First Opinion Editor

The Role:

STAT, the leading health and medicine publication, is looking for an experienced editor to oversee our First Opinion section — our version of an Op-Ed page — a platform for essays and first-person narratives by thought leaders, executives, health care providers, scientists, academics, patients, and others with original and compelling perspectives. First Opinion has become an important global platform for debating timely issues in the life sciences, biopharma, health care and public health. This person would fill a core role on the editing team and be responsible for cementing First Opinion’s place as one of the leading sites for opinion on life sciences and health care. This editor would solicit pieces, review unsolicited submissions and vet their authors, edit accepted articles, and ensure we publish a broad range of viewpoints from a diverse group of writers.

What you’ll do:

— Select and prepare for publication one or two First Opinion pieces per weekday.

— Solicit essays from writers with a broad range of perspectives on timely topics in the news,

and from authors of upcoming or just-published research, reports, or guidelines on important issues relevant to STAT readers.

— Evaluate submissions that arrive over the transom from potential contributors.

— Edit pieces selected for publication, and vet authors to ensure they meet STAT guidelines for contributors and disclose relevant conflicts of interest.

— Identify opinion pieces with a biopharma or health care industry focus that would be of particular interest to STAT+ subscribers.

— Give voice to people from diverse backgrounds, including those from racial, ethnic, and gender groups that have been historically underrepresented in public discourse on health issues.

— Have the option to host the First Opinion podcast, a weekly interview with a First Opinion author, and work with podcast producers to select the guest and prepare for the taping.

— Produce the weekly First Opinion newsletter.

— Contribute to STAT’s general editorial work, including by attending daily editors meetings and moderating comments.

Who you are:

— You have at least five years experience as an editor, preferably with a track record of working with writers of opinion or first-person essays.

— You possess deep knowledge of issues in healthcare and life sciences, gained from experience in journalism, academia, or other relevant experience.

— You have a discerning eye for sorting through many more submissions than we can publish, and detecting which ones have fresh angles and will make for cogent pieces.

— You’ve demonstrated the ability to make a writer’s prose accessible to a general audience of non-specialists.

— STAT prides itself on a collaborative spirit, flexibility, and a willingness to innovate, and we are looking for those skills in this editor. Also essential: fidelity to bedrock journalistic values and a commitment to excellence.

Compensation/Location:

— The minimum salary for this position is $100,000. We offer a competitive benefits package, including health insurance, a 401k plan, generous vacation, parental leave, and more. We also provide Care.com back-up care and have numerous wellness offerings, including free access to HeadSpace for all full time employees.

— Ideally, this editor would be based at our Boston headquarters, but that is not a requirement. The STAT office is located in downtown Boston, and is easily accessible by MBTA and commuter rail lines.

How to Apply:

Interested in this job? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Please submit a cover letter, a resume, and links to up to five clips that showcase your reporting or editing to the BGMP Opportunities page. (Links should be included at the end of your cover letter.)

In your resume and/or cover letter, please feel free to note which pronouns you use (For example – she/her/hers, he/him/his, they/them/theirs, etc.).

This position is a union position covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Boston Newspaper Guild.

STAT is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We strive to create a culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates all voices. A staff that reflects the world around us makes for better — and more accurate — journalism.

About STAT:

In November 2015, STAT was launched as a media company focused on health, medicine, and life sciences. Since then, we have grown to be the authoritative and trustworthy news source for tough-minded coverage of the business of making medicines, health tech, science, and public health. We produce daily news, investigative articles, and narrative projects in addition to multimedia features, podcasts, and opinion pieces for a worldwide audience. Our team of editors and reporters have won numerous journalism awards, including being named as a 2021 Pulitzer finalist. STAT is affiliated with Boston Globe Media Partners but is independent from The Boston Globe.

Vaccination Statement:

We require that all BGMP employees (including temporary employees, co-ops, interns, and independent contractors) be vaccinated from COVID-19, unless an exemption from this policy has been granted as an accommodation or otherwise. All BGMP employees, regardless of vaccination status or work location, must provide proof of vaccination status as instructed by the employee’s designated Human Resources contact. Employees may request a reasonable accommodation or other exemption from this policy by contacting their designated Human Resources contact. Failure to comply with or enforce any part of this policy, or misrepresentation of compliance with this policy, may result in discipline, up to and including termination of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation and other requirements of applicable federal, state, and local law.

EEO Statement:

Boston Globe Media Partners is an equal employment opportunity employer, and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, military or veteran status, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition or any other protected characteristic. Boston Globe Media Partners is committed to diversity in its most inclusive sense.