Acting Foreign Editor

Job Description

The Sun is the biggest news brand in the UK, publishing hundreds of stories a day and reaching over 170m unique users digitally every month. Its exclusives set the news agenda and its campaigns have changed the lives of many. Delivering news, entertainment, and sports coverage to millions of readers every day. With a rich history spanning decades, we are dedicated to providing accurate, insightful, and engaging content across print and digital platforms.

Your role: The Sun Online is seeking an Acting Foreign Editor (initially for 6 months) to lead our fast-paced and agenda-setting world news desk. You will be immersed in global affairs and spearhead a world-class team to deliver high-impact journalism that reaches millions. From breaking geopolitical upheavals to uncovering jaw-dropping exclusives and human interest stories, you will thrive in a high-pressure environment where speed, accuracy, and narrative power are paramount.

Day to day you will:

• Lead and inspire a high-performing team of editors and reporters, fostering a culture of excellence to produce world-beating content 24/7 for a global audience.

• Drive growth through data-led decision-making, utilising analytics to refine audience engagement strategies and dominate search and social platforms.

• Work with audience and homepage teams to ensure stories are optimised for every platform.

• Collaborate closely with our video team to bring video to the heart of our storytelling, both on-platform and on our YouTube and social channels.

• Fully utilise our brand new studio in the heart of the newsroom, ensuring our talent are sharing our exclusive journalism and fast-paced breaking news directly with viewers around the world.

• Work closely with our Sun Club team to bring the best of our journalism to a loyal and growing paying audience who have high expectations.

• Manage pressures of budgeting, rota, and audience appetite to commission and run foreign assignments.

• Nurture and grow our network of stringers to bring in agenda-setting scoops and exclusives that resonate with millions of readers around the world.

• Ensure staffing levels are well maintained across a 24/7 news operation, with the ability to scan the horizon for increased coverage pressures and to flexibly adjust the rota to meet demand.

• Meet line-manager responsibilities including providing career guidance, pastoral support and carrying out performance reviews of staff.

What we're looking for from you:

• Experience leading a foreign desk or news operation within a high-paced digital environment.

• Proven mastery of breaking news handling and crisis management, with the ability to maintain composure and strategic focus under pressure.

• A passion for - and in-depth knowledge of - news and current affairs around the world.

• Ability to independently ideate and execute top quality exclusives and original features and investigations.

• Exceptional leadership capabilities with a track record of mentoring and managing diverse, multi-disciplinary teams to hit aggressive performance targets.

• Advanced digital expertise, including deep knowledge of SEO, social trends, and algorithm-driven content strategies to maximize global reach.

• Ability to manage and mentor a large and diverse group of talented reporters and editors.

News UK is one of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio and Virgin Radio UK, and we have market-leading local stations across Ireland. Our world-famous brands provide news, analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel, audio and video, events and experiences, our multi-format brands are home to a plurality of opinion, representing the diverse communities we serve. Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose, we exist to promote a fair society, freedom of speech and a little bit of fun. Rethinking continually the business of storytelling, we represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter.

At News UK, we embrace a hybrid work model, currently requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office. This approach fosters collaboration, innovation, and team spirit within our workspace. Certain roles may necessitate additional in-office days; please discuss this with your recruiter for specific requirements.

Life at News

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter most. To ensure these stories resonate with as broad an audience as possible, it is essential that our organisation reflects the diversity of the people we reach. Whether through age, gender, ethnicity, disability, social class or sexuality, we are committed to representing the rich variety of voices that make up our society. And we champion a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive as we continue to innovate and drive long term sustainable growth. This is done through our Diversity Strategy.

At News UK, we take pride in our exceptional employee-led networks that bring together individuals with shared interests and create a vibrant sense of community. We believe our networks play a vital role in fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture at News UK. Groups that we support include the African & Caribbean Network, Parents and Carers, and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out, and the Apprentice Society.

Benefits

Some of our benefits include:

• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions

• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly in person/ virtual exercise classes

• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme

• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks

• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities

• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling

• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%

• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access

• 30 days holiday, plus bank holidays and up to 4 volunteering days per year

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. If you require reasonable adjustments due to a disability or health condition at any stage of your application or interview, please let us know. You can contact us at careers@news.co.uk to discuss how we can support you to perform at your best.

About The Candidate

About The Company