Asia News Editor

About us

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide.

At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you’re given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world.

In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing.

Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you’ll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere.

Build a newsworthy career at the FT.

Our commitment to inclusion and fairness

We believe everyone should have a fair opportunity to contribute, succeed, and reach their full potential. That means ensuring everyone is heard, respected, and valued, while identifying and removing barriers that may get in the way. Our commitment is to be an employer role model, grounded in inclusion and fairness for all.

We want every application to receive fair and thoughtful consideration; therefore, all applications are reviewed by a member of our recruitment team, not by AI.

The Role

The Financial Times is looking for an Asia News Editor to lead its day-to-day coverage of the biggest and most populous region in the world economy. This is a senior, vital role in the FT’s news operation. Leading a team of editors in Hong Kong, you will commission, edit and publish all our coverage from the region, with full responsibility for the FT homepage during the Asian day.

As an editor, your primary responsibility will be to set the daily priorities and get the FT’s news machine working at the start of the day, generating a strong news report to hand off to London. The range of stories is immense. From Xi Jinping’s likely accession to a fourth term as Chinese president to the region’s booming semiconductor companies, and from Indian corporate titans to miners in Australia, it is for you to drive the news. The FT has a network of world-class journalists spread from Australia to Pakistan; how to deploy them is your call.

One of your biggest jobs will be the homepage. You will make sure that FT readers in the region, and those arriving in the European morning, get presented with a fresh, compelling and accurate menu of news. That will involve making calls on the biggest stories of the day and how to present them with strong headlines and graphics. You will also generate story ideas and commission strategically to help the network deliver big projects and scoops.

Another important responsibility is to manage the tight-knit Hong Kong team, juggling roles and rotas as needed to keep the news desk running. There is also a wider management responsibility: you will act as deputy to the Asia Editor and a de facto member of the main homepage team in London. That will mean helping to interview candidates for jobs across the Asia region, getting involved when we are entering our journalism for awards, and offering advice on strategic goals.

It is an intense, exciting job, based in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Asia. Hong Kong remains the gateway to China, and offers a high standard of living, with the FT committed to its long-term presence.

With the potential for other positions to become available, we also welcome inquiries from strong editors who do not necessarily have the experience to take on a management role.

Your skills

The job requires news editing, communication and leadership skills of a high order. It will suit an experienced journalist with a background as a foreign correspondent, an editor or ideally both.

You will need first-rate news judgement and the confidence to exercise it. For a large part of the day, it will be down to you to assess which stories are the most important and how to present them. Clear and decisive decisions on stories, together with imaginative commissioning, helps to keep the whole Asia operation on the front foot. Prior knowledge of the region would be a big help but is not required.

As a leader, demonstrating strength coupled with empathy is necessary, enabling you to support colleagues through the vicissitudes of life as a foreign correspondent. It is a region where we report on wars and natural disasters, while a range of repressive regimes seek to thwart our journalism. Sound judgement and a calm, no-nonsense attitude are needed to handle the many crises that come along.

As the main point of daily communication with London, you are expected to sell Asia’s story offerings, and communicate why they matter. Your clarity and enthusiasm for the tales we have to tell should inspire confidence in London colleagues and encourage them to keep Asia stories on the homepage. You will also understand London’s news priorities and communicate them to editors and reporters in Asia.

We anticipate this assignment will commence in the summer of 2027 but are open to candidates who want to make an earlier start.

Please submit your application by the end of the day, Monday 16th November 2026.

The use of AI

Original reporting, great writing and intelligent commentary lie at the heart of FT journalism. Our readers trust us to produce quality journalism that is accurate, fair and insightful. This is why FT editorial staff do not by default use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to write articles or create other reader-facing content. For specific and pre-approved cases, AI can be harnessed for certain tasks, such as assisting data research for investigations.  

We expect applicants to the FT newsroom to refrain from using AI in their test submissions, and any written materials should be a genuine reflection of their own knowledge, skills and experiences. We encourage candidates only to employ AI as a tool to help with research and interview readiness for a role. 

Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process is monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all.

What’s in it for you? Our benefits

Our benefits vary by location but we are committed to providing best-in-class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical cover, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community. Full details of our benefits are available here.

FT Newsroom staff are expected to work onsite a minimum of three days per week, subject to role requirements and regular review. While flexible working requests will be considered, not all patterns are suitable for Editorial roles.

Accessibility

We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory.

Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be happy to help.

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