Designer/Developer, Data Visuals Team (Temporary)

The Texas Tribune seeks a designer/developer to work on our data visuals team for a temporary five month assignment from February-June 2023.

This journalist will work on a team that uses data to tell compelling stories about politics and policy in Texas. They will help us cover Texas’ legislative session, when it’s our goal to make the government more accessible to readers, from tracking the status of important bills to reporting on the impact of new laws.

Strong candidates have experience creating graphics and the drive to make information understandable and clear.

Compensation: $6,000 per month

Timeframe: full-time from Feb. 1 to June 30, 2022

Location: Remote

Responsibilities:

• Finding opportunities for data-driven visual stories across Tribune beats and in close collaboration with other journalists.
• Reporting on, requesting and analyzing data with curiosity and skepticism.
• Producing accurate, journalistically sound graphics without errors.
• Writing clean, compelling copy for graphics and stories.
• Balancing a mix of short- and long-term assignments, depending on the news. This role may require occasional night or weekend work.
• Learning, sharing and teaching new methods with colleagues on and off the data visuals team.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years of relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Some combination of design, web development and journalistic skills that allows you to evaluate when a story needs a big lift, or could benefit from simplicity.
• Experience with building graphics using modern HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Familiar with or willing to learn Javascript frameworks like React or Preact and front-end tools including Sass, Webpack and NPM.
• Back-end development experience is a plus but not required.
• Experience with D3/Observable, Adobe Illustrator or Figma for creating clear and concise data visualizations.
• Experience with basic spreadsheet tools plus a programming language such as Python, SQL or R for data reporting.
• A collaborative spirit and the ability to work with rigor while knowing that you are still learning and growing. (The data visuals team mascot is the capybara in a yuzu bath because we are all pretty chill.)

We know there are great candidates who won’t check all of these boxes, and we also know you might bring important skills that we haven’t considered. If that’s you, don’t hesitate to apply and tell us about yourself.

About The Texas Tribune

Here’s what you should know about the Tribune. From day one we’ve had disruption, innovation and risk-taking in our DNA. We’re ambitious as all get out but still have the punch-above-your-weight mentality of a scrappy start-up. We believe we can meet the demands of our audience and our own expectations for excellence without breaking the bank — or our staff. We understand not everything is a story for us — we have to make choices — but we’re always looking to expand our boundaries. We’re nonprofit because the challenging economic reality for media these days obligates us to find a different way, reliable and sustainable, to fund serious journalism. We’re nonpartisan because we live in the United States of Confirmation Bias — and we don’t need to be part of the problem. We don’t need to be yet another source of information affirming the voices and perspectives that are already in people’s heads. At the same time, nonpartisan is not non-thinking. We call B.S. when B.S. needs to be called.

All of us at the Trib believe the best way to achieve that mission is to resemble the state we cover. We’re committed to building an inclusive newsroom for people of all backgrounds and ages, and we’re taking steps to meet that commitment. We especially encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply for this role, including women, people of color, LGBTQ people and people with disabilities.

How to Apply

Submit your application by Dec. 31 with a résumé and brief cover letter explaining your qualifications. Include a link to a project or two that you worked on, telling us about your contributions in getting it ready for publication. For questions, contact managing editor Darla Cameron at dcameron@texastribune.org.

The Texas Tribune is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to diversity and building an inclusive environment for all, and we encourage applicants of all identities, backgrounds, ages, and abilities to apply. Learn more about The Texas Tribune here.