ProPublica announced Monday that Lynn Dombek is joining the newsroom as research editor. In this role she will oversee the research team, working with reporters to help them dig deeper and find documents and information.

Dombek comes to ProPublica from the Global Investigative Journalism Network, where she served as resource director. Before that, she built and led research teams at First Look Media and The Associated Press, where she served as its research director for 10 years. Over the course of her 30-year career, Dombek has worked in various research roles at the national headquarters of NBC News, ABC News and Time Inc.

Dombek’s team of investigative researchers, archivists, security experts, engineers and fact-checkers at First Look Media securely managed the Snowden Archive, a collection of documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, and worked collaboratively with fellow journalists to produce groundbreaking features, stories and highlights from the collection, along with investigations into domestic terrorists, the Dakota Access Pipeline and more. The team also worked with documentary filmmakers at Field of Vision, creating a new form of newsroom collaboration between researcher and documentarian. As research director of the AP, her team worked with bureaus, both domestic and international, to cover regional stories.

“The work of investigative journalism has never been more critical, and we are thrilled to bring Lynn on board to help us dig deeper,” said Eric Umansky, ProPublica deputy managing editor. “Her experience, news judgment and collegial spirit make her the perfect person to lead our research team.”

“I have always believed that collaborative, multiskilled teams who support and push each other, who challenge and teach each other — with respect for the other's expertise and perspective — are the bedrock of any organization,” Dombek said. “Everyone I've talked with so far at ProPublica has impressed me with their spirit of openness, collaboration and fierce drive to publish work that is truly meaningful. I'm thrilled to be joining the team.”