[Hiring] Senior Weekend and Evening Audience Editor @USA TODAY Co.

Role Description

USA TODAY is looking for a dynamic senior weekend and evening audience editor to play a critical role in our fast-paced, 24/7 newsroom. This editor serves as both a strategic planner and hands-on producer, leading audience efforts during nights and weekends while helping readers connect with USA TODAY's award-winning journalism across owned and distributed platforms.

This role is responsible for directing USA TODAY's evening and weekend audience operations, making real-time decisions that ensure our journalism reaches the right audiences at the right moments. Working independently during many news events, this editor will lead audience execution across:

• Website
• SEO/AEO optimization
• Alerts
• Social platforms
• Newsletters
• Syndication partners
• Emerging distribution channels

The ideal candidate thrives in breaking news situations, is highly organized, and can confidently manage rapidly evolving coverage while balancing both planning and tactical execution.

Beyond daily news responsibilities, this editor will lead audience planning for many of USA TODAY's largest stories and tentpole events. They will partner closely with editors, reporters, and audience leaders across the USA TODAY newsroom to develop comprehensive audience strategies designed to maximize reach, engagement, and impact. They will also help coordinate major projects coming out of our local newsrooms, helping optimize that work for a national scale.

This position requires a schedule primarily consisting of evenings and weekends, including both Saturdays and Sundays. This role is remote and can be based anywhere in the US, except for Alaska, Hawaii, and Wyoming. If you live near one of our local newsrooms, you may have the option to use that as a base of operations.

Responsibilities

• Leading USA TODAY's evening and weekend audience operations and serving as the primary audience decision-maker for breaking news during many off-hours shifts.
• Crafting well-rounded audience plans for major news events and tentpole coverage.
• Manage breaking news independently, making real-time decisions to maximize audience reach and impact across platforms.
• Coordinating audience plans with network editors, planners, and audience leads across the USA TODAY Network to elevate our best work, identifying opportunities for national reach and engagement.
• Coordinating and distributing network advisories for major news events and projects.
• Executing audience producer responsibilities across social media, alerts, newsletters, homepage programming, and other distribution channels.
• Building strong cross-functional relationships and communicating effectively with newsroom leaders and partners in high-pressure situations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or related field preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 5 years of newsroom experience, preferably in an audience development role at a digitally-focused media organization.
• Demonstrated experience leading audience strategy and execution for breaking news, major events, or enterprise journalism with minimal supervision.
• A solid understanding of metrics tools to discern what kind of content performs well across various platforms and how to format and deliver it.
• A proven passion and experience with storytelling via social media, search, and newsletters, with expertise in platforms such as Reddit, Discord, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, X, Facebook, Threads, and more.
• Must work comfortably in a job that will be fast-paced, data-driven, shaped constantly by feedback and experimentation.
• Exceptional planning and organizational skills with the ability to multitask and excel under deadline pressure, using time efficiently.
• Creative and strategic: Brings fresh ideas for engaging audiences, is willing to experiment, and sees the bigger picture, connecting daily decisions to long-term audience growth.

Requirements

• Experience using Google Analytics and Parse.ly or similar tools; experience with using AI to analyze data is a plus.
• Expertise in platform-specific data tools such as Meta, TikTok, Reddit is required.
• Experience with third-party distribution tools like Hootsuite, True Anthem, and Echobox is preferred.
• Strong writing and editing skills, including writing optimized headlines and an eye for accuracy.
• Familiarity with news products and journalism and understanding of media analytics and ethics.

Benefits

• The annualized base salary for this role will range between $60,000 and $93,750.
• Base compensation is reflective of many factors, including, but not limited to, the market in which one lives/works, individual education level, skills, certifications, and experience.
• Note: variable compensation is not reflected in these figures and based on the role, may be applicable.