Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic

Job Summary:

The Senior Photo Editor for National Geographic develops, pitches, and produces compelling visual stories across platforms, including NationalGeographic.com and our app, our print magazines, with a focus on social media production. Leveraging an extensive global network of photographers and passion for diverse approaches, you will produce and assign stories that are evocative and rich in detail and collaborate with the social team in curating photography for our accounts. Your dedication to researching imagery will be evident in your meticulous and passionate approach to finding the perfect visual elements to accompany any story. As you collaborate with photographers, writers, text editors, producers, and designers, you will leverage diverse talents to create powerful multiplatform visual storytelling that is the cornerstone of National Geographic. 

Your refined taste, editorial judgement, and innovative approach will redefine our visual storytelling, with an emphasis on pushing boundaries in the digital space and setting new standards for multiplatform visual journalism. By mentoring entry and mid-level visual editors, you will help cultivate a highly effective team that creates content across platforms that connects with our audiences and yields expert, sophisticated stories aligned with National Geographic’s focus on subjects like archaeology, wildlife, science and health, technology, and beyond. Your passion for photography will embody our commitment to excellence in visual storytelling. Through the power of photography, you will inspire and illuminate the wonders of our world.

What You Will Do:

• Pitch thoroughly developed ideas in a well-structured written format, with a clear central theme and a strong hook, leveraging data and an understanding of the preferences and behaviors of our audiences across platforms.
• Assign, direct, produce, and acquire a wide range of photographic stories for use across platforms, including digital, social, and print, working with guidelines for operational excellence and prioritization.
• Collaborate with the social team on curating images for our accounts, telling stories across platforms, communicating with photographers, and identifying new opportunities for our accounts.
• Manage a variety of editorial projects, including newsstand-only single-topic issues and recurring franchises for digital, social, and print, by collaborating and communicating with all teams involved—video producers, text editors, writers, designers, interactive, cartographers—to ensure the production of the holistically conceived stories that are compelling and effective
• Manage deliverables, assets, and workflows, e.g. accurate caption information, verifying credit lines, archiving, and transmitting images, working with pre-press on color correction, checking image veracity, and making images available for use across platforms.
• Provide field support to photographers, including securing visas, permits, releases, letters of introduction, and specialized equipment, as well as clearing them through Disney onboarding and compliance practices.
• Contribute to our newsletters as needed.

Required Qualifications & Skills:

• Minimum of five years of experience as a photo editor, with a deep focus on editorial and documentary work.
• Highly calibrated understanding of what makes a great breakthrough story in this era saturated with content. 
• Awareness of and adaptability to changing industry trends and technologies, especially social.
• Excellent visual taste and writing skills.
• Ability to work effectively and positively in a fast-paced environment, achieving strategic team goals through multitasking, quick responsiveness, and problem-solving. 
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, capable of collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams – including social, design, video, TV and film, and National Geographic Society. 
• Self-motivated with the ability to exercise independent judgment and work with minimal supervision.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to maintain visual excellence within timelines and set budgets.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with social media platforms
• Software experience: Filemaker, Asana, Slack, Air Table; Keynote, Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Photo Supreme, Photoshop

Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree

Preferred Education:

• Photojournalism degree

The hiring range for this position in Washington DC is $92,800 – $124,400 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate’s geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.