Editor, Books Desk

thenewyorktimes

New York, NY · New York · United States

Posted Jul 31, 2026

Other
Editing

Job description

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.

The New York Times is seeking a visionary, deeply collaborative, and strategically minded editor to lead its coverage of books.

In this role, you will oversee the Books desk for The New York Times, managing a stellar team of editors, critics, reporters and contributors. You will define and execute the editorial strategy of the prestigious New York Times Book Review while also steering the evolution of our coverage across our website and app, newsletters, audio, video and social platforms.

The Times plays an essential role in answering the questions that so many smart readers have: What should I read, and why? The Books editor will help us sharpen how we connect readers to the expertise, recommendations and insights on books that our journalists and critics possess, and help The Times inspire conversations and foster community around the books that evoke passion and interest.

The ideal candidate is a cultural trendspotter with impeccable editorial judgment, a passion for both nonfiction writing and literature, news energy and a proven track record of managing high-performing creative teams in a fast-paced digital newsroom. They have a deep, comprehensive knowledge of the publishing industry, contemporary literature, publishing trends, and the cultural conversations surrounding books.

This is an in-office position, based in New York and includes regular attendance in the office at least four days each week.

Responsibilities:

Define and execute the overarching editorial strategy for books coverage, balancing the authoritative, deeply analytical tradition of The Book Review with innovative, inviting and accessible digital offerings.
Ensure coverage reflects a wide, diverse range of voices, genres, backgrounds, and ideological perspectives, and reflects the broad world of publishing, from mainstream blockbusters to important literary and non-fiction works.
Oversee the selection of books to be reviewed, ensuring the Times remains the definitive voice in the literary world.
Direct high-profile projects, including the "10 Best Books of the Year," the "100 Notable Books," and develop new books franchises, in collaboration with our newly created modern canon team.
Produce aggressive coverage of the publishing industry, from the economics of bookselling and marketing to debates about writing, plagiarism, artificial intelligence, ideological disputes, marquee authors and more.
Collaborate with product, audio, video, and design teams to expand the Books desk’s footprint across formats (e.g., The Book Review Podcast, newsletters, interactive graphics, and social media platforms).
Use audience insights to understand reader behavior and optimize headline writing, packaging, and publishing schedules while maintaining editorial integrity.
Manage, mentor, and inspire a dedicated team of editors, staff critics, and reporters, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous growth.
Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
You will report to a Masthead Editor.

Basic Qualifications:

15+ years of experience in journalism or cultural criticism
5+ years in a significant leadership or managerial role within a major media organization.
Deep, comprehensive knowledge of the publishing industry, contemporary literature, publishing trends, and the cultural conversations surrounding books.
Proven experience leading digital transformations, with a sophisticated vision and understanding of audience engagement and digital storytelling.
Demonstrated exceptional editing skills, with the ability to sharpen complex critiques, elevate prose, and guide writers toward their best work under tight deadlines.
Experience successfully navigating complex, matrixed organizational structures.

Preferred Qualifications:

A collaborative, diplomatic leadership style

To Apply: Please submit your resume, a one-page cover letter that includes 3–5 examples of projects or sections you have edited or directed.

REQ-020463

Additional Compensation and Benefits

For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.

For roles outside of the U.S., information on benefits will be provided during the interview process.

The annual base pay range for this role is between:

$200,000—$225,000 USD

Candidate Use of GenAI Tools:

We’re excited to learn more about you and your experience. To keep our hiring process as fair and authentic as possible, we ask that you submit your own work and not use GenAI tools to generate substantive content during the application and interview process.

If you’re an engineering candidate, we’ll let you know what specific GenAI tools you are permitted to use for your technical assessment.

The New York Times Company is committed to being the world’s best source of independent, reliable and quality journalism. To do so, we embrace a diverse workforce that has a broad range of backgrounds and experiences across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, creed, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, disability, genetic trait or predisposition, carrier status, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. All applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)’s Know Your Rights Poster is available here.

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