We’re hiring a China-focused data journalist

The Economist has always sought to stand out for its numeracy and analytical rigour. Our data-journalism team conducts original research, using cutting-edge methods to ask and answer important questions about politics, economics and society. We are looking to hire a data journalist for a full-time, permanent position with a focus on China. If you would like to do pioneering work at the intersection of data science, journalism and computational social science, and to share your research with The Economist’s influential global audience, please get in touch at the email address below. We hope the chosen candidate will join us this summer, but can accommodate a different start date if necessary.

Job description

• Take a lead role in the acquisition of the data necessary to best cover China. This will involve writing programs to find and/or process such data, ranging from satellite imagery to content on social media
• Regularly conduct research and write articles for all sections of the newspaper, both in print and online. Some of these should be data-led articles for the Graphic detail and China print sections, and others should be online Daily charts, working closely with our data-visualisation team
• Collaborate with beat journalists on stories that combine original data gathering or statistical research with conventional reporting

Duration

• Permanent, full-time staff position

Location

• Hong Kong preferred. We will consider candidates based elsewhere, including outside our main offices in London and the eastern United States, as long as they are willing to spend an initial incorporation period in London or Hong Kong and travel there subsequently as needed

Essential skills

• Full written and verbal proficiency in Mandarin Chinese
• Strong coding skills, including the ability to write software to automatically gather and process data from unconventional sources
• Entrepreneurial ability to identify, pursue and maintain important projects
• Fluency in the R or Python programming languages for statistical analysis with large datasets
• Familiarity with research design and quantitative methods
• Keen interest in geopolitics, economics and current affairs
• Ability to summarise technical research for a mass audience in concise, stylish English prose

Required background

• Proven programming proficiency, for instance through a computer-science degree, private-sector experience or a strong project portfolio

Compensation

• Competitive salary and benefits, depending on candidate’s experience and skill level. Travel and relocation costs are covered

Please apply with a CV and portfolio of any relevant previous work and salary expectations by March 21st at: [email protected]

The Economist Group values diversity. We are committed to equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We welcome applicants regardless of ethnic origin, national origin, gender, race, colour, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age.