Position: Bilingual Deputy Editor
Company: Borderless Magazine NFP
Manager: Editorial Director
Status: Full-Time Exempt Employee
Location: Chicago with hybrid remote and in-person work
Compensation: $65,000 to $70,000, depending on experience, plus benefits
Application Due Date: January 24, 2025
Approximate Start Date: February 18, 2025
Website: www.borderlessmag.org
Borderless Magazine is an award-winning nonprofit news outlet that is reimagining immigration journalism for a more just and equitable future. We report and publish stories in English and Spanish in our online publication, we work with immigrants and their allies to tell their own stories, and we train journalists to more ethically report on immigration issues. We recently won the Next Challenge’s “Future of Local Journalism” award for our community-centered reporting. Find out more at www.borderlessmag.org.
Borderless is seeking a Deputy Editor to edit stories and off-platform products, assist with Spanish translations and manage the editorial team.
This is an extraordinary opportunity to join a diverse leadership team at an organization that values work-life balance. This is a new role, and we are looking for someone ready to hit the ground running.
Areas of Responsibility
Editing Stories
- Work with reporters and interns on stories from pitch to publication, including story ideation, structural and line edits, copy editing and fact-checking.
- Run the editorial meeting/set expectations for the week.
- Ensure reporters meet editorial deadlines
Editing Off-Platform Products
- Edit English newsletters
- Edit English social media copy, including vertical video scripts
Spanish Translation and Interpretation
- Revise and edit AI-generated Spanish translations of stories
- Interpret Spanish interviews and translate Spanish reporting documents for reporters, as needed
- Answer audience questions in Spanish
- Write and record Spanish vertical videos for TikTok and Instagram\
Administrative and Managerial
- Assist with WordPress and other publishing admin work
- Manage the day-to-day work of reporters, visual editor, interns/fellows and freelancers
- Lead weekly one-on-one meetings with reporters and visuals editor to ensure goals are being met, workflow is seamless and staff are aligned with Borderless’ values
- Conduct annual performance reviews for the reporting team
The Approach
- Manages a high volume of work efficiently: Has, or can create, a system for keeping tasks from slipping through the cracks. Able to juggle competing demands and prioritize without sacrificing quality. Plans backward to make deadlines.
- Attention to detail: Notices and fixes errors that others might overlook. Acknowledges mistakes and turns them into learning opportunities. Has a track record of leaving things better than they found them.
- Strong sense of ownership and resilience: Plans ahead and finds alternative paths, when needed, to get to the finish line. Bounces back from setbacks and rejections. Holds a high bar even when things are hectic.
- Proactive problem solving: Proactively develop solutions to challenges, including constantly looking at big-picture progress on the programs team and flagging any potential upcoming challenges in the organization overall.
- Flexibility: Ready to take advantage of unexpected opportunities; quickly adapts as things change.
Requirements
Our ideal candidate will:
- Be fluent in speaking and writing in Spanish
- Have at least 5 years of reporting or editing experience in a professional newsroom
- Have experience managing a team and making deadlines
We know some great candidates may not exactly fit into this job description or who have important skills we haven’t considered. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.
Benefits
The Bilingual Deputy Editor will have access to:
- Subsidized medical, dental and health insurance for themselves and their spouse/children
- 20 days of vacation accrued per year
- 10 days of sick/mental wellness days
- 10 paid holidays plus the week between Christmas and New Year’s off
- Six weeks of paid family leave plus additional subsidized leave available through short-term disability insurance
- The opportunity to invest in Borderless’ 403(b) retirement plan
- A one-month paid sabbatical for personal enrichment after working full-time at Borderless for five years
Time Expectations
Borderless Magazine operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The majority of the deputy editor’s work will happen during these hours, but the deputy editor will occasionally need to work evenings or weekends for a special event or deadline.
Location
The Deputy Editor will be expected to work in person at Borderless’ office in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood at least twice per week.
Borderless’ Values
- People-Centered: We approach our coworkers and the people we interview, train, and mentor with humility and an appreciation of their innate human dignity. We never deceive each other or the people who entrust us with their stories.
- Community First: We are deeply connected to immigrant community members. We prioritize the expertise, desires and needs of immigrants and those who care about them.
- Resilience: We see strength and power in each other and uplift one another in everything we do. We see suffering in the world, but find ways to take care of each other — and ourselves — as we serve our community.
- Fearless: We bravely report the truth of our communities. We are not beholden to political or financial interests. We hold ourselves and others accountable as we help build a more just future.
- Equity: We strive to create spaces and opportunities for people who do not traditionally have power or a platform in the journalism industry, particularly BIPOC and immigrant community members.
How to Apply
Borderless Magazine is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities, including immigrants, women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, older people, and people with disabilities, to apply.
To apply, please send a resume, cover letter, and the name and contact information for two professional references to Editorial Director Mauricio Peña at team@borderlessmag.org with the subject line “Deputy Editor”.
Your cover letter should answer the following questions:
- Why are you interested in working at Borderless?
- What makes you a great candidate for this position?
- What is your connection to immigration or immigrant communities, if any? (Please note your proficiency level in Spanish in your cover letter.)
The hiring team will review applications on a rolling basis, and we hope to fill this position as soon as possible.
