Three new permanent staff positions and casual shift work available. 

We entered the level four lockdown in the unfortunate position of having lost a few key senior staff in recent months, without yet having found their replacements. Now, with the white-hot first phase of the story starting to ebb, we’re recruiting some much-needed reinforcements.

Our tight, dynamic team based on the city fringe of Auckland is seeking people able to work out of our Morningside office. That said, with the journalistic roles, if you’re out of Auckland or can’t work full-time, we’d still like to hear from you. We’re absolutely prepared to be flexible if we find the perfect candidate.

These are the roles we’re looking to fill – if that sounds like you, please get in touch.

Senior feature writer 

The Spinoff has always cared deeply about writing, about carefully chosen words and how they land. We are seeking a superb magazine-style writer of at least three years’ experience working at or regularly contributing to major national outlets. We are open to hearing from those relatively early in their careers, or decades in. Critical qualities are:

• Writing that leaps off the screen.
• A boundless supply of ideas.
• A deep contact book, and the desire to expand it.
• An abiding interest in this country and its stories.
• A strong work ethic and hunger to make work that leaves a mark.
• The ability to write across multiple forms: general features, profiles, investigations, commentary, essays and more.
• You don’t need all of the above, but the more the better.

If this sounds like you, please send a CV and a cover letter explaining why you would be great in the role, along with links to or copies of two of your best pieces of published work, to jobs@thespinoff.co.nz (subject: Senior feature writer) by 5pm on Monday, May 18.

Senior news reporter

We’re seeking a superb news reporter of at least three years’ experience working for major national outlets. We are open to hearing from writers relatively early in their careers, or decades in. Critical qualities are:

• Hopelessly plugged into the news cycle.
• Particular interests in politics, business, te ao Māori or science encouraged.
• A deep interest in this country and its stories.
• A strong work ethic and hunger to make work that leaves a mark.
• Tenacity to bust through barriers to news.
• An OIA enthusiast; loves a phone call, loves a doorstep, loves digging through data and official reports.
• Clean, ready-to-publish copy.
• A sense of what makes stories pop, from concept to headlines and sells.
• The ability to create fast, accurate, informed reporting or analysis when news breaks.
• A history of finding great original stories.
• Experience in investigative journalism.
• You don’t need all of the above, but the more the better.

If this sounds like you, please send a CV and cover letter explaining why you would be great in the role, along with links to or copies of three of your best pieces of published work, to jobs@thespinoff.co.nz (subject: Senior news reporter) by 5pm on Monday, May 18.

Office manager

We’re looking for someone to join our small team to manage our office and assist various departments with key administrative tasks. We need someone to make sure our operation runs smoothly, help with HR, manage all incoming member and reader communications, and assist editorial, commercial and production teams with relevant tasks.

We’re looking for someone tech-literate, comfortable running new online systems, and an exceptional written and verbal communicator. We need someone hyper-organised and with excellent time management skills – as well as a lot of energy, and enthusiasm for the work we do.

We need someone who can work proactively and juggle multiple work streams, who loves putting systems in place and refining them. Previous office management or administrative experience is preferred, as well as HR administration or event coordination – though neither is strictly necessary. We are comfortable with candidates whose background is in production or other applicable fields.

As a team we’re social, energetic, care deeply about what we produce, and pride ourselves on our relationships with our audience, clients and members. We’re looking for a candidate excited to join a future-focused media organisation and play a key role in supporting our talented and hard-working team. This is a full-time position that must be based in our Morningside office in Auckland.

Note: This is not a journalism role. 

If this sounds like you, please send your CV and a cover letter to jobs@thespinoff.co.nz (subject: Office manager) by 5pm on Friday, May 22.

Casual reporting and production shifts

As our stories break and team and scope grow, as sick days or holidays come around, we sometimes find ourselves short-handed for short or long periods. If you’re a freelancer with a background in reporting, subediting or other key roles in the journalism-industrial complex, and are interested in working casual shifts for us on either an occasional or ongoing basis, please get in touch.

We’re particularly interested in:

• Fast, accurate, driven news reporters.
• People with experience working in digital news production, from social media account management to sub-editing.
• Journalists keen to work weekend shifts.
• Beat reporters with good contact books available to freelance on specific stories or as relevant work arises.

If this describes you, please send a CV and cover letter explaining what you’re best at and your availability to jobs@thespinoff.co.nz (subject: Shifts) by 5pm on Monday, May 18.

NB If you’re applying for one of the above roles, but would also like to be considered for casual shifts, simply note that in your cover letter.