Staff Writer, Cleaning Appliances, Wirecutter

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Note for US based roles: Any offer of employment is contingent on providing proof of Covid-19 vaccination prior to your start date, subject to approved medical and/or religious exemptions, in accordance with applicable law.

About the position

Wirecutter is seeking an experienced reporter to test and write about washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, and related subjects. This writer may also be called upon to cover other types of appliances and contribute to other editorial projects as needed.

The ideal candidate is a resourceful, creative, assiduous researcher with a talent for finding good sources and asking the right questions, the ability to assimilate technical information and break down complex topics for our readers, and a passion for helping people choose the right thing to buy. You should understand how a person thinks about a home appliance purchase—no matter their living circumstances, household size, geographical location, ability, or budget—and have an interest in investigating the impacts appliances have on the environment. Just as important, you should be able to devise and run tests to determine what appliances best suit people’s needs, and be able to present your findings clearly and succinctly. Previous experience covering and testing products isn’t required, though being handy or having some experience making home repairs may be helpful, as is enthusiasm for cleaning in general. Being organized and detail-oriented is crucial.

A successful person in this role will be comfortable collaborating with team members as well as with photo, operations, SEO, and other teams, and should also thrive on working independently—researching, testing, writing, and responding to edits. This role reports to the appliance team’s supervising editor and is based in New York City in Wirecutter’s Long Island City office, where appliance testing takes place.

Responsibilities

• Research, report, and write long form guides and short form posts on a particular beat; think creatively about sources, identify experts, and plan and conduct meaningful short- and long-term tests

• Request product samples and process their return

• Call experts and review academic journal articles and other scientific data; methodically scan user reviews and forums to find what truly matters to readers

• Collaborate with editors to conceive new content and formats and move ideas from pitch to publish

• Collaborate with photo, video, and illustration departments to produce visuals to support guides and blog posts

• Work with our community team to respond to reader feedback and questions; work with our affiliate team to resolve stock issues on recommendations; work with our operations team on product orders and testing plans.

• May be required to attend trade shows and product news events as needed to build contacts and expertise in relevant topic areas

• Perform related work as assigned

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of professional writing experience.

• Experience shopping for and owning large appliances is valuable, as is experience or interest in making home repairs.

• Excellent communication and task management skills in a remote work environment; patience to work through multiple rounds of edits and balance multiple reporting projects and deadlines simultaneously

• Experience doing original reporting and research for features or how-to guides is preferred; experience covering products or services, especially involving hands-on or lab testing, is also valuable.

Please include your résumé/CV and a cover letter with your application. You can only upload one file in the “Résumé/CV” box, so combine and upload your résumé and cover letter as one file.

This is a union position as classified by the News Guild of New York.

This role is based in NYC and is eligible to occasionally work from home, in consultation with your manager.

About Wirecutter

Wirecutter strives to be the most trusted product recommendation service on the internet. We obsessively test and report on thousands of items each year to recommend the best of everything. Our goal is to save you time and eliminate the stress of shopping, whether you’re looking for everyday gear or gifts for loved ones. We work with total editorial independence. That means nothing appears on the site as a recommendation unless our writers and editors have deemed it the best through our rigorous reporting and testing. Wirecutter was founded in September 2011 and acquired by The New York Times Company in October 2016. Wirecutter is mission-driven and reader-supported; learn more about us here .

Overview of Benefits at Wirecutter and The New York Times Company:

Though Wirecutter has a physical office in New York City, the company promotes and encourages a remote workforce, so that our employees can work in flexible and comfortable ways. We are committed to career development, supported by a formal mentoring program as well as tuition reimbursement. We believe diversity fuels innovation and creativity, and we have a variety of affinity and employee resource groups and task forces across The New York Times Company and Wirecutter dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.

The New York Times Company and Wirecutter provide employees and their families access to a comprehensive suite of benefits that includes not only medical, dental, and vision coverage, but also programs that help support their wellness goals. We offer a full suite of work/life assistance benefits including a generous parental leave policy, which was recently expanded in response to employee feedback. Employees giving birth now receive 20 weeks of paid leave. Non-birth, including adoptive parents, spouses, and parents also receive 20 weeks of paid leave. In addition, we also offer 401k matching.

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The New York Times is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, one that reflects the varied global community we serve. Our journalism and the products we build in the service of that journalism greatly benefit from a range of perspectives, which can only come from diversity of all types, across our ranks, at all levels of the organization. Achieving true diversity and inclusion is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing for our business. So we strongly encourage women, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color and gender nonconforming candidates to apply.

The New York Times Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does 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 New York Times Company will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local "Fair Chance" laws.