Video Editor

Overview

We’re Uptown 11 Studios. As photojournalists, we spent decades telling San Diego’s story with grit and passion. Today, we work in partnership with San Diego’s leading community-minded organizations — telling real stories about real people through documentary video, photography, owned media, public relations, and community outreach. We believe individuals, communities, and democracies are strongest when we operate with a shared set of facts. We don’t shy away from the truth when it’s uncomfortable or inconvenient. That’s our North Star. We’re hiring a Video Editor to help us follow it.
The role
You’ll cut across our partner roster — campaigns, films, and series for organizations across San Diego — and across formats. In a given week, you might:
Cut a 30-second vertical for a community campaign
Edit a 4-minute donor or impact film
Pull selects for a 20-minute documentary episode
You’ll move between formats fluidly, and you’ll need to be strong in all of them.
What you’ll do
Edit short-form pieces in the 1–5 minute range — campaign films, episodic teasers, donor and event videos
Take on medium-form documentary work (10–25 minutes) — building structure, finding character, shaping arcs from raw interview and verité footage
Cut social-first video (Reels, Shorts, TikToks, vertical stories) that’s punchy, on-brand, and built to stop the scroll
Sync, organize, and manage project media so future-you (and future-us) can find anything fast
Add basic motion graphics, lower thirds, and titles; collaborate with motion designers on heavier sequences
Do the final delivery of color and sound on most projects
Participate in creative reviews, take notes well, and turn rounds quickly without losing the thread of the story
What we’re looking for
Someone who cares deeply about San Diego and wants to have a positive impact on our community
5+ years of video editing experience
A reel that shows range — a tight social cut and a piece that holds attention for 10+ minutes
Strong fluency in Adobe Premiere Pro and tidy, organized project structure
A real sense of pacing, music, and when to let a moment breathe
An ear for sound — clean dialogue edits, thoughtful music choices, a feel for sound design
Comfort working from raw footage: you can dig through hours of interview and verité and find the story
Solid communication and a collaborative temperament — you give and take notes well
An understanding of and interest in the ways AI is reshaping our industry and the willingness to use it to sharpen workflows and open room for creativity
Reliability on deadline. Most of our work has a clock on it.
A values fit
Our values are honesty, empathy, equality, altruism, and forward-thinking.
You’re a great fit if you believe in honest storytelling — even when the truth is uncomfortable. You value the people in your stories more than the stories themselves. You listen before you assume. You care that the work uplifts the communities it represents.
If you read that and nodded, you’ll fit here.
Bonus points
After Effects or motion graphics chops
DaVinci Resolve color grading experience
A documentary or long-form editorial background
Branded social content experience
Photography or DP experience — we shoot a lot, and editors who understand production tend to make our process smoother
A connection to San Diego — its neighborhoods, its institutions, its communities
Compensation & benefits
$70,000–$80,000 annual salary, depending on experience
Employer-provided HRA
Unlimited PTO
A 401k with employer matching plan.
A comfortable office environment in North Park, with provided snacks and kombuchas on tap
$50/month available for the coffee shop downstairs
A real seat at the creative table on documentary work you’ll be proud to put on your reel — and proud of for what it actually does in the world
Why this work
The films and stories we cut don’t just rack up views. They raise money. They recruit volunteers. They shift policy. They uplift the communities they’re about. They remind a region about the people doing the work behind the headlines.
You have an amazing story. So do the people we work with. If you want to spend your days helping them tell it, this is that opportunity.
How to apply
Send the following to sam@uptown11.com with the subject line "Editor — [Your Name]":
A link to your reel (and any relevant longer-form work)
Your resume or a short bio
A few sentences on a project you cut that you’re proud of, and why
We watch every reel that comes in. No cover letter required — we’d rather see the work.
Real people. Real stories. Real results.
Uptown 11 Studios is an equal opportunity employer. We’re committed to building a team that reflects a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds, and we strongly encourage applicants from underrepresented groups — and from the communities we tell stories with — to apply.

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