Senior Writer/Editor, Autos, at Consumer Reports

Position Overview:

CR's next Senior Writer/Editor Auto, is a seasoned automotive journalist who loves cars, understands the auto industry and knows how to communicate that from a consumer's point of view.  We're looking for someone who can generate enterprise, original content, across digital, print, social and video platforms, that is on-strategy, on-time and well-packaged and highly engaging. You will also assist with idea generation while managing your workflow across CR's multimedia products.

This position is located at Consumer Report's 327-acre Auto Test Facility in Colchester, CT, 22-miles southest of Hartford. 

Take a test drive....

Key Responsibilities:

• Under general supervision conceives and executes high quality, well reported cross-platform in depth regular automotive content campaigns that will be published across print, digital, and video platforms; works closely with counterparts in Labs, Advocacy, Survey, Communications, Design, and other key stakeholders to maximize resources and consumer impact.
• Conducts large scale enterprise investigative reporting.
• Aggressively follows and reports on autos, ensuring content is relevant, timely, cutting-edge and addresses consumer needs in a proactive way.  Attends trade shows and other industry events as needed.
• Acts as both in-house auto expert and CR auto representative for media outreach and public events.
• Acts as on-camera auto subject-matter expert for all CR video platforms; may be asked to execute rough drafts of video scripts.
• Edits the work of other writers in assigned product categories for publication on multiple platforms; advises other writers on best practices for digital content production.
• Partners with digital editorial team to maintain specialty products such as Buying Guides, Product Pages, and other regularly-updated content on Consumer Reports Online.
• Owns coordination of information from ATC, Advocacy, Survey, Social, Communications, Design, and other organizational teams that support assigned content areas.
• Participates in the planning and scheduling process, creates sidebars, infographics that animates stories and reports.
• Moves content through the production process, incorporating changes by related parties, copy-fitting, and conferring with art and production personnel.
• Writes headlines, subheads, captions, cover lines etc., as necessary. Prepares sourcing for fact-checking.
• Tests automobiles at ATC and in everyday life.  Collaborates with engineering team to create multi-media content.
• Actively participates as a member of an auto product testing and content team, conferring with other team members as necessary to ensure objectives for quality and timeliness are met.
• May write content, as needed, across all platforms.
• Maintains high level knowledge of one or more product or service categories within the content group.
• Mentors and coaches junior ATC Content Team Members.
• Performs other duties of the department as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of seven to 10 years of experience in multi-platform editorial for automotive, business or consumer project journalism required.
• A thorough knowledge of automobiles, the automotive industry and automotive engineering.
• Experience in high-speed automotive testing required.
• Ability to manage and lead in a cross-organizational capacity required.
• High level of competency in all aspects of reviewing and creating accurate and compelling stories across all platforms.
• Highly skilled in collecting and interpreting all data, internal and external, to create the most accurate and in context story possible.
• Ability to smoothly transition writing styles from hard news to expository review to opinionated blog.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to meet rigid deadlines.
• Competency with page design software such as K4 and CQ as well as Microsoft Office and Google Docs highly beneficial.
• On-camera broadcast experience, mass media training, and a daily journalism background are preferred.
• Strategic creative skills essential.
• Must be able to work in self-directed capacity and to conceive and execute compelling multimedia content.
• Can translate complex technical automotive information into informative content across multiple platforms.
• High level of competency in editing and writing display copy, generating ideas for infographics across all media.
• Must maintain a driver’s license in good standing.

To apply, click here.