About The Narwhal

The Narwhal is an award-winning online magazine that publishes in-depth and investigative journalism about the natural world in Canada.

Think of us as part newsroom, part non-profit and part startup. As a non-profit, reader-funded news organization, our goal isn’t to sell advertising or to please corporate bigwigs — it’s to bring evidence-based news and analysis to the surface for our readers. We’re part of a revolution in public-interest journalism that is reinvigorating the relationship between readers and the journalists who work on their behalf — and we want you to join us.

About the role

Location: Anywhere in Canada, remote

Hours: 37.5 hours/week

Salary: $82,400-$93,266.67 FTE

Type: Full-time, permanent

Start date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026

Application deadline: Sunday, June 7, 2026

The Narwhal is hiring a Senior National Reporter to pursue ambitious journalism about the natural world in Canada.

We’re looking for someone who is excited to produce high-quality journalism with a national lens — whether that means following federal policy decisions, investigating powerful institutions, keeping an eye on industry influence or bringing readers into places and communities they wouldn't otherwise get to know.

This is a role for a reporter who can move between investigations, narrative features, analysis and news to produce stories that might otherwise go untold. You should be comfortable reporting across multiple formats, meeting deadlines, filing freedom of information requests, cultivating long-term sources and collaborating with our audience team to make journalism that is rigorous, accessible and makes more people want to engage with The Narwhal across platforms.

The ideal candidate has at least eight years of reporting experience and a strong track record of telling complicated stories beautifully and with care. You have a firm grasp of environmental issues, Indigenous Rights in Canada, resource industries and climate science — and how those issues are connected with communities and everyday people. You also bring a strong understanding of federal policy related to the environment, climate change, biodiversity, agriculture and development, as well as the relationships between Canada’s federal government and the provinces, First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments and communities, the United States and other international players.

Beyond reporting, you're looking to positively contribute to a collaborative newsroom, acting as a mentor for other reporters, providing guidance, sharing knowledge, supporting team processes and upholding The Narwhal’s values. The right person for this role will be committed to a high level of responsibility and demonstrate clear leadership.

Responsibilities

1. Reporting

• Research, develop and produce high-quality journalism, including long-form features, news, investigations, video and other multimedia
• Exhibits a mastery of a specific beat(s), superior judgement and ability to break stories and get scoops
• Consistently produce a minimum of three published pieces per month
• Deliver impactful in-depth reporting, including at least six investigations and/or on-the-ground stories annually
• Manage multiple leads and assignments, prioritize effectively and meet deadlines
• Generate original story ideas aligned with editorial priorities, while also enthusiastically taking on assignments from their bureau chief and other handling editors
• Contribute to cross-team projects or cross-newsroom collaborations or co-publications
• Use freedom of information systems and public data to support reporting
• Build, develop and maintain a network of diverse sources
• Keep organized records of reporting materials and files in designated team folders
• Coordinate with photojournalists, including on travel for reporting trips
• Attend in-person conferences, legislative sessions, press conferences, interviews, etc., as required
• Ensure reporting is factually accurate and meets legal and editorial standards
• Source images and load articles to the website, as required

2. Impact and audience growth

• Produce reporting that consistently delivers exceptional impact, such as: use by experts; republication; collaboration with other media outlets; invitations to panels and broadcast shows; policy discussion and change
• Support audience goals and engagement initiatives, newsletters, including webinars, member and community events

3. Team building and leadership

• Provide mentorship and guidance to other reporters
• Share knowledge, tools and reporting best practices with the team, including occasionally leading staff workshops and training
• Foster a collaborative work environment by sharing ideas and credit generously
• Lead and support team processes and internal systems
• Stay updated on journalism best practices and industry standards, pursue ongoing professional development, sharing insights and recommendations to improve team and editorial processes
• Provide editorial support in the absence of a bureau chief, as required

Qualifications

• Minimum eight years of reporting experience or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience in investigative and field-based reporting
• Experience reporting on climate, environment, energy, biodiversity, Indigenous Rights, conservation, land use or related topics
• Extensive experience reporting in and about diverse or underrepresented communities
• Extensive experience producing stories that incorporate multiple perspectives and avoid binary framing
• Experience working in a collaborative newsroom, including remote and cross-functional teams

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Strong writing skills across news, features and investigative work
• Strong research and investigative skills, including freedom of information processes, data analysis and public records research
• Demonstrated success building and maintaining a source network, with an emphasis on diversity across geography, lived experience and background
• Strong understanding of environment, climate, biodiversity, energy and policy issues
• Strong understanding of federal environmental and climate policy, and the relationships between Canada’s federal government, provinces, First Nations, Inuit and Métis governments and communities, the Unites States and international players
• Working understanding of Indigenous Rights and issues and a demonstrated commitment to ongoing learning and relationship-based reporting
• Familiarity with and trauma-informed journalism practices
• Demonstrates a mastery of The Narwhal’s style of journalism, editorial focus and tone, including “complicating the narrative” and reporting that bridges divides of all varieties
• Strong communication, organization and time management skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative, distributed team
• Proficiency with digital newsroom tools and content management systems
• Experience providing mentorship to peers and less experienced journalists
• Demonstrates an understanding of how reporting supports The Narwhal’s non-profit funding model and related audience goals

Working conditions

• Work schedule may vary including occasional evenings and weekends
• Regular travel required, including overnight and to remote locations. The successful candidate should have reasonable access to a major airport to support reporting travel across Canada
• Work will involve field reporting, events and time-sensitive assignments

We offer the following benefits

• Group health, vision and dental benefits and a health spending account
• A flexible workplace with a vibrant, collaborative culture
• Work-from-home stipend or from a shared office in Victoria, Vancouver or Toronto
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• GRSP base contributions after three months
• 20 vacation days per year, your birthday off
• 10 personal days per year
• Organization-wide holiday shutdown
• Professional development opportunities and fund

When it comes to compensation, research shows wide disparities in how candidates negotiate, which is partially responsible for wage gaps between groups of people. At The Narwhal we have a transparent and competitive salary grid for our entire team. We developed this approach because we wanted to remove the guesswork around compensation and put everyone on an equal footing. The posted salary range is in line with our grid and is not negotiable.

How to apply

Please submit a cover letter, résumé and three (3) samples of your work by Sunday, June 7th 11:59 p.m. PT, at the latest, via our Bamboo page: https://thenarwhal.bamboohr.com/careers/44?source=aWQ9MTg%3D. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at hiring@thenarwhal.ca.

Applicants must be eligible to work in Canada. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

The Narwhal is working to build an inclusive and equitable team that reflects the communities we serve. People who identify as being from marginalized communities, including Indigenous Peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people identifying as 2SLGBTQ+, and people from low-income backgrounds are especially encouraged to apply. Disability-related accommodations are available for candidates taking part in our hiring process. We will ask candidates selected for an interview about any accessibility needs ahead of the scheduled interview.

What to expect

• Selected candidates will be invited to a phone interview the week of June 14th
• Selected candidates will be invited to a first-round interview by mid-June. Following that, there will be a paid assignment, and final candidates will be invited to a second interview
• The hiring committee will consist of three interviewers in each session
• All interviews will be conducted online via Zoom
• The start date for this position is October 13, 2026

Pay: $82,400.00-$93,266.67 per year

Benefits

• Dental care
• Employee assistance program
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• RRSP match
• Vision care
• Wellness program
• Work from home

Work Location: Remote