Director of Photography

The Seattle Times, a family-owned news organization and one of the nation’s premier regional news sources, is hiring a Director of Photography to lead our photo/video team and advance the Seattle Times’ legacy as a publisher of impactful photojournalism. This is a key leadership position in our newsroom and an opportunity to manage one of the best photojournalism teams in the country.    

As the Director of Photography, you will lead a team of award-winning photojournalists, video journalists, photo editors and photo production staff, fostering collaboration and inclusion while ensuring that a high level of quality visual journalism is maintained across all Seattle Times online and print publications. Participation across the newsroom in brainstorming the best approaches for photo and video assignments is key as well as selecting images for a variety of stories. You will set the vision of the team with accuracy and ethics as a guide, encouraging coverage that reflects the beauty and diversity of the Pacific Northwest.   

The Seattle Times is an award-winning newsroom with a history of producing groundbreaking journalism for a broad regional audience. Independently owned by the local Blethen family for more than 120 years, The Times has won 11 Pulitzer Prizes, a national Emmy Award and a multitude of photography, video and photo editing awards. The Seattle Times is on the cutting edge of developing a sustainable business model for local journalism. It is considered a leader among major metropolitan newsrooms, producing  breaking news, deep and richly told narrative and explanatory stories, high-impact investigative reporting, and powerful, gripping visual journalism.     

Responsibilities:

• 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.    

Qualifications:

We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive newsroom and encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply. If your profile does not match this job description exactly, you may still be a candidate for this position. Please let us know how your skills and experience relate to the role and its objectives.   

• 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.   

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Compensation: The full salary range for this position is $89,900 to $127,000. We typically pay between $89,900 and $114,600, depending on experience and qualifications.

Benefits: 

• 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

Please Note: This position requires a criminal background check once an offer has been made.

Founded in 1896, The Seattle Times continues its tradition as a family-owned, Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper that cuts through the clutter and provides readers with timely, relevant news. We serve the Pacific Northwest with thoughtful, independent journalism that makes a real difference in our community. And as a media solutions company, we combine cutting-edge digital capabilities and service with the values and integrity of respected traditional media… with an established audience of 1.9 million. At The Seattle Times, you'll find work that matters.

If you need assistance to accommodate a disability, please contact Human Resources at careers@seattletimes.com and provide a description of the reasonable accommodation(s) needed.

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