Senior Commerce Editor, People

$75,000 - $90,000/Yr

About.Com - New York, NY

Full-time - Mid Level

Hybrid - New York, NY

101-250 employees

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The Senior Commerce Editor at PEOPLE is a pivotal role that requires a self-starter capable of balancing the assignment, editing, and publishing of stories across various commerce evergreen beats, including home, beauty, fashion, travel, and lifestyle. This position involves overseeing PEOPLE Tested content, research-based roundups, and single product reviews. The Senior Commerce Editor will work closely with the Associate Editorial Director to plan content, track performance, onboard and manage freelancer relationships, and lead a small team of staff writers. Additionally, the editor will assist in planning and executing coverage for significant sales events such as Prime Day, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday. This role demands both analytical and editorial skills to ensure that the commerce content produced is accurate, inclusive, comprehensive, and accessible to all readers. Daily contributions will include assigning, editing, and publishing stories with the support of a dedicated team of full-time editors and writers. The Senior Commerce Editor will also manage an editorial calendar, track assignments, and ensure timely article publication while identifying stories based on seasonality, trends, celebrity finds, bestsellers, and product reviews. Performance data will be tracked and utilized to adjust editorial strategies and programming efforts, with a solid understanding of basic business KPIs such as growth conversion rates. In addition to managing freelance writer relationships, which includes onboarding, assigning stories, editing content, and handling invoices, the Senior Commerce Editor will prioritize day-to-day needs alongside short-term special projects, supporting team goals while considering organizational priorities. Collaboration with various teams, including commerce, editorial, growth, testing and research, and social teams, is essential. The editor will also assist in the testing process, whether by evaluating products at home, writing up results, attending lab testing days, or gathering insights from testers or community members. Knowledge of SEO tools and brand insights will be crucial for generating innovative content ideas and attending weekly commerce meetings.

Responsibilities

• Assign, edit, and publish stories with help from a dedicated team of full-time editors and writers.
• Work with the Associate Editorial Director to manage an editorial calendar and track assignments, ensuring articles move along on time.
• Identify stories and needs based on seasonality, trends, celebrity finds, bestsellers, product reviews, and more.
• Track and use performance data to adjust editorial strategy and programming efforts with a good understanding of basic business KPIs such as growth conversion rates.
• Manage freelance writer relationships, including onboarding freelancers, assigning stories, editing content, and handling invoices.
• Manage a small team of staff writers.
• Prioritize day-to-day needs alongside short-term, special projects and support your team's goals.
• Collaborate with and manage expectations of the commerce, editorial, growth, testing and research, and social teams.
• Assist in the testing process, whether evaluating products at home, writing up results, attending lab testing days, or gathering insights from testers or community members.
• Use SEO tools and knowledge of brands to come up with the next big content ideas.
• Attend weekly commerce meetings.

Requirements

• 5-7 years of experience writing and editing (preferably for a digital consumer brand).
• Passionate about online shopping and finding the best products available.
• Extremely organized and able to juggle multiple priorities effectively.
• Detail-oriented and deadline-focused with solid editing skills, as well as a deep understanding of commerce, SEO, and brand voice.
• Experienced and familiar with affiliate tracking systems and content building in a CMS.
• Self-starter who can pivot seamlessly as new initiatives and directives are identified.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• Management experience a plus.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience in managing a team of writers or editors.
• Familiarity with digital marketing strategies and analytics.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage.
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO).
• Adoption or surrogate assistance.
• Donation matching.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Basic life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment insurance.
• Supplemental life insurance and accident insurance.
• Commuter benefits.
• Short term and long term disability insurance.
• Health savings and flexible spending accounts.
• Family care benefits.
• Generous 401K savings plan with a company match program.
• 10-12 paid holidays annually.
• Generous paid parental leave (birthing and non-birthing parents).
• Voluntary benefits such as pet insurance.