Los Angeles Times, Correspondent National desk

Location: Phoenix, Arizona

The Los Angeles Times National desk is seeking a correspondent to open a bureau in Phoenix, a key post as the paper steps up its coverage of the Southwest, the border, and immigration. The successful candidate will be a self-starter with exceptional reporting and writing ability. Strong Spanish-language skills are essential. National correspondents must be able to cover breaking news for an ever-widening audience online. Experience in telling stories with multimedia tools is a plus.

Correspondents need to be experienced in writing thoughtful enterprise pieces, cogent analysis and long-form narratives. A superb eye for a story is required, as is the ability to work cooperatively with colleagues in the field, in Washington, and on the desk in Los Angeles. Travel, often on short notice, is part of the job.

The Phoenix bureau chief will be expected to write about immigration, politics, culture, business, environment/resources, and social issues throughout the Southwest, and most especially along the Mexican border with Arizona and New Mexico. The region brims with potential for a writer focusing on the people who cross the border and those seeking to stop them, the agony of the drug wars, and the hard-bitten partisanship that helps drive national attitudes.

Please email steve.padilla@latimes.com with a resume and five of your best clips.  MENTION GORKANA WHEN APPLYING!