Associate Editor, PEOPLE, SEO/Evergreen

Job Title
Associate Editor, PEOPLE, SEO/Evergreen

Job Summary
PEOPLE is seeking an Associate Editor to join our digital Evergreen team. This position will involve assigning and editing search‑driven content across our verticals, from entertainment, royals and lifestyle content to crime, human interest and political stories. The editor must be an impeccable editor as well as a digitally‑savvy pop culture and celebrity expert, knowledgeable in SEO best practices and basic analytics.

In a fast‑paced newsroom, the editor should be comfortable handling 3–5 edits per day while staying attuned to breaking news and emerging trends, delivering clean, accurate work on tight timelines. The role requires self‑sufficiency, managing freelance writers, using SEO tools to find and brainstorm new content, and collaborating across departments and stakeholders.

This position is hybrid: in‑office with the possibility of up to 2 remote days per week.

About the Team
The Associate Editor will join an experienced, nimble SEO team focused on identifying daily trending opportunities across the entertainment and celebrity news cycle. The team shapes daily coverage, optimizes content for search, and scales timely, search‑driven storytelling across all PEOPLE verticals.

Operating at the intersection of editorial instinct and performance, the team balances speed with precision, uses data to inform coverage decisions in real time, and collaborates closely with the broader news team, driving traffic growth while maintaining the brand’s voice and authority.

Essential Job Functions

75% – Edit and publish new content, closely adhering to PEOPLE’s style guide, ensuring all copy is clean, accurate and optimized for SEO.

20% – Ideate, pitch and assign new content to writers (in‑house and freelance).

5% – Write new content.

Minimum Qualifications and Job Requirements
Education: BA or BS and/or equivalent experience.

Experience: 2–3 years experience with an entertainment/celebrity news publication or related lifestyle space.

Specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Strong writing and editing skills, impeccable journalistic standards, and attention to detail.

Ability to respond quickly to breaking news and find an SEO or evergreen angle from a news event.

Demonstrated understanding of SEO and analytics.

Demonstrated knowledge of entertainment and pop culture.

Detail‑oriented and organized, yet thrives in a fast‑paced, ever‑changing environment.

Travel Required (Approximate)
0%

EEO Statement
It is the policy of People Inc. to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Company will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities. Accommodation requests can be made by emailing hr@people.inc.

The Company participates in the federal E‑Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E‑Verify program, https://www.e‑verify.gov/employees.

Pay Range
Salary: New York: $67,000.00 - $68,000.00. The pay range above represents the anticipated low and high end of the pay range for this position and may change in the future. Actual pay may vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors including but not limited to work location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of People Inc.’s total compensation package for employees. Other compensation may include annual bonuses and short‑ and long‑term incentives. In addition, People Inc. provides to employees and their eligible family members a variety of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, unlimited paid time off (PTO), adoption or surrogate assistance, donation matching, tuition reimbursement, basic life insurance, basic accidental death & dismemberment, supplemental life insurance, supplemental accident insurance, commuter benefits, short‑term and long‑term disability, health savings and flexible spending accounts, family care benefits, a generous 401(k) savings plan with a company match program, 10–12 paid holidays annually, generous paid parental leave (birthing and non‑birthing parents), and voluntary benefits such as pet insurance, accident, critical and hospital indemnity health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance.

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