Optimisation Editor

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, making its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over. We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

The Independent is looking to recruit an optimisation editor to join an exciting new team, working on the UK late shift. The working hours will be from 4pm - 1am, Monday - Friday with some weekend shifts. The role will help further expand one of the world’s fastest-growing news brands in a small team of digital publishing experts. The right candidate will come from a strong news background and have a firm grasp of all aspects of digital publishing, including SEO, social media and editing.

They will need to be able to work independently to optimise content to reach a large audience. The role is perfect for candidates who want to take the next step in their career. The right person will be excellent at crafting copy and headlines, as well as planning and organising evergreen content for major events. The successful candidate should have a keen interest in the news industry and the future of journalism, including the use of AI on the Bulletin platform. Experience in a similar role at an equivalent title is essential. This is a middleweight to senior role, where the successful candidate will have regular dialogue with the Head of Growth and other senior colleagues.

You will be expected to be comfortable managing multiple priorities in a calm and methodical manner. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. The roles are hybrid or remote, but with a requirement to convene at the London HQ for periodic training.

Key responsibilities and skills:

• Writing engaging headlines and editing news copy.
• SEO and digital publishing skills.
• Understand digital analytics tools.
• Have a proven track record as a journalist and have audience skills.
• Be a problem solver.
• Be a self-starter.

Essential skills and experience:

• Experience of successfully working in a similar role at a similar title.
• Experience in content optimisation.
• Demonstrable skill as a senior journalist.
• Strong familiarity with the Independent and our coverage.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills.
• Ability to interpret data and make insightful recommendations.
• Ability to clearly communicate best practices.
• Experience of working in a dynamic fast-paced media environment.
• Knowledge of world events.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone. We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here. The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

Our values – you will deliver across all our values

• Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.
• Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.
• Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.