Executive Director on proposals for new projects.
• Works with Operations Manager to manage online store and respond to customer queries.
• Tracks and analyzes website traffic and email campaigns.
• Attends Board of Directors meetings as needed and serves as a staff liaison to the Board of Directors’ Programs and Publications Committee.
• Attends at least one multi-day water tour per year to assist Programs Director and develop new story ideas.
• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Takes photographs of our events for annual report and other purposes.
• Occasionally moderates panels at conferences.
• Occasionally tweets news items from our events and tours.

Skills:

• Ability to plan and manage a variety of projects – short-term and long-term – simultaneously.
• Social media experience, specifically with Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Instagram helpful.
• Experience shooting newsworthy photographs and developing maps, simple graphics and data charts to enhance storytelling.
• Willingness to work as part of a team, be flexible and maintain a can-do attitude.
• Knowledge of AP style.
• Experience with Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, Google docs.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism preferred; will consider other related fields.
• Strong knowledge of California water, politics and environmental issues; as well as those in the Colorado River Basin.
• Minimum 10 years’ experience reporting and editing at a major newspaper, news website or magazine.

Salary/Benefits:

$82,000 – $86,000 annually for this salaried position, depending on experience, plus excellent benefits – medical, dental, vision; paid vacation, sick time and holidays; 403(b) retirement plan with generous employer contributions starting at 7 percent.

To Apply:

Email resume, clips and letter of interest to Jenn Bowles, the Foundation’s Executive Director, at jbowles@watereducation.org. This position will remain open until filled.

The Water Education Foundation is an impartial, nonprofit 501(c)3 whose mission is to inspire understanding of water and catalyze critical conversations to build bridges and inform collaborative decision-making. Learn more at www.watereducation.org