ProPublica is looking for a computational journalist to help uncover abuses of power and betrayals of the public’s trust.

We’re seeking someone who will use technology and data to find and unlock stories that would otherwise be difficult to access. This could involve renting a boat to test Wi‑Fi networks at Mar-a-Lago, using code to identify and group propaganda videos, or analyzing data from millions of child protective services cases to determine who is most affected by the system.

You’ll join ProPublica’s data team and collaborate closely with journalists across our newsroom. We value both quick scoops and ambitious projects. Journalism experience and the ability to code are required.

What you’ll do at ProPublica:
– Find or build data that reveals stories through an accountability lens.
– Run analyses that uncover bias, influence, and other harms.
– Clearly explain your work and make it reproducible by writing strong methodologies.
– Create high-impact investigative projects using code and data analysis, along with interviews, research, and reporting on the ground.
– Clean, verify, and thoroughly check the data that supports our investigations.
– Scrape websites and work with messy, unstructured data.
– Use APIs, including poorly designed ones.

We’re looking for someone with many of the following skills:
– At least four years of experience on data-focused projects, ideally in a newsroom with an accountability focus.
– The ability to apply an accountability lens to current issues through both short, two-week investigations and longer projects that may take several months (or more), using data and code to get there.
– Experience building data pipelines and performing rigorous analysis.
– A strong command of common data analysis tools, such as database management systems, statistical tools like R, Google BigQuery, Python/pandas, Jupyter Notebooks, and similar technologies.
– Experience with data journalism best practices, including careful attention to detail, documentation, and reproducibility.
– Experience working with AI and machine learning, including generative AI, large language models, and other ML approaches.
– Familiarity with public data sources across multiple areas, and experience requesting data through public records requests.
– Comfort managing multiple priorities at once—staying organized, focused, and proactive.
– A talent for explaining complex issues clearly and compellingly for our audience.
– Self-discipline to work independently, and enthusiasm for collaborating with teammates and local partner reporters.
– Ability to travel, as needed, for assignments, team summits, and training.
– A strong desire to work on meaningful accountability stories and to help uncover the truth to drive reform.

This is a full-time position with benefits. The team is distributed, so applicants anywhere in the U.S. can apply. If you prefer an office setting, our headquarters are in New York City, and we also have offices in Washington, D.C.; Atlanta; Chicago; Phoenix; and Berkeley, California.

The expected salary range is $120,000 to $140,000.

This is a good-faith estimate of what we expect to pay. The final salary will depend on experience, accomplishments, and location. ProPublica is committed to paying staff fairly, and these ranges are not strict limits or caps.

We’ll start reviewing applications as they arrive, but we will continue considering candidates as long as the posting remains live on our site.

Questions? Email talent@propublica.org

No phone calls, please.