Wirecutter is seeking a lead editor to manage assignments and edit product coverage in the Sleep category. The editor will work with two staff writers to maintain and grow our extensive catalog of mattress reviews and other products such as weighted blankets, white noise machines, sleep-tracking apps, and alarm clocks. You will report to the senior editor heading up an editorial team that’s also focused on large appliance and vacuum/floor care coverage, and will sometimes work on content that crosses categories.
A background in science or health journalism is highly desired. You will help the staff writers to identify medical and industry experts, navigate scientific research, develop testing plans, and sort through marketing claims. You will stay on top of health and science news related to sleep, industry and product developments, trends, and evolving reader interest.
This role is based out of our office in Long Island City, New York.
Responsibilities:
- Work with the senior editor to develop the strategy for the Sleep section and assign projects to staff writers
- Project manage multiple guides, blog posts, and other content with different writers; manage deadlines; plan and oversee product research and testing; review writers’ supporting documents and notes; edit and revise copy; and work closely with experienced Wirecutter editors to ensure stories are up to the editorial standards we’ve established in our hundreds of guides
- Contribute original ideas to test planning, suggest creative reporting strategies, and challenge writers’ assumptions
- Use data to support potential story ideas and track performance; work with our SEO team and editorial managers to plan new content
- Write short-form and occasional long-form content as necessary
- Collaborate with and respond to queries from fact-checkers, copy editors, and producers to prepare pieces for publication
- Work with our community team to respond to reader feedback and questions; work with our affiliate team to resolve stock issues on recommendations; work with our operations team on product orders and testing plans; work with our photo editors to coordinate photography plans
- Perform related work as assigned
Basic Qualifications:
- At least 5 years of experience working at a media company with at least two years of experience editing and working directly with writers
- Ability to quickly learn the sleep beat and product category, including discerning what’s essential and what’s unnecessary with a healthy dose of skepticism toward marketing claims
- Ability to work collaboratively and patiently through multiple rounds of edits and balance the demands of multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously
- Excellent communication and task management skills. Ability to work efficiently in a remote work environment via Slack and Zoom calls, with a distributed team that works remotely across many time zone
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in science or health journalism is a plus
- Experience creating product test plans, collaborating with an art director and/or photo editor to present content visually, and expressing complex ideas using visualizations such as charts, graphs, or infographics is advantageous as well
- Experience with SEO (from an editorial perspective, not the technical aspects of optimization) is a plus, as is a sense of how to use web analytics data to make editorial decisions
- Empathy for the frustrated or confused reader. We are not writing only for the experienced enthusiast, but for everyone who cares about spending their money wisely and buying the right thing the first time.
- Although this role is based out of our office in Long Island City, New York, we also work with dispersed teams. A history of working with dispersed teams is a plus.
Please Include:
- A cover letter explaining your relevant experience and your interest in Wirecutter, sleep, and mattresses.
- Résumé/CV
- A short writing sample (500 words max.) that explains a sleep-related purchase you’ve made—what you bought, how you reached your decision, and what regrets you have, if any.
The annual base pay range for this role is between $76,500.00 and $95,000.00.
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