Job Description
ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism in the public interest.
ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force. We dig deep into important issues, shining a light on abuses of power and betrayals of public trust — and we stick with those issues as long as it takes to hold power to account.
We are seeking a deputy research editor to help lead and strengthen ProPublica’s research team, guiding high-impact investigative work across the newsroom while supporting rigorous, collaborative and responsive research at scale.
The research team plays a critical role in many of ProPublica’s most impactful and widely read stories, contributing deep reporting, verification and sourcing to both long-term investigations and fast-turn accountability journalism. Research reporters regularly earn co-bylines and contributor credits across text, audio and video projects, and collaborate closely with reporters, editors and partner newsrooms across the country.
The team works at scale and with flexibility, often supporting multiple major investigations while responding to urgent, high-priority requests tied to breaking news. Researchers typically balance two to three long-term projects at a time while fielding short-term needs, providing expertise in public records, financial and government research, OSINT and advanced verification.
This role reports to the research editor, and you’ll work closely together to lead ProPublica’s seven-member research team that works collaboratively across our national, local, Texas and Local Reporting Network desks.
As Deputy Research Editor, You Will:
- Alongside the research editor, manage research reporters as they work on investigative stories. You’ll directly supervise reporters on the team.
- Serve as an escalation point for research reporters and newsroom staff, helping resolve complex reporting challenges, tight deadlines and sensitive sourcing or verification issues.
- Help manage and prioritize incoming research requests, balancing urgent newsroom needs with longer-term investigative projects.
- Partner with the research editor to assign work, shape strategy and ensure consistent, high-quality research support across desks, beats and regions.
- Provide hands-on editorial guidance to research reporters, including coaching on records strategies, advanced sourcing, database use, OSINT techniques and verification.
- Collaborate closely with reporters and editors to define research goals, frame investigations and connect the dots across large volumes of information.
- Support and strengthen ProPublica’s research workflows, including documentation, organization and best practices that make work usable across teams.
- Help build and maintain strong relationships with editors, reporters and partner newsrooms, ensuring research is integrated early and effectively into reporting.
- Contribute to hiring, onboarding, mentoring and performance feedback for a distributed research staff.
- Assist with managing research tools and resources, including evaluating new technologies, databases and applications relevant to investigative reporting.
- Promote a collaborative, inclusive and supportive team culture that values rigor, curiosity and shared success.
Our Ideal Candidate Will Have:
- At least three years of experience managing a research team, ideally in a journalism capacity. We will prioritize candidates who have managed and supervised staff.
- Significant in-depth research experience, ideally in the investigative journalism context, but we’re also open to candidates with deep government or academic research skills that can be useful to our work.
- In-depth knowledge of financial, corporate, government, legal or OSINT resources.
- Deep experience identifying, obtaining, searching and analyzing public records, with a strong understanding of government documents and processes at local, state and federal levels.
- Expert ability to guide staffers in evaluating and vetting information from diverse sources, including proficiency in searching and using premium databases.
- Demonstrated ability to identify and quickly use emerging technologies and applications relevant to investigative research.
- Experience building morale and fostering professional growth in a geographically distributed team.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with an appetite for working across the newsroom and with external partners.
- Keen attention to detail and a proven ability to synthesize complex information and identify patterns and connections.
- Exceptional organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proven ability to manage multiple projects, meet tight deadlines and perform effectively under pressure.
- Willingness and ability to travel occasionally for staff retreats, trainings or other required events.
This job is full time and includes benefits. ProPublica has offices in New York City; Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Chicago; Phoenix; and Berkeley, California. We are open to remote candidates, but those able to work from our New York or D.C. offices are strongly encouraged. Applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S.
The expected salary range for this position is $135,000 to $145,000.
This is a good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position. The final salary figure will take into account a person’s experience, accomplishment and location. ProPublica is committed to paying its staff equitably, and these ranges should not be considered career salary limits or caps.
We will begin reviewing applications as we receive them, but we will continue to consider candidates as long as the posting remains live on our site.
Questions? Send an email to [email protected].
No phone calls, please.
We know there are great candidates who may not fit into what we’ve described above or who have important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.
We are dedicated to improving our newsroom, in part by better reflecting the people we cover. (Here is a breakdown of our staff.) We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and ages. And we are taking steps to meet that commitment. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. All employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age or any other status protected under applicable law.
