two news jobs at California Watch

California Watch posts two more newsroom jobs

April 1, 2010 | Mark Katches

I’ve barely made a dent in the immense stack of resumes that have flooded our offices in the past two weeks. Last month we posted two new jobs to fill – one investigative reporter focusing on the environment and another investigative reporter covering public safety. Once hired, these two reporters will join what is already the largest investigative team operating in the state.

And we’re about to get even bigger.

Today, we are posting two more new jobs, including another reporting position and the brand new role of public engagement manager. Needless to say, we are extremely pleased that California Watch is in a position to grow and build off our early successes. When we’re done with this little hiring spree, our team will have grown to 17 – including 10 reporters and two multimedia producers.

The most important part about this expansion is that it will allow us to greatly enhance our coverage of critical issues facing a state in crisis.

The job descriptions are right here. The application deadline for our other jobs has passed, but you can see our complete list of job openings on our Employment page.

Enterprise Reporter
California Watch, the state’s largest investigative team, has an opening for an enterprise reporter to write about issues, problems and challenges facing California’s towns, cities and rural communities – zeroing in on real people impacted. We are looking for a gifted story teller, who knows and understands how systemic problems alter the lives of California residents, particularly their health, economic security, and lifespan. An example of this type of story would be the Oakland Tribune’s “Shortened Lives” series. The reporter should have a minimum of five years’ reporting experience and a track record of delivering high-quality enterprise projects. The successful candidate will be expected to balance quick-hit and longer-term enterprise, investigative and explanatory stories along with regular blog posts. We are looking for an innovative thinker and someone who embraces the use of social media and new technology. We want a team player willing to collaborate with regional and local reporters from other news outlets as well as reporters, multimedia producers and administrative staff in our own newsroom. Knowledge of computer assisted reporting and multimedia experience are a significant plus. Bilingual reporting skills are highly valued. Please send resume, cover letter and five deep enterprise work samples to Mark Katches, California Watch editorial director at 2130 Center St. Suite 103, Berkeley, CA 94704. Deadline for applying will be April 23.

Public Engagement Manager
California Watch, the state’s largest investigative team, has an opening for the new position of Public Engagement Manager, an innovative new job that combines the skills of a reporter, editor, web producer and community manager. The successful candidates should have 3-5 years experience as a working journalist. We are looking for a candidate who is an energetic, innovative thinker with organization and leadership skills – a candidate ready to play a pioneering role in our growing organization. The successful candidate will work closely with our editorial director, other senior staff and our reporting and multimedia team on some of our biggest projects. The Public Engagement Manager will build and publish resource guides, newsletters, posters and brochures in multiple languages in local communities – reaching readers and viewers that may not rely on traditional media. An example of this type of journalism is the bilingual “Toxic Treats” poster created by the Orange County Register to highlight Mexican candy that tested high for lead. The Public Engagement Manager also will help bring community stakeholders together for town hall-style round table forums or live chats online. The Public Engagement Manager will actively engage communities online through discussion forums and chats that help bring greater attention and awareness to issues highlighted by our journalism. The Public Engagement Manager will work collaboratively with reporters and multimedia producers inside our newsroom while building relationships and networks with other news organizations and community stakeholders. The successful candidate may help build and implement distribution strategies for our work. We are looking for a candidate who can develop their own sources in local communities to identify and find stories that need to be told by California Watch. We want someone who understands how systemic issues impact California communities and who believes that deep-dive story telling can illuminate and help solve problems. The successful candidate should be someone who embraces the use of social media and new technology. Bilingual skills will be highly valued. Please send resume, cover letter and samples of enterprise work you have written or edited to Mark Katches, California Watch editorial director at 2130 Center St. Suite 103, Berkeley, CA 94704. Deadline for applying will be April 23.