Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic

$77,100 - $103,400/Yr

Unclassified - Washington, DC

Full-time - Senior

Washington, DC

About the position

The Senior Photo Editor for National Geographic is a pivotal role that involves developing, pitching, and producing compelling visual stories across various platforms, including NationalGeographic.com, our app, and print magazines, with a particular emphasis on social media production. This position requires leveraging an extensive global network of photographers and a passion for diverse storytelling approaches to produce and assign evocative and detailed stories. The Senior Photo Editor will collaborate closely with the social media team to curate photography for our accounts, ensuring that the visual elements accompanying each story are meticulously researched and passionately selected. In this role, you will work alongside photographers, writers, text editors, producers, and designers, utilizing diverse talents to create powerful multiplatform visual storytelling that is the hallmark of National Geographic. Your refined taste, editorial judgment, and innovative approach will be essential in redefining our visual storytelling, particularly in the digital space, where you will set new standards for multiplatform visual journalism. Mentoring entry and mid-level visual editors will also be a key responsibility, as you help cultivate a highly effective team that produces content resonating with our audiences and aligns with National Geographic's focus on subjects such as archaeology, wildlife, science and health, and technology. Your passion for photography will reflect our commitment to excellence in visual storytelling, inspiring and illuminating the wonders of our world through the power of imagery. You will pitch thoroughly developed ideas in a well-structured written format, ensuring a clear central theme and a strong hook, while leveraging data and understanding audience preferences across platforms. Additionally, you will assign, direct, produce, and acquire a wide range of photographic stories for digital, social, and print use, adhering to operational excellence guidelines and prioritization. Managing various editorial projects, including newsstand-only single-topic issues and recurring franchises, will require effective collaboration and communication with all involved teams—video producers, text editors, writers, designers, and cartographers—to ensure the production of compelling and effective stories. You will also manage deliverables, assets, and workflows, ensuring accurate caption information, verifying credit lines, archiving, and transmitting images, while working with pre-press on color correction and checking image veracity. Providing field support to photographers, including securing necessary visas, permits, and specialized equipment, will be part of your responsibilities, along with contributing to newsletters as needed.

Responsibilities

• Pitch thoroughly developed ideas in a well-structured written format with a clear central theme and strong hook.
• Assign, direct, produce, and acquire a wide range of photographic stories for digital, social, and print platforms.
• Collaborate with the social team on curating images for accounts and identifying new opportunities.
• Manage a variety of editorial projects, including newsstand-only single-topic issues and recurring franchises.
• Ensure effective communication and collaboration with video producers, text editors, writers, designers, and cartographers.
• Manage deliverables, assets, and workflows, including accurate caption information and verifying credit lines.
• Provide field support to photographers, including securing visas, permits, and specialized equipment.
• Contribute to newsletters as needed.

Requirements

• Minimum of five years of experience as a photo editor, focusing on editorial and documentary work.
• Highly calibrated understanding of what makes a great breakthrough story in a content-saturated era.
• Awareness of and adaptability to changing industry trends and technologies, especially in social media.
• Excellent visual taste and writing skills.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment, achieving strategic team goals through multitasking and problem-solving.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Self-motivated with the ability to exercise independent judgment and work with minimal supervision.
• Strong project management skills to maintain visual excellence within timelines and budgets.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with social media platforms.
• Software experience: Filemaker, Asana, Slack, Air Table; Keynote, Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Photo Supreme, Photoshop.
• Bachelor's Degree, preferably in Photojournalism.

Benefits

• Medical benefits including health insurance coverage.
• Financial benefits including a bonus and/or long-term incentive units.
• Full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits depending on the level and position offered.