What are the responsibilities and job description for the Data Editor position at Austin American-Statesman?
Job Description
Data Editor
Austin American-Statesman and San Antonio Express-News
As the Data Editor for Hearst Newspapers’ Austin American-Statesman and San Antonio Express-News, you will play a pivotal leadership role in expanding an ambitious data and graphics journalism team in Texas. This team writes stories, creates visualizations, and builds data products that serve readers across markets and drives subscriptions.
The Data Editor will serve as the leader of the Austin American-Statesman and the San Antonio Express-News data team, managing reporters, overseeing project execution, and building short- and medium-term stories that keep subscribers engaged. The Data Editor will report to the Managing Editor/Audience and will work closely with newsroom editors, reporters and audience producers to deliver ambitious, audience-driven work. The successful candidate will be expected to coordinate with other Hearst data editors in Texas and across the country, as well as with the Hearst DevHub, a team of developers and data journalists who partner with local newsrooms on ambitious, data-driven content initiatives.
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
We’re Looking for Someone Who
The Express-News is the third-largest daily newspaper in Texas and the only daily in San Antonio. It serves a metro area of 2.5 million people. By one name or another, it traces its roots back to 1865. Over the past three years, the paper has reorganized to focus on digital journalism and substantially increased the audience for its subscriber website, ExpressNews.com.
The Austin American-Statesman and San Antonio Express-News are a division of Hearst Newspapers (HNP).
With 2,500 employees across the nation, HNP represents a network of 24 daily and 52 weekly publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle and Albany Times Union, marketing services businesses, and entertainment businesses such as King Features Syndicate.
At HNP, we are investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories – growing newsrooms, diversifying tools, evolving platforms – to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired.
Be a part of something bigger – Your Headline Awaits.
Recognizing the diverse needs of our candidates, if you are interested in applying for employment and need assistance or an accommodation to use our website or regarding the application process, please contact us by email at hnpemployment@hearst.com. Please do not use this email address to inquire about the status of applications. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests for a reasonable accommodation through this email address.
Data Editor
Austin American-Statesman and San Antonio Express-News
As the Data Editor for Hearst Newspapers’ Austin American-Statesman and San Antonio Express-News, you will play a pivotal leadership role in expanding an ambitious data and graphics journalism team in Texas. This team writes stories, creates visualizations, and builds data products that serve readers across markets and drives subscriptions.
The Data Editor will serve as the leader of the Austin American-Statesman and the San Antonio Express-News data team, managing reporters, overseeing project execution, and building short- and medium-term stories that keep subscribers engaged. The Data Editor will report to the Managing Editor/Audience and will work closely with newsroom editors, reporters and audience producers to deliver ambitious, audience-driven work. The successful candidate will be expected to coordinate with other Hearst data editors in Texas and across the country, as well as with the Hearst DevHub, a team of developers and data journalists who partner with local newsrooms on ambitious, data-driven content initiatives.
Responsibilities
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and coach Austin- and San Antonio-based data reporters, providing daily editing, feedback and direction.
- Lead project planning and coordination for data stories and collaborations.
- Coordinate with beat editors to identify data opportunities that serve reader interests and strategic newsroom priorities.
- Plan and deliver consistent quick-turn and medium-term data programs (e.g., recurring coverage of public salaries, property taxes, housing) that publish on predictable schedules and drive subscriber engagement and retention.
- Take responsibility for story and code editing to ensure accuracy, visual clarity, and impact.
- Oversee “small ask” projects and newsroom data requests that support daily and enterprise coverage.
- Lead newsroom data literacy efforts, including documentation, training sessions, and coaching reporters and editors to use data effectively.
- Collaborate with counterparts in Houston, Dallas and across HNP to share learnings, tools, and approaches that strengthen data journalism across markets.
We’re Looking for Someone Who
- Has at least 5-7 years of experience in data journalism, with proven skills in editing, analysis and visualization.
- Has newsroom management or team leadership experience (or equivalent mentoring/editing experience).
- Excels at managing and developing reporters to strengthen both technical and storytelling capabilities.
- Is highly organized and skilled at balancing short-term newsroom needs with medium- and long-term projects.
- Brings strong technical literacy in data acquisition, cleaning, analysis, and visualization tools (e.g., R, Python, SQL, Excel, Datawrapper, Flourish, or D3).
- Is a collaborative editor who builds strong relationships across beats and markets.
- Understands how to create predictable, recurring data programs that sustain reader engagement and subscriber growth.
- Communicates clearly and proactively with editors, developers and audience teams.
- Thrives in a dynamic, cross-market environment and is motivated by collaboration and impact.
The Express-News is the third-largest daily newspaper in Texas and the only daily in San Antonio. It serves a metro area of 2.5 million people. By one name or another, it traces its roots back to 1865. Over the past three years, the paper has reorganized to focus on digital journalism and substantially increased the audience for its subscriber website, ExpressNews.com.
The Austin American-Statesman and San Antonio Express-News are a division of Hearst Newspapers (HNP).
With 2,500 employees across the nation, HNP represents a network of 24 daily and 52 weekly publications, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle and Albany Times Union, marketing services businesses, and entertainment businesses such as King Features Syndicate.
At HNP, we are investing in new and innovative ways to tell stories – growing newsrooms, diversifying tools, evolving platforms – to support the millions of people who trust us each month to help them make decisions, take action and be inspired.
Be a part of something bigger – Your Headline Awaits.
Recognizing the diverse needs of our candidates, if you are interested in applying for employment and need assistance or an accommodation to use our website or regarding the application process, please contact us by email at hnpemployment@hearst.com. Please do not use this email address to inquire about the status of applications. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests for a reasonable accommodation through this email address.