Director of Visuals

The Houston Landing is looking for individuals to add to our team of passionate people on a mission to advance democracy in our communities and strengthen the lives of all Houstonians one story at a time. Houston Landing is an independent, nonpartisan news organization devoted to public service journalism. Initially supported by three of Houston’s leading philanthropies including Arnold Ventures, The Houston Endowment, and the Kinder Foundation, we are building a team to support our efforts in sustainability and revenue growth.

The Houston Landing seeks a Director of Visual storytelling to lead our talented team of staff visual journalists and freelance photographers.

The Landing, a non-profit newsroom recognized for its local photojournalism, is growing its video storytelling, from social media posts to short and long form presentations. The Director of Visuals will play a strategic role in the development, implementation of our video strategy.

Houston is a dynamic and multi-cultural city with no shortage of stories. We seek a creative, visual storyteller who can compliment our reporting and elevate our visual journalism. We want an enthusiastic leader with a passion for Houston who gets how state, national and international policy decisions impact our community -- and then can go find the stories that bring to life those decisions. 

Since we are a non-profit, the Director of Visuals will take on story assignments, as needed, and run the day-to-day operations of the team and also help plan our most ambitious journalism. This is a leadership position, with direct reports. The post reports to the Editor-in-Chief.

Requirements

Who you are:

• You have at least 10 years of photography and video journalism experience. 
• You have a proven history is leading teams on breaking news stories and complex projects. 
• You have deft editing of visuals and handling of sensitive stories and vulnerable subjects.
• You have strong time management and organizational skills, with the ability to plan for breaking news and prepare for storm coverage/hurricane contingencies.
• You have proficiency with the latest visual editing software, including Adobe Creative Cloud and emerging technologies.
• You have the ability to lead and manage multiple projects.
• You are a natural collaborator and unselfish leader who can coach up our talented staff to increase our visual storytelling.
• You have a strong understanding of social media and how to leverage it to elevate our journalism.
• You are accurate and are ethical with decision-making, knowledge of AP Style.
• You have a recognized portfolio of award-winning journalism that sets a high-bar for quality and inspiration.
• You have a valid driver's license, insurance, and vehicle.
• Proficiency in Spanish is preferred but not required.

Benefits

Our Values

EXCELLENCE: We wake up every day with the intent to be the best at what we do.We hustle. We have grit. When we make mistakes, we quickly correct and learn from them.

INCLUSION: We aren’t all the same, and those differences are what make us better. We’ll respect each person’s uniqueness. Perspective, context and life experiences help us to tell the story.

AMBITION: We will be bold and creative, open to all ideas big or small. We really mean it.

FUN: We are not making widgets, although there is nothing wrong with widgets. We tell stories - and stories are often fun, so we believe in having lots of fun.

COLLABORATION: We are all in this together. We may not always agree, but we will listen to each other and communicate candidly and respectfully.

Benefits

• Compensation commensurate with experience
• 401(k)
• Healthcare 100% premium paid for employee and 50% for dependents
• 20 vacation days
• Ten sick days
• Generous paid parental leave
• Hybrid work policy (initially we all work together to build culture)
• Stipend for development / learning

We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities.