Investigative Reporter

Are you great at getting people to tell you things they’re not supposed to? Do you see problems in your community and itch to figure out who is responsible? Have you ever almost crashed a car because you couldn’t stop reading the public document haul you just picked up at the courthouse? Would you like to expose corruption, hold the powerful to account and have a fun time doing it? If so, we at the San Francisco Chronicle would love to hear from you.

This reporter will be a part of our dedicated investigations team, charged with finding, reporting and writing long-term, high-impact stories. Working with other reporters and the investigative editor, this journalist will keep a constant eye on what’s at stake for vulnerable people and taxpayer dollars.

All the big stories that you want to tell are in the San Francisco Bay Area. Whether it’s tech and start-up culture, the housing crunch, California’s deep inequalities, wildfires, management of public lands, LGBTQ rights or the wine and cannabis industries, our local stories are national stories. We’re ripe with crises — homelessness, drug addiction, climate-linked disasters — demanding the spotlight of investigative journalists.

Successful candidates will be generous colleagues and good collaborators who can demonstrate how their accountability journalism yielded a much-needed change in local communities. Stellar writing skills are a plus.

What you will do:

Develop sources, mine public records and analyze data to pitch and execute investigative projects.

Work collaboratively with journalists across the newsroom, including digital, photo and design, while pitching ideas for a multimedia presentation of stories.

Ensure that coverage reflects the diversity of experiences and needs in the Bay Area.

What it will take to be successful:

At least five years of experience at a daily newspaper, magazine or web publication or the equivalent.

A keen ability to see beyond a problem to which institutions or people are driving it, then explain how and why.

Experience and comfort with successfully filing public records requests and working with data.

Ability to collaborate with all newsroom teams and work in a fast-changing news environment.

Please apply by uploading a copy of your resume/CV and three work samples (or a document containing URLs of this work, and any relevant paywall information). Optionally, you may also decide to upload a cover letter describing how you would approach this role.

As part of its continued efforts to maintain a safe workplace for employees, Hearst Newspapers requires that all employees who receive a written offer of employment be fully vaccinated (as defined by the CDC) against the coronavirus by the first day of employment as a condition of employment, to the extent permitted by applicable law. Hearst Newspapers will consider requests for reasonable accommodations on an individual basis in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

About The San Francisco Chronicle & SFChronicle.com:

The San Francisco Chronicle is one of the largest news organizations in the West. SFChronicle.com is home to the Bay Area’s best journalism and has been recognized as the best large newspaper website in California. Our award-winning journalists provide insight into the people and events shaping the Bay Area, investigate wrongdoing and waste, and deliver the quickest and most reliable coverage of breaking news in Northern California. Join our team!

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