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Defined Contribution Reporter

Crain Communications
401(k), 403(b), retirement plan, remote work
United States, New York, New York
May 29, 2026
Description

Pensions & Investments is seeking a reporter to cover defined contribution plans and the broader workplace retirement industry.

This reporter will cover one of the most important beats in retirement: how employers, record keepers, asset managers, consultants, advisers and policymakers are shaping the future of 401(k), 403(b) and other workplace savings plans.

The ideal candidate is a curious, source-driven journalist who can break news, explain complex issues clearly and produce coverage that helps sophisticated readers understand what is changing, why it matters and what comes next.

What You'll Do

  • Cover the defined contribution industry, including plan sponsors, record keepers, asset managers, consultants, advisers, regulators and retirement policy.

  • Break news and develop enterprise stories on plan design, retirement income, investment products, fiduciary litigation, regulation and participant outcomes.

  • Build a strong source network across the retirement ecosystem.

  • Write daily news, analysis, explainers and longer-form features.

  • Frame stories with a clear sense of audience need and "why this matters."

  • Contribute to newsletters, alerts, special reports and event coverage.

  • Attend industry conferences and represent P&I with readers and sources.

Core Coverage Areas

  • Plan sponsors and workplace retirement plan design

  • Retirement Plan Advisers

  • Retirement income, target-date funds, managed accounts, CITs, stable value and alternatives

  • ERISA, DOL policy, SECURE Act implementation, fiduciary risk and litigation

  • Record keeper, consultant, adviser and asset manager strategy

  • Participant engagement, retirement readiness and financial wellness

What Success Looks Like

  • Strong, differentiated coverage of the DC industry

  • A steady flow of original, source-driven stories

  • Clear explanations of complex retirement issues

  • Strong reader engagement through newsletters, alerts and enterprise coverage

  • A deep source network among plan sponsors and industry leaders

Qualifications

  • Reporting experience in financial journalism, retirement, benefits, asset management, wealth management or institutional investing

  • Strong news judgment and deadline discipline

  • Ability to explain complex financial and regulatory topics clearly

  • Proven source-building skills

  • Familiarity with DC plans, ERISA, retirement income or workplace benefits preferred

  • Newsletter, data, events or multimedia experience a plus

Location

New York, NY, with in-office presence required at least three days a week, ideally Tuesday-Thursday.

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The estimated salary range for this position is $80,000 to $100,000.

The final salary offering will take into account experience, accomplishments and location. In addition to base salary, Crain offers competitive benefits, including retirement plan savings contributions and bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance.

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Brand Overview:

Pensions & Investmentsdelivers critical financial news, data, and analysis to executives responsible for the investment of large institutional assets such as pension funds, endowments and foundations. It reaches top global executives at corporations, governments, pension and retirement fund executives, investment advisers, consultants, and financial institutions. It is the world's leading media brand for institutional investing.

www.pionline.com

@pensionsnews

About Crain Communications:

Crain Communications is a leading business news and information company with a portfolio of 24 media brands that provide indispensable coverage and data for professionals globally and across sectors, including advertising, automotive, finance, healthcare, staffing, and workforce solutions. Many of Crain's brands are the most influential media properties in the industries and communities they serve, including Ad Age, Automotive News, Pensions & Investments, Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, as well as Crain's regional business brands. For more than a century, our dedication to deep sector expertise and journalistic integrity has enabled us to provide trusted insights across all our platforms, empowering today's business leaders to make industry-shaping decisions. To learn more about Crain Communications, visit crain.com.

Environmental Demands

Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on-site, hybrid or remote. Employee work location is subject to change.

  • An "in-office" role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves.
  • A "remote" role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC.
  • A "hybrid" role would be a mix of in-office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager's approval, subject to change.
  • Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on-site 3 days per week.

Many positions will also include work done in "the field." Depending on the role, this may include conducting in-person interviews, attending work-related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves. Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other typical job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work.

Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required. It is the nature of many positions to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work-related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, although early-morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required. Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of many Crain jobs and are subject to change.

Physical activities will include frequent in-person or virtual interactions. For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems. Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading. The typical physical requirements are light work-exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion. Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

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