Editorial Leadership Is Back on the Menu
For much of the past two years, the loudest hiring signals in media came from social, content marketing, and production roles. Editorial leadership positions, the kind where you actually shape a publication’s voice and direction, felt increasingly rare. Today’s batch of listings tells a different story.
Three of the most compelling roles on Mediabistro’s job board right now are senior editorial and strategy positions at organizations that genuinely need someone to steer the ship. We’re talking about a tech magazine seeking an Executive Editor with P&L responsibility, a beloved literary institution seeking a Deputy Editor, and a 290,000-member union building a digital communications team from scratch. Each one carries real authority over content direction, team management, and organizational strategy.
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What connects them is a shared recognition that audiences still respond to editorial judgment, not just content volume. If you’ve spent years honing your ability to commission, shape, and publish excellent work, these roles were built for you.
Today’s Hot Jobs
Executive Editor at the Association for Computing Machinery
Why This Deserves Your Attention: This is a true editorial leadership role with significant business responsibility. You’ll lead the editorial team for a technology magazine and website, manage an annual budget, oversee circulation, and work directly with ad sales to develop new revenue products. The $125K to $140K salary reflects the scope. Hybrid in New York City, three days a week.
- Lead editorial calendar, author acquisition, and production staff management
- P&L responsibility with annual budget oversight
- Experience in technology publishing, particularly with software development audiences
- Strong editorial, sales, and online skills with the ability to manage an Editorial Advisory Board
Apply to the Executive Editor position at ACM
Deputy Editor at Poets & Writers Magazine
What Makes This Special: Poets & Writers is one of the most respected names in literary publishing, and this Deputy Editor role puts you at the center of its editorial operation. You’ll help execute the vision for both the flagship print magazine and pw.org, assign and edit features, cultivate freelance relationships, and manage the organization’s premium newsletter. The position comes with fully paid medical insurance and generous PTO, based in New York City with some work-from-home flexibility.
- Edit and assign articles, essays, and features for print and digital platforms
- Write articles for the magazine and website as needed
- Curate and manage the Grants & Awards newsletter
- Bring in new contributors and maintain strong freelancer relationships
Apply to the Deputy Editor position at Poets & Writers
Digital Strategy Manager at the National Association of Letter Carriers
The Bigger Picture Here: Labor organizations are investing seriously in digital communications, and NALC’s hiring spree proves it. This Digital Strategy Manager role (one of two positions the union is filling simultaneously) carries a salary range of $75,000 to $105,000 and asks you to build and execute digital strategy across podcast, video, social, and advocacy campaigns for a union representing 290,000 letter carriers. The strategic scope here rivals what you’d find at a mid-size media company.
- Develop and implement a digital strategy to advance organizational goals and increase member engagement
- Primary responsibility for podcast, video, and digital campaign planning and execution
- Strong analytical skills with experience managing multiple projects under tight deadlines
- Background in digital strategy development, including advocacy and organizing campaigns
Apply to the Digital Strategy Manager position at NALC
Publication Designer at Havenford
For the Design-Minded Editorial Thinker: Havenford is launching an editorial publication focused on professional services, and they need a designer to build the interior layout system from the ground up. The brand guidelines and covers are already done. Your job is to create the entire editorial architecture: long-form article layouts, data visualization templates, citation systems, and typography hierarchies. Think Economist meets Harvard Business Review. This is a remote freelance engagement starting at $2,500 to $3,500 for Phase 1, with potential for ongoing work.
- Design interior page layouts for long-form articles ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 words
- Build data visualization templates for charts, indexes, and benchmarks
- Develop cover typography systems and headline hierarchy
- Create comprehensive design system documentation for future production use
Apply to the Publication Designer position at Havenford
The Takeaway for Job Seekers
If you’ve been building editorial skills while watching the industry chase social-first content roles, today’s listings are a reminder that publications still need people who can think at the masthead level. The common thread across these positions is editorial judgment paired with operational ownership. Each one asks you to do more than edit copy. You’ll shape strategy, manage teams, and own outcomes.
For anyone considering a move into one of these senior roles, preparation matters. Having a strong set of professional references ready to go can make the difference when hiring timelines move quickly. These editorial leadership openings tend to fill faster than you’d expect, especially when the organization has already committed the budget. Apply early, and apply prepared.
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