Senior Audience Engagement Editor

The Guardian is a global news organization that delivers fearless, independent journalism. From breaking news and award-winning investigations, to in-depth coverage of technology, sports, film, culture and lifestyle, the Guardian offers a global view that deepens our audiences' understanding of America and the world.

Headquartered in New York City, Guardian US is an entirely digital operation that seeks to engage US readers by combining the Guardian's international coverage with US voices and expertise. Core coverage areas include the climate emergency, economic and racial inequality, digital privacy and much more. Guardian US launched in 2011 and today has bureaus in New York, Washington DC, New Orleans and Los Angeles. The Guardian is an independently owned, mission-driven organization, funded by readers around the globe.

It’s the talent, energy and commitment our people bring to The Guardian that make us who we are. Across our business we have some of the most creative thinkers in media and beyond: award winning journalists, cutting-edge commercial teams, digital talent and more. 

We are now looking for a creative, energetic and collaborative Senior Audience Engagement Editor to join the newsroom and help lead our audience development efforts and ensure our journalism reaches and resonates with diverse US audiences.

Department: Editorial

Reports to: Head of Audience Development

Location: Open to applicants in Los Angeles, California, New York, NY, and Washington, DC.

Terms & conditions: Full-time permanent. News Media Guild position. Some evening shifts required.

Salary banding: $110,000–$125,000 annually

The role:

This editor will manage a team of three Audience Engagement Editors and play a central role in guiding the Guardian’s newsroom-wide strategy to deepen engagement, grow reach, and support editorial priorities. The role is ideal for someone with a strong editorial background and audience expertise who is ready to lead a team and shape strategy at the newsroom level. You’ll help inspire the newsroom with insights that make our journalism more accessible, visible, and compelling.

The audience team plays a key role in communicating actionable audience trends and insights to the newsroom through daily emails and weekly presentations. They identify gaps in our coverage and surface opportunities to pitch compelling stories and new formats that help make our journalism better reach and deeply engage our readers.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of digital journalism trends, internet culture and communities, as well as distribution strategies. They will have a firm grasp of the Guardian’s brand and editorial identity and possess a strong understanding of the US news media landscape and social platforms to find opportunities to experiment and grow.

A strong journalism background is required, as are the communication, collaboration and leadership skills needed to foster an audience-aware newsroom. 

We're particularly interested in candidates with experience and ideas that will help us diversify our audiences culturally and geographically.

They will be part of a versatile, data-driven team that works with journalists across the newsroom to build on this trajectory, and increase the reach and impact of journalism. The audience team is also involved in growth areas like newsletters, partnerships, platform relationships and social storytelling. 

We encourage candidates who might not have all the experience listed to apply; for this role we value attitude, willingness to learn, commitment and flexibility.

Key responsibilities:

• Team leadership: Manage and support the professional development of the Audience Engagement Editors, fostering a collaborative, inclusive and high-performance team culture. Provide regular, constructive feedback on their work — including headlines, pitches, email analysis and audience-facing copy — to help sharpen editorial judgment, elevate execution and refine workflows including scheduling.
• Headline writing and optimization: Collaborate with editors to craft engaging, SEO-friendly headlines that draw readers in and improve visibility on search engines. We want someone who loves turning a good headline into an irresistible one.
• Audience insights and communication: Share key audience insights with the newsroom through daily emails and weekly presentations, helping the team stay informed about trends and reader behavior.
• Story pitching: Suggest stories and formats to editors that align with the Guardian’s editorial priorities and better meet reader demand. This could include writing stories or reformatting existing coverage into useful formats, such as explainers and guides.
• Social platform experimentation: Identify opportunities to experiment with social platforms, such as Instagram, Bluesky and Reddit, to better reach and engage relevant audiences.
• Promotion planning: Develop and implement strategic plans to promote journalism projects across platforms, targeting the right audience for maximum impact.
• Platform partnerships: Pitch third-party publishing partners, such as Apple News, relevant stories and send alerts.

Key skills & experience: 

• At least six years of newsroom experience, with a strong record in audience development, content strategy, or editorial leadership roles.
• At least 1–2 years of direct management or team leadership experience preferred.
• Proven success managing and developing a team, with a collaborative and clear communication style.
• Excellent editorial judgment and writing skills — able to craft sharp headlines, social copy, and content that performs.
• Expertise in analytics tools (e.g., Google Analytics, Parse.ly, Chartbeat) and ability to translate data into actionable newsroom recommendations.
• Deep understanding of the US digital media landscape, including SEO, social platforms, and news discovery behaviors.
• Proven track record of analyzing audience trends and clearly communicating insights to journalists. 
• Strong understanding of search engine optimization best practices, and experience with relevant tools, particularly for breaking news content and competitive coverage areas.
• The ability to unpack a story’s success or difficulties in engaging readers and offer recommendations for future improvements.
• A firm grasp of the Guardian’s brand and editorial identity and a strong understanding of the US news media landscape to find opportunities to experiment and grow.
• Track record of engaging and growing diverse audiences, with an emphasis on inclusive content that resonates with varied cultural and geographic groups
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling 

How to apply:

We know there are great candidates who might not check all these boxes or who possess important skills we haven’t thought of. If that’s you, we encourage you to apply and tell us about yourself.

All candidates interested in applying should upload a resume and cover letter. 

Compensation and benefits:

• 25 days of vacation leave in addition to company holidays 
• Unlimited sick time
• Free Headspace subscription for you and your family members(Headspace is a company that offers evidence-based meditation and mindfulness tools, mental health coaching, therapy, psychiatry, and EAP services)
• 401(k) Match
• Subsidized healthcare coverage including medical, vision, and dental
• Medical and Dependent Flexible Spending Accounts
• Generous parental leave with 100% pay
• Long Term and Short Term Disability insurance 
• Life insurance 
• Commuter benefits 
• Work/Life balance: Flexible hybrid schedule 

Culture & wellbeing:

We want everyone to feel like they belong at the Guardian and we champion diversity of thought. You will also have the opportunity to hear unique insight from our journalists in our morning conference, a live discussion on the news story of the day. 

We offer great tools to help you prioritize your wellbeing including a free Headspace subscription and access to Employee Assistance Programs. 

Learning & development:

We encourage personal and professional growth. Employees have access to a broad range of tools and solutions, and we are happy to support the pursuit of professional qualifications through vocational courses and apprenticeships.

Sustainability:

Our goal is to become an environmentally regenerative company and we have signed up to a sustainability vision and strategy to reach it. Find more information about sustainability at GNM here.

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The Guardian is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, national origin, ethnic origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law in its employment policies. In addition, the Guardian will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities.

We value and respect all differences (seen and unseen) in all people at the Guardian. We aspire to have inclusive working experiences and an environment that reflects the audience we serve, where our people have equal access to career development opportunities, their voices are heard and can contribute to our future.