US Head of Photography

Overview

The Guardian is a global news organization that delivers fearless, independent journalism. From breaking news and award-winning investigations to in-depth coverage of technology, sports, film, culture, and lifestyle, the Guardian offers a global view that deepens our audiences' understanding of America and the world.

Headquartered in New York City, Guardian US is an entirely digital operation that seeks to engage US readers by combining the Guardian's international coverage with US voices and expertise. Core coverage areas include US politics, technology, the climate emergency, economic and racial inequality, health, sports, culture, and more. Guardian US launched in 2011 and has bureaus in New York, Washington DC, New Orleans, and Los Angeles.

The Guardian is an independently owned, mission-driven organization funded by readers around the globe.

It's the talent, energy, and commitment our people bring to The Guardian that makes us who we are. Across our business, we have some of the most creative thinkers in media and beyond, award-winning journalists, cutting-edge commercial teams, digital talent, and more.

Department:
Editorial

Reports to:

Executive Editor, Guardian US and Global head of photography (based in London)

Location:

New York, NY

Hybrid/Remote/In-Person:
Hybrid

Terms and conditions:
Full time, permanent, News Media Guild position

Annual Salary: $130,000 - $140,000

This is a senior leadership role, taking responsibility for the day-to-day operations of all photography published from the US region. You will commission and curate editorial photography across the region and take responsibility for direct management of regional picture editors/photographers. You will be accountable for applying global standards locally and ensuring the Guardian's high editorial standards are met in all photographic output.

• Directly manage the staff picture desk in the US, overseeing day-to-day operations, and allocate regional resources and budgets.
• Support the Global head of photography in overseeing the production of editorial photography, upholding standards and driving innovation.
• Collaborate with regional and global creative teams to expand our visual journalism and ensure visual assets and fresh formats for multiple platforms.
• Contribute to the Guardian's global, 24/7 news operation by allocating appropriate picture desk resources to major news stories outside of the US region during your working hours.
• Develop and maintain relationships with freelance photographers and agencies, identifying emerging photographic talent and promoting diversity among our pool of contributors.
• Oversee photographic coverage of major news events in the US, making quick commissioning and publishing decisions during breaking news and ensuring appropriate photographer deployment and agency coverage.
• Share learnings and best practices with team members and colleagues more broadly to enhance visual appreciation.
• Mindfully contribute to the evolution of our editorial tools including Grid management and management of the picture archive.
• Represent the US photography department in editorial and cross-departmental meetings to ensure the team's alignment with daily priorities and longer term strategy.
• Work closely with editorial, design, graphics, and audience teams to make photography an integral part of story development and presentation.
• Generate and refine visual ideas for stories, packages and projects, with a strong understanding of what different platforms and formats require.
• Maintain the Guardian's high standards of accuracy, fairness, ethics, and legal compliance, particularly with regard to AI and image verification.

• Wide experience and understanding of photo-journalism and visual presentation.
• Extensive knowledge of and connections to multimedia photographers and industry experts.
• Experience managing teams of picture editors, photographers and freelancers
• Expertise on latest developments in photography and imaging.
• Experience with budgeting, planning and resource management.
• Knowledge of copyright and media law.
• Understanding of camera technology and workflows, metadata and captioning standards, colour management and image quality and associated tools and software
• Experience of demonstrating fair, inclusive leadership by promoting equity, valuing diverse perspectives, and addressing barriers that affect your team.
• Ideally, you ll have a demonstrable ability to bring a diverse perspective to this role.

• Confident making editorial decisions against tight deadlines and ability to stay calm under pressure
• Excellent eye for detail, quality and powerful visual narratives
• Collaborative, open and inclusive in approach.
• Enthusiastic about experimenting with new formats and ways of reaching audiences.
• Understanding of audience needs and behaviour across different platforms.
• Comfortable engaging with analytics to take a data-informed approach to…