The Independent is hiring: US Opitimization Editor in New York

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

US Optimization Editor

The Role

The Independent is looking to recruit a US based optimization editor to join an exciting new team.

The roles will help further expand one of the world’s fastest-growing news brands while working closely with a small team of digital publishing experts across the globe.The right candidates will come from a strong news background and have a firm grasp of all aspects of digital publishing, including SEO, social media and editing.

They will need to be able to work independently to optimize content to reach a large audience. The role is perfect for candidates who want to take the next step in their career. They will be excellent at crafting copy and headlines, as well as planning and organizing evergreen content for major events.

The successful candidates should have a keen interest in the news industry and the future of journalism, including the use of AI. Experience in a similar role at an equivalent title is essential. These are middleweight to senior roles, where the successful candidates will have regular dialogue with the Head of Growth and other senior colleagues.

You will be expected to be comfortable managing multiple priorities in a calm and methodical manner.

Key responsibilities and skills:

• Writing engaging headlines and editing news copy
• SEO and digital publishing skills
• Understand digital analytics tools
• Have a proven track record as a journalist and have audience skills
• Be a problem solver
• Be a self-starter

Essential skills and experience

• Experience of successfully working in a similar role at a similar title
• Experience in content optimization
• Demonstrable skill as a senior journalist
• Strong familiarity with the Independent and our coverage
• Excellent organizational and planning skills
• Ability to interpret data and make insightful recommendations
• Ability to clearly communicate best practices
• Experience of working in a dynamic fast-paced media environment
• Knowledge of world events

Location: You will be based in New York, NY. This role will be in-office typically Monday - Thursday, with Friday being remote.

Salary: The salary range is between $75,000-85,000.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.