Playbook Editor

Job Description

POLITICO is seeking a Playbook Editor to help guide the next chapter of Washington’s most influential political newsletter.

POLITICO is seeking a Playbook Editor to help guide the next chapter of Washington’s most influential political newsletter.

The Playbook Editor will work in close partnership with the authors, senior editor and executive producer to deliver an indispensable daily read for the people shaping U.S. politics. Creativity and a strong collaborative approach will be required to engage POLITICO’s newsroom to surface exclusive reporting, sharp analysis and behind-the-scenes insights that make Playbook a must-open read every morning.

In a fast-changing media landscape reshaped by technology and AI, the Playbook editor will constantly look for inventive ways to surprise readers, distinguish POLITICO’s journalism and define what it means to cover Washington at the highest level.

• You thrive in a fast-moving news environment and enjoy making quick, smart editorial decisions
• You're a strong line editor who can improve copy while preserving reporters' voices
• You have excellent news judgment and know how to prioritize competing stories
• You're collaborative, calm under pressure and comfortable working across multiple teams
• You're comfortable working independently while coordinating with editors across the newsroom

• Drive daily editorial direction:
  Work with the Playbook authors to determine what leads the newsletter and which stories capture the day’s power dynamics in Washington
• Harness POLITICO’s newsroom:
  Work with the executive producer, senior editor and desks across the newsroom to elevate exclusive reporting, original analysis and fresh insights
• Shape and sharpen the product:
  Develop the daily outline with the authors, senior editor and executive producer, then help draft and edit the next morning’s edition to ensure a smart, engaging and buzzy newsletter
• Curate and contextualize:
  Identify the most compelling political nuggets, forward-looking trends and parlor-room intrigue that our audience craves
• Collaborate seamlessly:
  Participate in daily editorial meetings, maintain close communication with colleagues throughout the news cycle, and help set the agenda for Washington’s morning conversation

• Deep knowledge of Washington politics, institutions, and personalities — and the ability to distill complex power dynamics into lively, authoritative prose
• Proven experience as a political editor or senior writer in a fast-paced, deadline-driven newsroom
• Exceptional editorial judgment, writing and line-editing skills
• A collaborative mindset and an instinct for illuminating, forward-looking journalism
• A passion for breaking news, exclusive scoops, and smart analysis that goes beyond the headlines
• A willingness to work evening and weekend hours (Sunday night-Thursday night) regularly

POLITICO illuminates the forces shaping global power. Since 2007, we have delivered intelligence that anticipates tomorrow's headlines, not reports on yesterday's news. As politics has increasingly become the defining force of our era, our work has never been more vital.

Cabinet secretaries and Ministers start their mornings with our analysis. CEOs shape strategy around our reporting. Advocacy leaders rely on our insights to move policy. We deliver the straightforward facts and clear-eyed analysis they need to navigate the most complex political landscape of our lifetimes.

Our 1,100+ publishing professionals across the world's key democratic capitals—Washington, Brussels, London, Paris, Berlin, Sacramento, and New York—form the world's premier politics and policy newsroom. We tell the story of how power really works by explaining who wields it and how they plan to exercise it, connecting dots others miss and delivering scoops from sources others don't even know exist.

Innovation has always been a core tenet of our story. At launch, we bet that depth would trump scale, that talent would trump traffic, and that politics would become central to modern life. In 2011, we made another bet and launched POLITICO Pro to help decision-makers understand the…