Director of Editorial Programming

SI’s digital team is seeking a Director of Editorial Programming. We are looking for a highly organized communicator who can manage our digital news desk with an audience-first approach that combines sound journalistic principles with an appreciation for analytics and a deep knowledge of how traffic moves across the internet.

The ideal candidate is highly detail-oriented, a master of style and an expert story editor who can identify holes in copy and help writers close them. We're looking for an ambitious, experienced manager who will lead our news desk, manage the scheduling of editors to ensure robust coverage at the most important times and communicate our content and coverage plans across all parts of our organization (writers, editors, social, video, et al.). This editor will sit at the center of newsroom activity, coordinating copyflow and creating the programming plan for daily news coverage and tentpole events. They will also work closely with the writers and editors creating the content, ensuring that our content and programming plans are aligned, and that our content plan meets our audience’s needs.

The ideal candidate will have a clear picture of what sports audiences respond to, how to identify what’s working (or not), how to identify holes in our coverage and how to communicate our programming needs to the relevant teams. The ability to supervise/guide others while working collaboratively in a remote environment is essential.

The Arena Group’s expected annualized base salary range for this position is currently $100,000-150,000. Actual salaries will vary based on multiple factors including, but not limited to location, education, experience and other factors permitted by law. The listed salary range is but one component of The Arena Group’s total compensation and benefits available to its employees.

Please note: due to the volume of applications we receive, only applicants selected for consideration will be contacted.

What You’ll Do

Lead digital programming strategy for Sports Illustrated digital
Manage a team of ~10 producers who focus on editing, site programming and special projects
Develop, implement and communicate relentlessly about SI’s short- and long-term programming calendar
Run regular news meetings and be a key driver of content ideation
Craft compelling headlines that drive audience engagement and traffic across various endpoints, including direct, search, social, newsletters and alerts
Embrace innovative methods for covering news in a live environment
Utilize analytics and social trends to identify the best types of content for each platform
Edit stories from start to finish as needed for quality, style and grammar
Collaborate with SI’s social and video teams for cross-platform storytelling that engages audiences and drives consumption across text, graphics, audio, video and social
Increase audience engagement by working closely with the Audience Development team to understand and analyze audience metrics, feedback, and trends. Utilize this data to inform content decisions, improve engagement, and optimize the user experience across Sports Illustrated's digital platforms
Set and maintain proficiency and knowledge on effective and efficient content-creation practices, editing best practices, search/social content and audience trends, and evolving audience-consumption habits
Recruit and develop diverse talent

What You’ll Bring

8-10 years’ experience working in a fast-paced digital environment
BA/BS degree in journalism, English, or related experience
Ability and willingness to work on deadline and handle multiple tasks at once with a precise and detail-oriented approach
Knowledge of digital content best practices, SEO and audience development tactics
Excellent communication, organization, leadership, and time management skills
Demonstrated enthusiasm and acumen to effectively identify trending topics across sports and key events, that result in audience engagement across SI.com, Apple News+, social platforms, video, audio, etc.
Collaborative and team-oriented spirit
A positive attitude, with a mix of fun and urgency

Benefits At A Glance

Medical, Dental and, Vision Coverage
Retirement Savings Plan (401K), with company match
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) & Health Savings Account (HSA)
Commuter Benefits
Reimbursement for business cell phone use per company policy
Employee Stock Option Plan (Publicly Traded Company - AREN)
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Paid Parental Leave
12 Paid Holidays