AI Development Editor

Role Overview The San Francisco Chronicle and SFGATE are seeking an AI Development Editor to own the hands-on integration of artificial intelligence into new content products and newsroom tools and workflows. You’ll work closely with reporters and editors across our newsrooms to identify high-impact opportunities to use AI to make our journalism more powerful and efficient, combining technical know-how with journalistic judgment to help the newsroom innovate responsibly at scale. At the moment, this job is intended to be a supervisor-level position, although because of the newness of this area, the exact structure for the role isn’t determined. The successful candidate will champion smart automation strategies that help our journalists and grow our audience. The editor will be comfortable coming up with their own ideas and identifying the best ideas from around the newsroom and the company. They will understand that the best local journalism is the product of human collaboration while also educating others about the benefits of generative AI. Hybrid: Hearst Newspapers operates on a hybrid work week schedule. What You’ll Do Editorial Leadership • Build, test and maintain AI pipelines. • Leverage AI in the building of utility products for consumers. • Evaluate, pilot and integrate generative AI and automation tools into the newsroom. • Work with the Senior Editor, Data and AI Innovation to develop standards and best practices for AI use in reporting, editing, fact-checking and audience engagement. • Ensure accuracy and transparency in AI-assisted content. • Lead training sessions and provide support for editors and reporters using AI tools. • Oversee the editorial work of AI developers across our newsrooms. Innovation + Strategy • Identify opportunities where AI can augment journalism, such as enhanced data collection, transcription, summarization, civic coverage and audience personalization. • Stay ahead of industry developments and assess emerging tools, vendors and partnerships. • Collaborate with product and engineering teams on internal tools to improve efficiency and enhance storytelling. Oversight + Governance • Ensure AI applications align with ethical journalism standards and company AI policies. • Establish guardrails for accuracy, sourcing, transparency and human oversight of AI-assisted content. • Audit and monitor newsroom AI use, providing regular updates to editorial leadership. Collaboration + Evangelism • Serve as a point person for AI strategy across the newsroom. • Partner with editorial leads to identify reporting beats where AI-assisted workflows can expand coverage, such as civic meeting monitoring, local guides and data-heavy investigations. • Act as a liaison with legal, HR and executive leadership on responsible AI adoption. What You’ll Bring Ideal candidates will be able to showcase many of the following. We do not expect candidates to be proficient in every area. • Demonstrated experience experimenting with AI or automation tools in a journalistic context. • Familiarity with generative AI platforms (such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini) and newsroom-focused tools (transcription, summarization, translation and meeting monitors). • Technical literacy, including the ability to work with APIs, structured data or scripting languages such as Python and JavaScript (preferred). • Expertise in prompt engineering. • Excellent communication and training skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for nontechnical colleagues. • Ability to self-manage and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously, meeting tight deadlines without compromising on quality. • Commitment to ethical journalism, transparency and accuracy. Measures of Success • Adoption and effective use of AI tools across newsroom teams. • Documented guardrails and AI-use policies in place. • Increased efficiency in newsroom workflows without loss of quality. • Editorial projects that showcase innovative and responsible use of AI. • Positive feedback from newsroom staff on training and support. Additional Information • Sponsorship: This position does not provide immigration sponsorship. Applicants must have the right to work in the U.S. without immigration sponsorship. • Accommodations: We are committed to an accessible application process. If you need an accommodation to apply, please contact hnpemployment@hearst.com. This email address is for accommodation requests only. Benefits We support our employees through personal and professional development and promote physical, financial and emotional wellbeing for employees and their families. Our benefits include: • Physical Wellbeing: Medical, dental and vision coverage to help keep you and your family healthy. • Invest for the Future: Competitive retirement plan with a matching program in most markets. • Generous Paid Time Off: Ample time off, including holidays and vacation. • Paid Parental Leave: Paid leave to support growing families and new parents. • Monthly Child & Dependent Care Reimbursement: Financial support for the care of your loved ones. • Emotional Wellbeing: Mental wellness benefits to support your emotional wellbeing. • LGBTQ+ & Inclusive Health Services: Inclusive healthcare designed for individual needs. • Fertility Coverage & Menopause Support: Support throughout different stages of your health and family journey. • Pet Wellness Reimbursement & Rover Credits: Support to help keep your pets happy and healthy. • And more: Learn more about additional benefits and details here. Compensation The base salary range below is the Company's good-faith estimate for this position in the posted work location at the time of posting. Final starting salary will be based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to skills, experience, training, certifications, education, location and market considerations. Base Salary Range: $90,000—$125,000 USD