Senior Director of Photography, The New Yorker

Job Description

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Senior Director of Photography, The New Yorker

The New Yorker is seeking an exceptional visual editor and creative leader to serve as its Senior Director of Photography. The senior director will shape the photographic identity of The New Yorker across print, digital, social, and emerging platforms, building on the magazine’s distinguished history of visual storytelling while defining what photography at The New Yorker can be today and in the future. The senior director will lead a talented team of photo editors responsible for work spanning news, politics, culture, profiles, investigations, photo essays, and feature photography. This person will bring exceptional visual and journalistic judgment, a distinctive point of view, and deep knowledge of contemporary photography and photographers around the world. They will work closely with editors, writers, the Creative Director, and colleagues across Art, Video, Social, and other teams to conceive and execute original visual approaches to New Yorker journalism.

A central mandate will be to lead Photo as one integrated department across print and digital, building a collaborative and flexible operation in which editors work across platforms and story forms and staff and resources are deployed according to editorial priorities, expertise, and opportunity. This role reports to the Creative Director.

Responsibilities

• Set the creative and editorial vision for The New Yorker’s photography across platforms, maintaining the publication’s high visual standards while continually evolving its photographic language.
• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop the Photo department, creating a collaborative culture with clear expectations, strong communication, and regular feedback.
• Build an integrated approach to Photo operations across print and digital, establishing workflows and ways of working that allow the department to deploy staff and resources fluidly across platforms and priorities.
• Conceive and develop ambitious visual approaches to New Yorker journalism in partnership with editors, writers, designers, and photo editors, from breaking news and timely coverage to major features, portfolios, and special projects.
• Oversee photography from concept through publication, providing creative direction and top editing while empowering photo editors to exercise strong independent editorial judgment.
• Initiate and develop original photography and visually led stories, and cultivate a wide-ranging network of established and emerging photographers and other creative talent.
• Partner closely with Art, Video, Social, and other teams to expand the possibilities of visual storytelling across formats, establishing clear workflows and ownership for projects involving still photography, motion, or assets intended for multiple platforms.
• Oversee sensitive, complex, and high-risk assignments, applying rigorous journalistic, ethical, legal, and safety standards.
• Manage the department’s budget and resources, balancing creative ambition with responsible stewardship.
• Represent Photo in editorial planning and cross-functional conversations, advocating for visual thinking early in the development of stories and helping to shape the department’s evolving structure, tools, and workflows.

Skills and Qualifications

• Significant experience leading photography or visual journalism at a major editorial organization, with a record of producing distinctive, ambitious work across platforms.
• Exceptional visual taste and editorial judgment, with a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between photography, journalism, design, and storytelling.
• Deep knowledge of contemporary photography and a broad network of established and emerging photographers and creative talent.
• A strong record as a people manager who can set direction, develop talent, give clear feedback, and build a collaborative, high-performing team.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through organizational and workflow change and bring together people with different specialties and ways of working.
• Fluency in contemporary digital and social storytelling and an interest in experimentation with new visual forms, technologies, and audience experiences.
• Strong journalistic judgment and familiarity with the ethical, legal, safety, rights, and licensing considerations involved in editorial photography.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, organizational, and decision-making skills, including the ability to manage budgets, complex productions, and competing priorities.

The expected base salary range for this position is from $160,000 - $220,000. Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors including but not limited to relevant skills, training, experience, and education.

What happens next?

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply below, and we will review your application as soon as possible. You can update your resume or upload a cover letter at any time by accessing your candidate profile.

Condé Nast is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, familial status and other legally protected characteristics.