Journalists at Liverpool’s Daily Post and Echo titles are facing a frantic scramble for senior roles in the newly-streamlined newsroom after the shake-up announced by Trinity Mirror North-West yesterday.

As reported on HoldtheFrontPage, the newsrooms of the city’s morning and evening titles are to be merged as part of a “revolutionary” restructuring plan that will involve the loss of 43 out of 175 editorial jobs on the two papers.

Seven senior posts are up for grabs on the new “multimedia” desk that will in future oversee news and features content for both titles and their associated websites.

But candidates have only until Tuesday next week to get their applications in, with the company telling staff it anticipates making appointments by the following day.

The newly-merged operation will be led by Alastair Machray, currently editor of the Liverpool Echo, who will step up to become Merseyside editor-in-chief in addition to his existing role.

Mark Thomas, editor of the Liverpool Daily Post, will retain his role but will also become deputy editor-in-chief with wider responsibility across both titles.

But the third senior editorial role at the centre, that of weeklies group editor, is up for grabs after long-serving incumbent Jane Daly opted to take early retirement after 40 years’ service.

The new group editor of Merseyside weeklies, who is also set to be named next Wednesday, will combine the role with that of editor of the Southport Visitor.

The seven vacancies on the multmedia desk are: head of production, head of design, executive editor, Echo; executive editor, digital; executive editor, Wirral and Liverpool weeklies, and two posts designated “executive editor, mediamix.”

In total, the multimedia desk for news and features will comprise 21 staff, including roles for a head of content, two assistant heads of content and multimedia night editor, to be appointed in due course.

A team of 48 multimedia journalists will handle the content gathering operation and will include 28 based at the two papers’ Old Hall Street headquarters, 14 in Southport, five in Wirral and one, the political editor, in London.

There will be separate units for sport, comprising a seven-person multimedia desk and eight sports journalists, and a six-strong business unit.

Managers claim the new plan will see a flattened editorial management structure, with a reduction in the overall numbers of editorial managers and a “reduced requirement” for production journalists.

They say the focus will be on protecting and strengthening the “all-important” frontline content gathering roles.

Mr Machray said: “The new, streamlined working methods we are implementing will mean readers will not see any detriment to their favourite titles – we are absolutely committed to that.

“Nobody likes the idea of losing jobs, but we will remain by far the city’s biggest employer of journalists, producing the best stories for the people of Liverpool.”