Part-Time Freelance Editor

About the George Lucas Educational Foundation

The George Lucas Educational Foundation is dedicated to transforming prekindergarten through 12th grade (pre-K to 12) education so all students can acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to thrive in their studies, careers, and adult lives. Founded by innovative and award-winning filmmaker George Lucas in 1991, the Foundation takes a strategic approach to improving pre-K to 12 education through Edutopia, which uses digital media and interactive technology to increase knowledge, sharing, and adoption of what works in education. A nonprofit, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) private foundation that is operated for educational purposes, we welcome all who are devoted to improving education.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or any other non-merit factor.

The Position

Edutopia, the influential publisher of articles and videos about what works in education, is looking for a United States–based Freelance Editor with an anticipated workload of 15 to 20 hours a week. The position pays $40 to $55 per hour, with the exact rate determined by a candidate's experience and geographic location. Freelancers will work on a contract basis and are not considered employees of the Foundation.

The Freelance Editor will work closely with our educator-writers and other editors to ensure that Edutopia’s solutions-based articles written by and for educators are accurate, clear, and inspiring. (Please note: This is not a video editing position.) 

The position is fully remote, and candidates are not required to work from our Marin County, California office. Hours are flexible as long as deadlines are met, and the Freelance Editor will be responsible for managing their own time and schedule, with deadlines agreed upon for each project. Payment will be made according to the agreed terms, and benefits such as health insurance are not provided.

Candidates should have the following:

• At least 2 years of professional writing and editing experience in digital media
• Experience finding new writers in a beat such as education, tech, the environment, or culture
• Excellent writing skills—both shaping a story and writing clear, engaging prose
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and to consistently meet deadlines
• An understanding of or interest in the day-to-day work of classroom teachers, instructional coaches, and school leaders is a plus
• Familiarity with leadership principles or writing on the topic of leadership is a plus

Key responsibilities:

• Editing articles on teaching practices, school leadership, educational technology and innovations, emerging trends, and new research
• Working with the managing editor to recruit high-performing writers
• Communicating with our contributors—who are generally not professional writers—about edits, questions, and how to improve their articles
• Collaborating with the broader creative team to develop art direction for stories, including photos and illustrations
• Building web pages in a content management system
• Contributing to other editing or writing tasks as needed

• A bachelor’s degree and at least 2 years of professional writing and editing experience in digital media, with a track record of writing for a broad audience
• Experience in journalistic beats like education, the environment, wellness, tech, health, or culture; experience in education reporting is a strong plus
• A clear passion for great storytelling, digital media, and the creative process
• Experience building web pages in a content management system

When applying, please provide URLs of your relevant digital work, including any relevant work in the field of education journalism.