News Editor / Homepages Editor

Do you want to join a newsroom that is obsessed with brilliant digital storytelling, loves breaking exclusives and where party poppers are set off regularly? It is a fair newsroom where people are rewarded for doing great things. We are seeking to recruit a talented, enthusiastic and motivated journalist to lead the website and be a brand ambassador for Hertfordshire Mercury.

Hertfordshire Mercury is a new countywide website covering all the biggest, breaking news stories and everything that is great about living in Hertfordshire.

You will join a team of Assistant Content Editors, whose task it is to motivate our reporters and make their copy stand out. You will be a leader who is brimming with creative ideas and who wants to push the boundaries of local journalism as we know it.

This job would suit a senior reporter, or an extremely ambitious trainee, who is looking to take the next step towards becoming a content editor.

We are Reach because it's what we do.

Every day our newsbrands - national and regional, in print and online - reach millions of people up and down the country. We are the UK's largest news publisher, with influential national newsbrands such as the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Sunday People, Daily Record, and more than 100 distinguished regional titles.

Our brands have a long heritage of being trusted sources of news and information, with our editorial conviction and high standards of journalism providing audiences with timely information and opinion across multiple platforms.

Last year we sold 540 million newspapers, and our network of over 70 websites provide 24/7 coverage of news, sport and showbiz stories, viewed by 110m unique browsers every month.

In order to succeed in this role, you will:

• Deliver ideas and write high-quality, thoroughly-researched, accurate and well-written multimedia content
• Identify the biggest issues impacting on people living in Hertfordshire and commission content around them in a way that engages and drives digital audience
• Build strong contacts for story-gathering within local communities across Hertfordshire
• Be active on social media to build audiences and communities and ensure that content is shared on social platforms
• Have some experience of managing and leading a team
• Possess a thorough, up-to-date knowledge of media law and industry guidelines

The content publishers are senior positions in the newsroom. These are roles for experienced journalists able to demonstrate strong content management skills and digital publishing knowledge as well as some experience of or potential for managing, leading and inspiring teams.

• A Reach plc or equivalent journalist qualification (or relevant time-served experience)
• Experience of content management
• Ability to lead, motivate and develop content teams
• Understanding of editorial strategy and brand values
• Strong storytelling skills
• Good digital publishing skills - or a willingness to learn
• An understanding of social media both in terms of finding content and sharing it
• An understanding of how to use analytics to inform content commissioning and production - or a willingness to learn
• First-class organisational skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, both verbal and written
• Adaptable, flexible, creative and full of flair
• A positive, can-do attitude
• Ability to work well as part of a team
• Ability to work quickly and effectively under deadline pressure
• Good judgement
• Energy, drive, determination and self-motivation
• Flexible approach to shifts
• Excellent attention to detail
• Able to take instruction as well as manage own workload efficiently
• Up-to-date knowledge of media law and IPSO code

In addition to competitive salaries, bonus structures (if applicable) and a contributory pension scheme, Reach plc offer a whole host of voluntary flexible benefits. These include a car scheme, holiday purchase, childcare vouchers, cycle scheme, staff discounts, season tickets & parking loans and an employee assistance programme.

We are committed to equal opportunity for all. We may collect relevant data for monitoring as part of our candidate registration process. We will be reviewing applications as they are received so please don't delay in submitting your application. Please note that we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the application deadline/closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.