Commissioning Editor

Location

London | United Kingdom

Job description

Role purpose and overview

The Telegraph is looking for a commissioning editor to join its outstanding features team. 

We produce dozens of features each week, from in-depth essays and high profile interviews to first-person experiences and instant reaction pieces. These address a huge range of issues, often prompted by the news agenda, which harness high quality writing and visual tools the best to reach our digital and print audience. 

Any single day might encompass themes as varied as a personal account from a victim of botched surgery abroad to the failure of British military procurement to the ins-and-out of the royal household, the rise of vaping or ADHD diagnoses in children, or a sudden fad for marmalade sandwiches.  

The right candidate doesn’t need to be an expert on everything. But they do need a relentless curiosity to suggest ideas, a bulging contacts book of writers to commission them, a determination to understand and serve the Telegraph audience, and a willingness to embrace both data and exciting digital publishing tools in order to do so.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced  journalist to join an acknowledged industry leader in digital publishing, acquiring new abilities and becoming part of a friendly and supportive features team. It is a role where ideas from every level are welcomed and are a key part of our output. Your desire to publish beautiful stories - through creative ideas, attention to detail, care with words and imaginative illustration - will make a real difference. This is a job where the right candidate will find ample opportunities for professional growth and be entrusted with genuine responsibility.

Key responsibilities

• Generating a constant stream of original ideas for publication on print and digital platforms on a broad range of lifestyle subjects.
• Commissioning and editing feature articles from freelancers and in-house writers, and managing the journey of each story from inception to publication.
• Rewriting, editing, proofreading and subbing copy for online and print publication. 
• Attending in-house meetings as required, including ideas meetings, daily news conferences and print planning meetings.
• Liaising with design and picture departments to plan the best possible visual treatment of each article.
• Liaising with other departments including video, visual journalism, social media, newsletters and SEO to ensure each article’s online potential is maximised.
• Ensuring all articles comply with ethical and legal guidelines.

Key skills

• Experience of commissioning and editing features for major print publications, with outstanding attention to detail.
• Exceptional organisational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work to tight deadlines and remain calm under pressure.
• An eye for original, compelling stories that will help the Telegraph reach its demanding online subscription targets.
• A good understanding of the Telegraph’s online and print audience.
• Ability to work as a part of a large team, and build excellent relationships both internally and externally.
• Experience of working in a busy newsroom environment, including an ability to produce a constant stream of ideas daily, often driven by the day’s news agenda.
• An eye for stories from social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), SEO and newsletters.

Our benefits

The nature of our industry means life at the Telegraph Media Group is fast-paced, demanding, and interesting. We also want it to be rewarding for everyone who works here by creating a suite of benefits that contribute to lifestyle choices and leisure activities. From dynamic working opportunities, medical cover, and parental leave (six months fully paid maternity leave and enhanced paternity/partner leave), to life assurance and season ticket loans, you can choose from a range of flexible benefits, designed to support your lifestyle and help you achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Training and development

With support from your manager and colleagues, you’ll also have access to a variety of training and development opportunities through The Academy. Covering a range of personal and professional skills, our courses enable you to develop an enjoyable and rewarding career.

Our commitment to inclusion

At Telegraph Media Group, we foster a diverse and inclusive workplace and we are committed to building a team that reflects a wide variety of skills, perspectives and backgrounds. We believe in equality of opportunity and welcome candidates from all backgrounds, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

We are proud to be a Level 3 Disability Confident Leader as part of the government’s Disability Confident Scheme. If you are disabled or have a long-term health condition and would like support in applying for any of our roles or if you require any reasonable adjustments in the recruitment process with us, please make us aware.

To find out more about Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at Telegraph Media Group, and for more information on our purpose, beliefs, and people values, please visit our website.

Job tags

Salary