Role Title: Senior Editor
Contract Type: Permanent
Reporting To: Director, Creative
Department Name: Communications
Location: New York, Washington D.C, Mexico City
Team Name: Creative
Team description
Communications plays a central role in advancing Open Society’s mission by strengthening our voice, expanding public understanding of our work, and protecting our reputation. The department leads media outreach, content development, creative and digital strategy, internal communications, and monitoring and insights to amplify our impact around the world.
Role Purpose
The Senior Editor is a senior writer, editor, and content strategist who helps define Open Society’s voice through powerful, accessible storytelling. This role combines sharp editorial judgment, creativity, and hands-on writing with the ability to set direction and elevate storytelling across the organization. The Senior Editor develops features, position pieces, and multimedia stories, and helps colleagues communicate with clarity and impact across OSF’s platforms and beyond.
Key responsibilities
Write and edit content that strengthens OSF's global voice and highlights the real-world impact of our work.
Set editorial direction and help elevate storytelling standards across OSF, ensuring consistency and clarity in how we communicate our work and values across platforms.
Develop stories, features, and position pieces for multiple formats and audiences that highlight OSF’s work, people, and partners.
Commission, edit, and polish writing from colleagues, grantees, and external contributors, maintaining high editorial standards across all outputs.
Provide editorial feedback and coaching to strengthen staff writing and storytelling skills.
Manage a network of writers, editors, and creative partners.
People Responsibilities (Total Team/DRs)
This role may manage a small team and will have oversight of cross-team editorial projects. Support for team member development will be part of the role.
Key Internal Relationships
Communications; executive offices; program, grants, and geographic teams
Key External Relationships
Grantees and partners; journalists and editors; content producers and media outlets; external creative agencies
The ideal candidate
Proven experience as a Journalist, Senior Writer, or Editor for a major publication or organization, with a record of producing high-quality, audience-focused content.
Demonstrated ability to write and edit across formats, from features and op-eds to press materials and internal communications.
Strong editorial judgment and storytelling instincts, with experience translating complex policy or social-justice issues into engaging narratives.
Familiarity with digital storytelling formats, including multimedia and social-first content.
Excellent collaboration skills across cultures, geographies, and organizational levels.
Deep understanding of global issues and the ability to frame them in ways that engage different audiences.
Up-to-date knowledge of digital storytelling trends, formats, and analytics.
Strong creative leadership and the ability to bring new editorial ideas and approaches to life.
Exceptional writing and editing skills with attention to clarity, tone, and narrative flow.
Application Requirements:
Please include a cover letter outlining your editorial experience and interest in our mission, along with two or three relevant writing samples.
What we offer
Exceptional opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact; from a generous annual professional development allowance for every employee to onsite training and learning conversations with visiting experts.
Excellent benefits and perks to promote well-being and a healthy work-life balance, including:
Generous time off, as well as our standard Open Society close at year-end (where vacation days are not required) and flexible work arrangements.
Employer-paid health insurance and dental plans for individuals and families (no employee contribution required).
Exceptional retirement savings plan (non-contributory for employees) and life insurance.
Progressive paid parental leave, reproductive and family planning support, and much more.
A commitment to nurturing a diverse and inclusive workplace, so you can bring your whole self to work and make a positive impact.
The salary range for this role in the US is $154,590 - $188,943 (USD). The final offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set and level of experience.
Who we are
Open Society Foundations aim to establish vibrant and inclusive democracies where governments are accountable to their citizens. Our operating model organizes grantmaking around specific, time-limited projects, developed alongside support for established partners, enabling us to respond swiftly to emerging needs. We are committed to promoting human dignity, equality, and rights; reimagining democratic ideals and practice; and advancing equity in governance systems.
Guided by our founder’s values and the belief in the art of the possible, we engage directly with global entities, individuals, and policymakers through grants, advocacy, impact investing, and strategic human rights litigation to drive positive change. At the heart of our mission is a deep commitment to rights, equity, and justice, inspiring every action we take.
Additional information
Open Society Foundations is committed to building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We actively seek applications from talented individuals across all backgrounds, identities, and life experiences. Each candidate is evaluated solely on their unique qualifications without regard to race, age, sex, religion, ethnic origin, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, or any other legally protected characteristics.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities.
Competitive rates of pay apply.
Open Society Foundations is committed to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion, and to building a diverse staff that reflects the movements, issues and communities that our mission serves. Candidates from all underrepresented backgrounds, identities and communities are encouraged to apply.
We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and colleagues with disabilities.