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Reporter, Transformer

Transformer is seeking a reporter to grow our coverage of transformative AI systems into the world’s leading publication for AI decision-makers.​

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​You'll help write our weekly newsletter, contribute to breaking news analysis, and produce timely journalism on AI advances and policy developments.

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  • Compensation: $65,000-$90,000 (£50,000-£70,000). For highly experienced candidates, we are open to higher compensation and more senior titles.

  • Location: Remote, with a strong preference for London. 

  • Start Date: July 2025

  • Reporting to: Shakeel Hashim (Editor, Transformer)

  • ​Deadline: Apply here by April 30 (midnight, Anywhere on Earth).

About Transformer

Transformer, the resident publication of Tarbell, has quickly become essential reading for many policymakers, technologists, and journalists covering AI's rapid evolution and potential consequences. In less than a year, our work has been cited in The New York Times, The Guardian, The Times, Politico, Axios, The Verge, Vox, TechCrunch, and many others.

 

Our subscribers include senior officials in the US and UK governments, leaders at every major AI company, and influential voices across academia, think tanks and media organizations.

 

Unlike most tech publications, we take seriously the possibility of transformative AI systems emerging in the near future. We believe the development of increasingly capable AI requires careful scrutiny, responsible governance, and clear-eyed analysis of both current capabilities and future trajectories.

 

Our coverage is focused in three buckets, with the possibility of adding a fourth:

  • The weekly briefing: Transformer’s flagship product, a must-read summary of the week’s news combined with analysis on the most important stories.

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  • External opinions: We’re interested in experimenting with an op-ed section, focused on bringing in diverse perspectives on transformative AI from outside the traditional AI ecosystem (e.g. experts on economics and international relations).

 

We are now looking for a reporter to help augment our coverage as we grow into an even bigger and better publication.

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About Tarbell

Transformer is housed within and financially supported by Tarbell, a non-profit which supports journalism that helps society navigate the emergence of increasingly advanced AI. You can learn more about Tarbell and Tarbell’s donors here. While housed within Tarbell, Transformer maintains editorial independence.

About the role

In this role, you will:

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  • Write and produce the majority of our weekly newsletter, synthesizing developments in AI with attention to their broader implications.

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  • Contribute to rapid-response analysis of breaking news.

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  • Produce timely explanatory pieces on AI advances and policy developments.

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  • Develop your own areas of expertise within AI coverage.

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  • Help set the future vision and direction for Transformer as we continue to expand.

 

As part of Tarbell, you’ll also spend 10% of your time working on other projects that support AI journalism elsewhere, such as mentoring early-career journalists on our fellowship, evaluating grants to other newsrooms, or developing newsroom training initiatives.

 

This position offers significant opportunity for growth and development. While we have outlined core responsibilities, we are open to shaping the role around exceptional candidates with unique experiences.

About you

You might be a particularly good fit for this role if:

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  • You write with exceptional clarity and concision.

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  • You are plugged into the news, with the aim of reading (or at least skimming) every piece of AI news each week. You can identify the big stories of the week — and explain why they matter.

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  • You can also take a step back and consider important big-picture trends and developments, and identify ways to inform our readers about them through features and explainers.

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  • You are comfortable working and writing at the fast pace of a daily newsroom.

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  • You are entrepreneurial. You’re excited about trying new things to help grow a publication and willing to take initiative without being asked.

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  • You have a strong grasp of the AI landscape, particularly key policy debates (like recent state-level regulations) and technical concepts (such as advances in model reasoning or evidence for AI deception). While you can’t know everything, you wish you could — and you have the ability to learn new things quickly.

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  • You understand that there is a possibility that we are rapidly approaching systems with capabilities that would qualify as artificial general intelligence, and you recognize both the transformative potential and profound risks this presents.

 

This position would be ideal for an early-career journalist, and will have significant support and mentorship from the editor and managing editor. However, we welcome applications from candidates at any career stage.

 

If you meet some but not all of these criteria, we encourage you to apply. We expect many strong candidates will not meet all of the criteria listed.

Compensation, Benefits, and Location

This role will pay $65,000-$90,000 (£50,000-£70,000), depending on location and experience. For highly experienced candidates, we are open to higher compensation.

 

Our benefits include:

  • 33 days of paid holiday in total (including national holidays).

  • $2,000 annual budget for equipment and office space.

  • $2,000 annual budget for personal development and productivity.

  • Standard pension (UK) or 401(k) (US), with 3% contribution from employer. 

  • Competitive health benefits for staff based in the US.

  • A work environment that supports you to grow and challenges you to do your best work.

 

We are open to hiring candidates anywhere, but have a strong preference for people in London for this role. We are able to sponsor visas in the UK, but not in the US. Work hours are flexible, but we expect you to be available for 5 hours of overlap between 10am and 6pm UK time daily.

 

We require all staff to spend 1 week every quarter on site, typically in London or San Francisco. Additionally, occasional travel may be required (approximately 1 additional week per quarter).

 

Tarbell is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The emergence of increasingly advanced AI poses a risk to everyone. Grappling with this technology will require the participation of all of society and is undermined by discriminatory hiring practices which pit factions of humanity against one another.

 

We do not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, sexual preference, marital status, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law or local ordinance. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.

Application Process

Round 1: Apply here by April 30, 2025 (midnight Anywhere on Earth). In the initial application, we ask for a CV, cover letter, one short-answer question, and a 500-word writing sample that could serve as one of the lead items in Transformer’s weekly briefing.

 

Round 2: Successful candidates will be invited to complete an interview with Shakeel, and a 3-5 hour work task. We will compensate candidates $40 / hour for time spent on work tasks.

 

Round 3: Finalists will be invited to interview with Cillian Crosson, Tarbell’s executive director, and a second interview with Shakeel.

 

We hope to send out offers in June, with the successful candidate ideally starting in July.

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