Overview

USA TODAY is seeking an experienced and highly skilled Senior Politics Editor to lead high-impact coverage of the White House, Congress and national elections for a fast-paced, competitive news environment. This editor will shape our most consequential political journalism, ensuring it is authoritative, distinctive and indispensable to USA TODAY’s audience.

This position reports directly to the Managing Editor for Politics, World and Legal Affairs and works closely with politics reporters and editors across USA TODAY and the USA TODAY Network.

This position will be based in the USA TODAY newsroom in Washington, DC.

What We're Looking For

• A newsroom leader with deep knowledge of U.S. politics, campaigns and governance.
• An editor with proven sources within government and politics and demonstrated skill at helping reporters build deep source networks.
• An editor with strong news judgment, overflowing with ideas and the knowledge of how to help reporters develop interesting and impactful stories.
• A coach who can elevate reporters’ work, sharpen angles and push for ambitious coverage.
• A calm, organized editor who thrives under the deadline pressure of breaking news and can also plan coverage for known events.

Job Purpose

The Senior Politics Editor will lead coverage of the White House, Congress and national elections, working with a team of reporters to break news, deliver scoops and explain why developments matter to our audience. This editor will help reporters build and strengthen sources, identify exclusive lines of reporting and frame stories with sharp, clear angles across platforms.

The ideal candidate combines superb news judgment with strong editing skills, an instinct for accountability journalism and a knack for turning complex policy and political maneuvers into engaging, accessible storytelling. This role requires the ability to move quickly in high-pressure moments while maintaining accuracy, fairness and ethical rigor.

Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and mentor reporters covering the White House, Congress and national elections, with an emphasis on exclusives, scoops and creative coverage angles.
• Help reporters build robust source networks and identify original, high-impact lines of reporting.
• Sharpen story ideas and angles to ensure coverage is focused, timely and essential to USA TODAY’s unique audience.
• Provide rigorous editing and guidance in shaping clear, compelling narratives and strong digital headlines.
• Respond quickly to breaking political news and guide follow-up coverage that adds depth, context and accountability.
• Collaborate closely with visuals, audience, data and video teams to tell politics stories in multiple formats.
• Maintain excellent planning and organization around major political events, including elections, primaries, debates and key legislative battles.
• Uphold USA TODAY’s standards for accuracy, fairness, ethics and audience relevance in all political coverage.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field, or equivalent experience.
• At least 10 years of newsroom experience as an editor or newsroom leader, preferably on politics or national affairs.
• Demonstrated success leading high-impact political coverage and delivering distinctive stories in a competitive news environment.
• Proven ability to coach reporters, strengthen their sourcing and generate scoops and exclusives.
• Exceptional news judgment, organizational and planning skills, with the ability to work calmly in fast-paced, high-pressure cycles.
• Strong editing skills and experience shaping story structure, angles and presentation across digital platforms.
• Experience collaborating with visuals and audience teams and comfort with digital tools and analytics.
• Candidates should have facility with AI and automation and experience in using it to enhance their journalism

Application Instructions

We are eager to learn more about you and how you fit this role. When you apply, don’t limit your upload to a resume; show us what you’ve done. To do so, put together a single document file that includes the following, in this order:

• Your resume – one to two pages.
• A cover letter that outlines how you would approach the job.

It is important that these items be assembled into a single document and uploaded in PDF format. Completing these steps will ensure that your application receives the highest consideration.

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The annualized base salary for this role will range between $103,000 and $160,938. Base compensation is reflective of many factors, including, but not limited to, the market in which one lives/works, individual education level, skills, certifications and experience. Note: variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable.