NY Times Seeking Photo Director: ‘One of the Most Important’ Jobs in Industry

Want to hold one of the “one of the most important and high-profile jobs in visual journalism”? The New York Times has an opening for you: The Gray Lady is looking for a Photo Director.

The job opening, which was first posted by the paper a week ago, starts out by establishing the Times importance and influence in the world of photojournalism:

The New York Times is a worldwide leader in photojournalism, earning multiple Pulitzer Prizes and World Press Photo awards in recent years and establishing standards for excellence and innovation that have been deeply influential across the industry. Photography is a central part of our identity. It’s how we bear witness to events that matter, and our Photo department is one of the treasures of our newsroom.

The Times then goes on to say that it values visual imagery as much as words in its journalism.

“[W]e’re looking for someone to lead this talented and diverse team and to become part of the visual leadership of the organization,” the listing reads. “We want to continue integrating photography and other forms of visual journalism into the fabric of our report — as closely as our words.”

And in case you’re not immediately aware of how important this position is in the industry:

“This role is one of the most important and high-profile jobs in visual journalism,” the Times writes, “and we’re seeking candidates with a rare combination of journalistic experience, organizational expertise and extraordinary visual talent.”

Here are some of the responsibilities and qualifications of an ideal candidate:

“Daily leadership of a large staff of photo editors and photographers who work across the globe, covering all subjects.”
“Candidates should be able to maintain high journalistic standards and sustain a level of excellence that makes photography a core component of The Times’s identity.”
“Sophisticated news judgment and a compelling vision for how The Times can produce world-class journalism and innovative storytelling. We’re looking for a strong digital sensibility, including the ability to recognize emerging techniques and platforms and a clear understanding of how to define a modern photo desk.”
“Sharp eye for talent and ability to recruit a diverse, first-rate team of photo editors and photographers.”
“Strong management skills. Able to motivate and guide a large and complex organization, including responsibility for staff members in harm’s way.”

If you’d like to try your hand at applying for this prestigious industry position, you can do so here. But beware: we’re guessing that there’s going to be quite a bit of competition for this opening from very qualified candidates.

P.S. Last month The New York Times was also looking for a White House photographer.