Football Writer (London)

About Us

The Athletic is a digital sports media company that brings true sports fans closer to the athletes, teams and leagues that captivate their attention. We serve a multi-faceted audience that craves a richer connection and understanding with immersive storytelling and a like-minded community of fans. Founded in 2016 and with major operational hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Melbourne, we empower a truly global team of more than 600 creators and cover more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams across the United States, Canada and the UK. Our newsroom has produced thousands of in-depth reports along with more than 120 podcasts and other forms of premium content. Put simply, The Athletic is at the center of a sports fan’s universe.

About the Role

The Athletic is looking for an energetic, insightful, motivated reporter who is able to conceive, report and write unique, revelatory stories, tackle news and make smart observations across multiple Premier League teams. This is a national role covering professional football as a whole.

This is a hybrid position based in the United Kingdom.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate and maintain strong sources to break, confirm, advance and analyze national news.
• Take readers behind-the-scenes to unearth critical details and explain what really happened around key decisions and major issues.
• Deliver authoritative, must-read stories that drive the national conversation in professional football.
• Be meticulous and thorough when sourcing stories.
• Ability to deliver high-level, in-the-moment stories when news dictates.
• Capable of explaining tactical changes and trends across multiple clubs.
• Contribute on multiple platforms, including podcasts, social media, headlines and short form.
• Clean, skilled writing in long, medium and short-form formats.
• Tell rich, ambitious features through deep reporting and access to get beyond superficial storylines.
• Balance mid- and long-term projects while delivering stories and news analysis.
• Utilize a creative approach to story ideation and formats.
• Understand the sport's advanced metrics and how to apply them to written work.
• Maintain a strong voice that can stand out from competitors.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and share information.
• Connect with the audience constructively by interacting with our comments sections.
• Use internal metrics to provide what subscribers desire.

Requirements

• Minimum 8+ years of relevant experience.
• Established relationships with team and league staff and players across professional football.
• Deep and comprehensive knowledge of the league's players and playing styles.
• Demonstrated ability to react quickly and authoritatively to league news and developments.
• This is a hybrid position based in the United Kingdom.