Senior Photo Assignment Editor

Application Instructions

Please list all professional experience and explain any gaps in employment history. All of your application materials, which may include PDF files of work samples and/or links to audio, video, photography or graphics, must be uploaded to the field labeled Resume/Cover Letter/Work Samples to be considered for the position.

Join the future of news

We’re on a mission to deliver riveting storytelling for all of America. At The Washington Post, you’ll help reinvent news. Our work is driven by a deep investigative spirit and enhanced by innovation to bring audiences closer to the stories that matter most.

About Our Team

The Washington Post is powered by the passion and talent of our people. It takes all of us to reinvent news. Beyond our award-winning News and Opinions teams, we work across many departments, including Brand & Events, Communications, Customer Care, Engineering & Product, Finance, Human Resources, Legal, Marketing & Advertising, Print Operations, and Sales.

Why This Role Matters

The Washington Post is seeking an experienced, imaginative and highly collaborative Senior Photo Assignment Editor to help lead photographic coverage across the newsroom.

We are looking for a visual journalist with exceptional news judgment, sophisticated visual taste and a deep understanding of how photography can distinguish and elevate journalism. This editor will help shape coverage from the earliest stages — identifying stories with strong visual potential, commissioning photographers with distinctive perspectives and ensuring that photography is integral to how our journalism is conceived, reported and presented.

The ideal candidate understands that powerful photography depends not only on what we commission and publish, but also on how audiences experience that work. They will think critically about image selection, sequencing, cropping and presentation and understand how those choices should evolve across mobile and desktop experiences, social platforms, newsletters and other destinations.

This editor should be equally comfortable directing photographic coverage of a major breaking-news event, developing an ambitious visual enterprise project and collaborating across disciplines to determine the strongest form for a story. As a senior member of the Photo department, they will also provide leadership and mentorship to photo editors, helping elevate the ambition, creativity and quality of The Post’s visual journalism.

This position is based in our Washington, D.C., newsroom and will include some evening and weekend shifts to meet deadlines and respond to breaking news.

What Motivates You:

• You believe photography can reveal dimensions of a story that words alone cannot capture.
• You have a sophisticated visual sensibility and are constantly looking for original approaches to familiar subjects.
• You thrive on the urgency of breaking news as well as the opportunity to develop ambitious visual enterprise.
• You enjoy working closely with photographers and helping them produce distinctive, surprising work.
• You think deeply about how audiences experience photography across different platforms and formats.
• You are energized by mentoring visual journalists and helping raise the creative ambition of a team.

How You’ll Support the Mission:

• Assign, commission and edit photography for breaking news, daily coverage, features, investigations and ambitious visual enterprise.
• Develop and pitch original photographic story ideas, including journalism conceived from the outset around the strengths of photography.
• Identify visual opportunities early in the reporting process and work with reporters and editors across the newsroom to develop strong approaches.
• Direct photographers in the field, providing clear editorial guidance while creating the conditions for distinctive and original work.
• Apply exceptional visual and news judgment to image selection, sequencing, cropping and presentation.
• Make thoughtful decisions about how photography should be experienced across mobile, desktop, social platforms, newsletters and other digital destinations.
• Cultivate a broad and diverse network of freelance photographers and match photographers to assignments based on subject matter, geography, approach and visual sensibility.
• Research, source and license photography when commissioned work is not appropriate, applying rigorous standards around accuracy, context, copyright, provenance and ethics.
• Collaborate with News Design, Graphics, Audience, Product and other teams to determine the most effective visual form and presentation for major journalism.
• Help develop visual approaches to breaking and planned coverage that take advantage of photography alongside video, graphics, text and other forms.
• Stay current with changes in photography, visual culture, digital publishing, technology and audience behavior and apply that knowledge thoughtfully to coverage.
• Experiment with new approaches to photographic storytelling and presentation while maintaining rigorous standards for accuracy, ethics and craft.
• Mentor photo editors and photographers, providing constructive feedback and helping colleagues develop their editorial judgment and visual storytelling skills.
• Contribute to department-wide coverage planning and help shape The Post’s broader approach to photography and visual journalism.

The Skills and Experiences You Bring:

• At least seven years of professional journalism experience, including substantial experience assigning and editing photography in a fast-paced newsroom.
• Exceptional visual and editorial judgment and a demonstrated record of producing distinctive photographic journalism.
• Deep knowledge of contemporary photography and a broad network of staff and freelance photographers.
• Experience directing visual coverage of breaking news as well as developing longer-term enterprise and feature photography.
• Strong understanding of digital storytelling and how photography should be selected, edited and presented for different platforms and audiences.
• A generous, curious and collaborative editing style, with an openness to experimentation and new approaches.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate across disciplines and to mentor and develop visual journalists.
• Strong understanding of photographic ethics, sourcing, copyright and image provenance.
• Ability to make confident decisions under deadline pressure while maintaining rigorous standards for accuracy and visual quality.
• Fluency with professional photo-editing tools, including Photoshop and Photo Mechanic; familiarity with video and other digital publishing tools is a plus.
• Flexibility to work some nights and weekends as news demands.

Interested candidates should upload a résumé, cover letter and portfolio or examples of relevant work to our jobs portal. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled, but those received by Oct. 9 will be prioritized. The cover letter should be addressed to Deputy Photo Department Head Olivier Laurent, Photo Department Head Robert Miller and Head of Visuals Soo-Jeong Kang.

The starting salary range for this role is $110,000 - $160,000. The actual salary within this range will depend on individual skills, experience and qualifications as they relate to specific job requirements. This position may be eligible for a bonus or incentive program, and a member of The Post’s recruiting team will discuss bonus payment terms and conditions during the interview process.

Collaboration makes us stronger. That’s why our offices are designed with open layouts, modern technology, and easy access to transportation. With certain exceptions for newsgathering and business travel, we work on-site five days a week.

Compensation and Benefits

Wherever you are in your life or career, The Washington Post offers comprehensive and inclusive benefits for every step of your journey:

• Competitive medical, dental and vision coverage

• Company-paid pension and 401(k) match

• Three weeks of vacation and up to three weeks of paid sick leave

• Nine paid holidays and two personal days

• 20 weeks paid parental leave for any new parent

• Robust mental health resources

• Backup care and caregiver concierge services

• Gender affirming services

• Pet insurance

• Free Post digital subscription

• Leadership and career development programs

Benefits may vary based on the job, full-time or part-time schedule, location, and collectively bargained status.