Fellow, Opinion Design

Job Description

The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.

Join the 2027 New York Times Fellowship class as a digital designer in the Opinion section in New York.

As an Opinion Design fellow, you will support our editorial and creative teams in producing and promoting our digital Opinion journalism to help readers understand, navigate and engage with society's important conversations. This will include assisting design leads in shaping stories and creating visuals to help ideas connect with audiences on site and across social media platforms. You will also have the opportunity to work with art directors on creating and commissioning illustrations for articles.

You should be interested in news (social, cultural and political) and able to collaborate with editors, writers and photographers. We are assessing portfolio submissions for a strong design foundation, keen storytelling instincts and working knowledge of motion graphics.

The Opinion department is separate from the newsroom. This is an in-office position and includes regular attendance in the office four days each week. There may be some flexibility to work remotely per your departmental guidance. You may be required to work some nights, weekends and holidays as needed.

Responsibilities

• Conceptualize and create visual experiences across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and emerging platforms
• Translate editorial ideas into compelling motion, video, audio and digital design interactives
• Experiment with visual storytelling, formats and design approaches to engage new audiences
• Contribute to creative ideation, visual development and art direction
• Pitch ideas and collaborate with editors, illustrators, and photographers
• Develop work within established design systems while exploring opportunities to evolve them
• Document and archive creative work and processes to support the broader team
• Participate in training and social programs designed for the fellowship
• Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world

Requirements

• Basic Qualifications:
• No more than five years of full-time, professional journalism experience, excluding internships
• Self-directed, adaptable designer who can quickly develop creative solutions
• Strong understanding of social media branding, platforms and best practices
• Portfolio demonstrating visual storytelling and design craft
• Proficiency in After Effects, Figma and Adobe Creative Suite
• Ability to work within and extend established brand systems
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Record of multiple journalism internships, or equivalent experience
• 3+ years of digital design experience
• Previous art direction experience
• Portfolio demonstrating conceptual illustration and collage
• To apply, upload a résumé and cover letter. You should also include a link to a portfolio of your work. The application will prompt you when to upload materials and ask you for the link to your portfolio. Applications that fail to include any of these materials or follow these instructions will not be considered.
• You must be authorized to work in the United States. We will not sponsor work visas for the fellowship, but we will consider applicants with valid work authorization or a valid student visa that can be extended with Optional Practical Training.
• You may apply to only one fellowship position per year. For instance, if you apply as a digital designer in Opinion, you should not apply for any other positions in the fellowship. Duplicate applications will be discarded.
• The application deadline is 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on Nov. 20.
• The Times Fellowship generates a high level of interest, so we cannot acknowledge the status of applications upon receipt or during the vetting process, which can take eight weeks or more. We cannot accept applications that are mailed or emailed to us. We will contact you for interviews as needed.
• The fellowship program will begin on or about June 7, 2027, and end on May 26, 2028, subject to satisfactory performance. There is no guarantee of a full-time position upon completion of the program.
• For more information about the Times Fellowship, visit here.
• This position is represented by the NewsGuild of New York.