Managing Editor

About CUF

The Center for an Urban Future (CUF), a leading think tank focused on creating a stronger and more equitable economy in New York City, seeks a Managing Editor with exceptional editing and writing skills to help develop CUF's high-impact policy reports and other publications.

CUF sparks policy change in New York by publishing fact-based research that raises awareness of important, often overlooked issues and advances practical solutions to expand economic opportunity for all New Yorkers. A hallmark of our work is making in-depth, complex policy research clear and accessible to a wide audience—including policymakers, journalists, nonprofit leaders, practitioners, and other New Yorkers who can put good ideas into action.

We are looking first and foremost for a talented editor: someone who loves working with writers and knows how to turn complicated research and promising drafts into clear, compelling publications. But excellent writing is also a vital part of the job. The Managing Editor will regularly draft original material, including sections of reports and policy briefs, report introductions, funder reports and updates, proposals, op-eds, and other materials.

Responsibilities

The Managing Editor will work in close partnership with and report to the Editorial & Policy Director, who will remain deeply involved in editing and managing CUF’s research. The two will divide responsibility for projects across CUF’s portfolio, with the Managing Editor taking the lead on some and collaborating closely with the Editorial & Policy Director on others. The Managing Editor will also work directly with the Executive Director on selected projects.

This is not primarily a copy-editing role. The Managing Editor will provide substantive and developmental editing throughout the research and writing process and will often need to get deeply into the text: reorganizing sections, rewriting passages, sharpening arguments, and finding better ways to deploy data, interviews, and other evidence.

The Managing Editor will also help supervise members of CUF’s research team, coaching staff to become stronger writers and researchers while keeping multiple projects moving toward publication.

More specifically, the Managing Editor will:

• Lead the editing and project management of a portfolio of CUF research projects while collaborating closely with the Editorial & Policy Director on others.
• Edit CUF publications across a range of formats, including long-form policy reports, policy and data briefs, commentaries and op-eds, newsletters, proposals, funder communications, and other written products. This will include substantive and developmental editing, rewriting, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading.
• Write and help develop original content across CUF’s work, from report sections and introductions to policy briefs, proposals, funder reports and updates, op-eds, speeches, and other organizational writing.
• Consult closely with the Editorial & Policy Director on editorial direction and feedback to researchers, translate that direction into clear and actionable guidance, and work with researchers to ensure agreed-upon revisions are carried through.
• Work with the Executive Director and Editorial & Policy Director to draft and develop selected reports, proposals, op-eds, funder communications, and other written materials.
• Supervise and mentor members of the research team, helping staff strengthen their writing, research, and project-management skills.
• Help shape projects from the outset, including framing research questions, identifying sources and interviewees, developing methodology, and determining the strongest findings, stories, and recommendations.
• Establish clear deadlines and manage research, writing, revision, and production schedules.
• Conduct final quality assurance on written products for factual accuracy, clarity, structure, consistency, and adherence to CUF’s style.

Qualifications

We are looking for candidates with exceptional editing and writing skills, strong editorial judgment, a keen sense of what makes research informative and newsworthy, and an ability to help other writers do their best work.

Candidates should have meaningful professional editing experience, including substantive or developmental editing of long-form content. We are much more interested in the depth and quality of that experience than in a specific number of years. Strong candidates might come from journalism, publishing, policy research, government, communications, consulting, or the nonprofit sector.

The strongest candidates will:

• Have demonstrated experience substantially improving complex drafts—not simply proofreading or polishing finished work.
• Be excellent writers themselves and comfortable drafting original material and rewriting when a piece needs more than editorial comments.
• Know how to make complicated ideas accessible without oversimplifying them.
• Be able to move easily between big-picture questions of argument and structure and close, sentence-level editing.
• Have strong organizational skills and be able to work effectively across multiple projects and short deadlines.
• Be thoughtful and direct in providing feedback and enthusiastic about helping researchers grow as writers and thinkers.
• Bring intellectual curiosity, good judgment, and a genuine interest in the issues shaping New York City's future.

Experience managing or mentoring writers or researchers is strongly preferred. Policy expertise is helpful, but what we really need is someone who relishes delving into unfamiliar topics and has a knack for strengthening a piece even without deep subject-matter expertise.

We welcome applications both from experienced editors and from rising editors who have demonstrated exceptional ability and are ready to take on more responsibility.

Compensation

This is a full-time position based in New York City, with staff working in person at our downtown Manhattan office three days per week and remotely two days per week. The salary range is $100,000–$125,000, commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The Center for an Urban Future deeply values the contributions of our dedicated staff. In addition to competitive pay, CUF offers comprehensive healthcare benefits with no out-of-pocket costs to employees; generous paid annual, parental, and sick leave; annual contributions to each employee's 401(k) retirement plan; and opportunities for professional development and advancement.

How to Apply

Send a resume, cover letter, and at least one editorial work sample to [email protected]. Please include "Managing Editor" in the subject line. Where possible, the work sample should reflect a piece you substantially edited or rewrote; include a brief description of your role in shaping it. No phone calls, please.

An independent, nonpartisan policy organization, the Center is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome and encourage applications from all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, physical or mental disability, marital status, veteran status, or other factors protected by law.