Managing Editor, Think Global Health

Position Summary

CFR’s David Rockefeller Studies Program is one of the country’s largest foreign policy think tanks with a widely respected and influential research staff. The Studies Program’s aim is to advance the discussion of American foreign policy and international affairs through its writing, publications, public outreach, and discussions.

Think Global Health (TGH) is a CFR-sponsored online magazine that examines the ways that health shapes economies, societies, and everyday lives around the world. In its first five years of operation, the site published more than 1,500 articles from nearly 1,400 authors, representing 115 countries on six continents, and has attracted 10 million page views. TGH analysis has been nominated for two Webby awards and cited and linked over 1,000 times, including by The Atlantic, BBC, New York Times, and the Washington Post; US congressional committees, foreign ministries, and the World Health Organization; and retweeted by thousands of people, including prominent figures and experts. TGH leads all Council newsletters in subscriber growth and is the most subscribed newsletter published by CFR's David Rockefeller Studies Program.

CFR is seeking a Managing Editor who is passionate and deeply knowledgeable about global health and international affairs. Reporting to the Director of the Global Health Program, the Managing Editor will be responsible for managing the magazine’s operations and staff, including writing, soliciting, and editing content, coordinating the work of contributors, and promoting the site and its content.

This full-time position is based in CFR’s New York City or Washington, DC, office at least three days per week. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are considered institutional anchor days where all staff are required to be onsite. Effective Monday, September 14, 2026, CFR employees will be based on-site at least four days per week. CFR’s remote working schedule is subject to change.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities

• Oversee the Think Global Heath website and the daily work of its staff.
• Manage a small Think Global Health team, including managing performance and fostering professional development.
• Oversee the solicitation of contributors, plan and approve assignments for writers and editors.
• Oversee the editing and preparation of content for the site and its weekly newsletter, including editing copy.
• Write on emerging global health issues for the site and conduct interviews of leading policymakers, front-line health workers, and other experts in the field.
• Oversee administrative functions for the site, including freelancer budget and contracts, advertising, and analytics.
• Maintain and updating, as needed, the procedures for editing, verifying facts, ensuring TGH contributors adhere to deadlines and style guidelines.
• Oversee TGH content strategy and the posting of articles on CFR’s content management system to create, build, publish, and tag site content.
• Oversee the use of photography databases to select photographs to accompany articles and coordinate data visualizations for the site.
• Perform any other duties or tasks as assigned or required

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Bachelors degree or higher

Experience

• At least eight years’ experience in global health, science, or international affairs journalism
• Experience with digital publishing, social media, and multimedia editing
• Proven history of successful people management experience, including managing performance and supporting professional development.

Related Skills & Other Requirements

• Exceptional writing and editing skills
• A demonstrated knowledge of and a passion for global health and international affairs
• Familiarity with content management systems, HTML, Illustrator, Adobe Premiere, and Figma. Wordpress experience preferred
• Prior work with data visualization, particularly Datawrapper experience, preferred
• Demonstrated ability to manage projects in a deadline driven environment
• Entrepreneurial self-starter with proven ability to work with small groups and senior staff, and on projects spanning different time zones and cultural contexts

Required Application Materials

• Please submit a résumé and cover letter stating your interest in the position.

Compensation and Benefits

• The full-time annual compensation range for this position is $150,000 – $170,000, depending on experience.
• In addition to competitive salaries, the Council on Foreign Relations offers a benefits package that is among the best offered by nonprofit institutions today, including an award-winning health and wellness program, an on-site fitness center, and generous leave policies and health insurance programs.

About CFR

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is committed to fostering a foreign policy community in the United States that is more representative of American society, recognizing that diverse backgrounds and perspectives contribute to broader, more informed participation in the foreign policy debate and lead to an enhanced understanding of the world and the United States’ role therein. To that end, CFR is dedicated to continuing to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout its work and workplace by building a more diverse membership and staff, producing and dispensing thoughtful analysis on a broad range of foreign policy issues, and developing relevant, wide-reaching programming that also serves to expand the foreign policy talent pipeline to underrepresented populations.