The Sacramento Bee and McClatchy Media are seeking an innovative, collaborative news leader to serve as the senior managing editor and guide the talented journalists in McClatchy’s five California newsrooms in Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto, San Luis Obispo and Merced. 

This Sacramento-based position is a key leadership role in one of the West Coast’s best metro newsrooms and one of the most innovative local news organizations in the country. We’re looking for someone who not only loves a good story but who is also passionate about finding and developing top-level talent, aggressively experimenting with next-generation strategies and tools and focusing intentionally on local journalism that creates must-visit destinations for our communities. 

In turn, you will become part of an organization committed to continuous improvement, relentless learning and the bedrock values of independence, transparency and trust.

As McClatchy’s Senior Managing Editor for California, you will lead journalists across the state to reach an increasingly diverse audience of readers in the communities that we serve. As part of our top leadership team, you will play an integral role in accelerating our digital transformation as we build a sustainable operation that produces high-impact accountability and investigative journalism, solutions-focused stories, utility news and information, and breaking news coverage that is first and best on the most important issues in our region and state.

We are looking specifically for a leader who is excited about the opportunities to responsibly harness artificial intelligence and other automation to enhance and elevate our work and create workflow efficiencies that free our journalists to do their most important work.

The successful candidate will be a proven news leader with a track record of creating a culture of innovation and rapid iteration in new reporting and storytelling formats. You will work closely with The Sacramento Bee’s Executive Editor and California Regional Editor, as well as other top editors across California, to drive digital strategy and ensure that our reporters, editors and visual journalists are delivering high-quality journalism that engages our audience and serves our communities. This news leader should have experience in effective change management and should be prepared to approach the role with fresh ideas about how to connect with readers where they are.

As Senior Managing Editor, you will lead the continued transformation of our California newsrooms into agile, audience-focused digital news operations consistent with McClatchy’s longstanding mission of providing independent, essential local news that serves the public. This includes setting coverage and beat strategies that reflect each community’s growth, diversity and economic drivers.

We are looking for an accomplished newsroom leader with strong communication skills who is eager to collaborate with colleagues at The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee, The Modesto Bee, the San Luis Obispo Tribune and the Merced Sun-Star. This is a unique opportunity to experiment with new ways to provide essential journalism that makes a difference in the lives of our readers. 

Success will be measured by the distinctive journalism produced in Sacramento and California, as well as audience and subscriber growth and engagement. This requires a command of audience analytics and knowledge of the tactics that deliver results, as well as a desire to experiment, iterate and adjust as the news environment dictates. Empowering journalists throughout the region to learn and employ audience-focused approaches to journalism is key to success in this role, as is embracing AI in a way that builds trust in its capabilities

This editor reports to The Sacramento Bee’s Executive Editor and Regional Editor for California. If this is you, please apply.

Requirements:

• The proven ability to lead, inspire, and convey knowledge to others and to work effectively with a wide range of colleagues in managing change
• Comfort with a job that will be demanding, fast-paced, constantly evolving, and more outcome-oriented than task-oriented
• A track record of innovation, flexibility and comfort managing change
• At least five years of experience as a successful leader of a newsroom or large team
• Experience working collaboratively across a large organization
• A focus on ensuring that our content and staffing represent the fullness of our community and state and the diversity of the people who live here
• Experience working with news analytics to grow audience and increase subscriptions
• Experience as a multi-platform storyteller, with passion for the written word as well as visual and audio journalism
• Experience managing performance, including setting clear expectations, providing appropriate training and holding staff members accountable
• The ability to solve problems, innovate and adapt in service of the primary goal, which is to produce quality journalism that reaches and engages readers and subscribers and has an impact

The anticipated annual salary for this position is between $170,000 and $210,000. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience and relevant education.

To apply, please include a cover letter and your resume. 

What we’ll bring:

As a journalist at McClatchy, you will join a supportive, flexible, collaborative team. McClatchy strives to be an employer of choice, and our benefits package is made with this goal in mind. With a focus on well-being and daily life, our package options include healthcare coverage for employees and their families, financial protection from expected and unexpected expenses, multiple no-cost wellness resources and even coverage for four-legged friends. 

Our overall benefits package also includes a 401(k) with employer match, competitive paid time off and corporate holidays, and a variety of mental health benefits. For more information on McClatchy's benefit plan, please visit McClatchyLivewell.com.  

About McClatchy: 

Our impact is growing every day. We have 30 growing news markets. Over 65 million monthly readers. 56 Pulitzer Prizes. A strong portfolio of dynamic partnerships and smart investments. Our award-winning journalism, digital reach, and commitment to innovative growth have never been stronger.

As a member of the McClatchy family, you are part of an exciting culture dedicated to creating a work/life balance and consistent opportunities for growth — a place where you have a voice and the ability to impact our future. It’s an exciting time to be here. Our company is experiencing the most transformative period in its history. We’re growing rapidly in the digital space and delivering award-winning journalism in innovative ways.