Director, Editorial Operations

Job Description

The Director, Editorial Operations leads operations and the allocation of resources across National Geographic's editorial platforms, with a particular focus on the brand's print products-National Geographic magazine, Nat Geo Kids and Little Kids, History magazine, and our 20+ newsstand special editions annually-and the flow of content between print and digital and social platforms. He/she/they is the key manager of all workflows and our content production process, from idea inception through scheduling and publishing, establishing teams and timelines across departments and tracking progress as well as budgets. He/she/they also manages the copy and research teams and their work across products and platforms, and the flow of editorial content between our US and international editions.

Reporting to the Editor in Chief and serving as a key member of the editorial leadership team, the Director, Editorial Operations is important to the efficient and effective functioning of the entire editorial organization. This is a terrific opportunity for a strategic problem solver to join a creative organization and have a significant impact in a time of evolution and change, as we modernize both our operation and our output, driving new thinking around and advances in how we work that enables the creation of outstanding and innovative content.

What You Will Do:

The Director, Editorial Operations will lead all print production workflows from end to end (pitching, scheduling and preparing for publication), including how content moves between print and digital platforms, defining and continually optimizing process, resolving and carrying out timelines.
• Supervise the development and maintenance of editorial calendars for our print products, working across the editorial leadership team, strategizing and proposing adjustments as needed
• Be responsible for the application of copy editing and fact-checking teams to print and digital content, ensuring accuracy through effective prioritization and process
• Oversee overall relationship with our international editorial partners as well as the exchange of content between US and international editions
• Help define annual budget allocations and supervise editorial spending across departments, regularly checking in with department leads, Editor in Chief, Director of Business Operations, and Finance
• Serve as primary liaison with Legal on all editorial legal matters, collaborating closely with relevant staff and Editor in Chief to strategize, respond to, and address issues as needed
• Serve as key point of content for editorial staff on issues of corporate policy (e.g., expenses, vacation), office environment, editorial tools, and process, supplementing department heads as an authority

Required Qualifications & Skills:
• 8+ years of working with and leading editorial workflows/processes, preferably in a magazine environment as a Managing Editor or Deputy/Assistant Managing Editor
• Experience with and understanding of print products and their associated production processes
• Experience shaping and overseeing budgets and strategically planning spending within P&Ls
• Familiarity with standard publishing tools (e.g., InCopy/InDesign) and collaboration and project management tools (e.g., Airtable); proficiency with Excel
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills
• Extraordinary organizational skills, process/systems thinking, and attention to detail
• Ability to foster a positive work environment while meeting timelines and adherence to process and policy

Education:
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience

National Geographic Content is devoted to illuminating the wonder of our world and inspiring people to protect it through our storytelling across platforms, including television and film in linear and streaming, print and digital experiences, and social media, where we have more followers than any other brand in the world. The National Geographic Editorial team is responsible for engaging both new and existing audiences through the creation and distribution of best-in-class content for our magazines (National Geographic, National Geographic Kids and Little Kids, National Geographic History, and single-topic newsstand specials), digital platforms (NationalGeographic.com and our app), and social accounts. We work across all media types, including photography, video, text, graphics and data visualization, cartography, and interactive digital experiences. Our primary aim is to use our storytelling to drive growth in followers, engaged newsletter audiences, subscribers, and loyal users who stay with us because they love how we inspire, entertain, and inform them.

About Disney Entertainment Television:

Disney Entertainment Television is a collection of renowned content brands at The Walt Disney Company creating original entertainment and news programming for the company's streaming platforms Disney+, Hulu and Star, and its broadcast and cable networks. Its extensive portfolio is comprised of ABC Entertainment, ABC News, ABC Owned Television Stations, Disney Branded Television, Freeform, FX, Hulu Originals, National Geographic Content and Onyx Collective, in addition to Disney Television Studios, which include 20th Television, 20th Television Animation, ABC Signature and Walt Disney Television Alternative. Responsible for over 4,500 hours of programming a year across more than 300 programs of all genres, Disney Entertainment Television's creative brands are at the forefront of groundbreaking storytelling, captivating audiences and generating critical acclaim. In 2023, Disney Entertainment Television's programming excellence earned 163 Emmy® nominations across daytime, primetime, news & documentary, and children's & family categories.

This position is with National Geographic Partners PAY SVC, which is part of a business we call Disney Entertainment Television.

National Geographic Partners PAY SVC is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. Disney fosters a business culture where ideas and decisions from all people help us grow, innovate, create the best stories and be relevant in a rapidly changing world.

Jobcode: Reference SBJ-rnn72m-18-227-48-119-42 in your application.