You are an experienced editor who has spent time not only editing and refining the work of others, but also coaching them to be better writers and editors themselves. You are a keen-eyed copy editor with a high attention to detail, but you’re also attuned to the developmental side of editing and can ably “remix” writing to ensure sound structure, logic, and flow. You also understand how to identify tone and voice within writing and how to fix prose that has veered off-key. You’re comfortable editing content in various writing styles and structures. You’re an AP style and grammar maven who’s fascinated by the English language and all its idiosyncrasies.

You’re also a capable writer who composes content with confidence and swagger. Though your main skill set is improving content through subtle changes, you’re comfortable with synthesizing nuanced ideas into crisp, sophisticated prose.

You give and receive feedback thoughtfully. You can analyze content patterns and trends to give editors constructive feedback toward improvement on their technical skill sets, and you can use that analytical power to correctly interpret and execute on client feedback as well. You don’t just point to vague editing instincts; instead, you can explain the reasoning behind your editing changes and recommendations. If you don’t know the grammar rule that applies, you’re keen to look it up so you and your colleagues can learn together. Sharing and receiving feedback allows you to build strong rapport with your colleagues. You strive to help others reach that “lightbulb moment.”

You’re invested in professional development, both for yourself and the editors you coach. You regularly provide written or oral feedback to editors on the editorial quality of content. You meet with account team editors at least monthly to discuss feedback, trends in content, skill set improvements, tricky client situations, and more in order to provide support in the content creation process. You tailor your advice and recommendations to individual editors’ skill level and target growth areas, and you’re excited to help them set goals and track their progress along the way. You’re also excited to plan editorial professional development sessions or meetups aimed at helping content creators become better at their jobs. You’re primed to help train new hires as needed.

You are strategy-minded. You are not simply here to check for AP style errors (though we’ll need you to catch those, please and thank you); you want to get involved in your team’s overall content strategy. That means helping account teams brainstorming ideas for client content and making content suggestions based on your knowledge of a client’s goals and the needs of the publication. You are able to collaborate with your team to maximize content’s effectiveness.

You read through a critical lens. You read online publications avidly to get a sense for their editorial preferences and coverage areas and opportunities. You can get a feel for their unique writing styles and can use their past content to predict what they might write next.

You are an excellent communicator. You are great with the written word, but you are also good at communicating with colleagues, clients, and across departments. You’d feel confident hopping into a client call and interviewing them to get into detail on a topic or explaining the editorial process in-depth when they have questions or concerns.

You can prioritize effectively. When your day turns chaotic, you know how to identify what is most important on your to-do list. You aren’t flustered by the unknown; instead, you “work the problem” by tackling first things first. You work closely with your teams to keep projects moving forward.

You are not (entirely!) a perfectionist. You’re deadline-oriented even as you polish copy. You know whether a piece of writing is good enough to let go of or whether it needs a little extra elbow grease, and you allocate your time accordingly.

What to Expect Your First Year

Please note: This is a rough timeline, as we know not everyone operates at the same pace. As long as we’re in communication, we will do our best to support your unique pace.

At the 30-day mark, we expect managing editors to have an understanding of Influence & Co.’s content creation process and service lines, as well as content marketing as an industry. Don’t worry — you will receive plenty of training on all of these! You will also spend time during the first 30 days getting to know your clients and teammates. You will start editing with someone reviewing your work and providing detailed, constructive feedback.

At the 60-day mark, you will feel comfortable using our content creation platform, ICo Core, as well as other tech solutions involved in your job (Toggl, Slack, and Google Drive, to name a few). By this time, you could potentially be flying solo with your edits. You might also be starting to help other teammates with edits, if your capacity allows. You’ll have a foundational understanding of your clients’ writing voices and some target publications’ guidelines.

Once you’ve reached 90 days, we expect editors to function in their roles with support. We never expect questions to stop, especially not right after your initial new hire training concludes! We try to prepare you to tackle things on your own and as a team, but we don’t expect you to know everything in 90 days. You will begin working more closely with account team editors and providing content support to them.

At six months, you are cruising right along! You are working well with account teams and other departments, and you are more comfortable with providing feedback to them and receiving it. You have learned to manage the unexpected and prioritize on busy days. You’re providing more input into your clients’ strategies and helping to brainstorm content ideas. You have learned from your past grammatical and/or AP style mistakes and have committed them to memory.

It’s now been one year. You’re getting a “Happy Workiversary!” shout-out and maybe a little gift to mark this milestone. At this time, you have a deep understanding of your role as managing editor but are also finding new ways to be a productive teammate. You are an indispensable content support.