Commissioning Editor

Company Description
**About the Job**

Pedestrian Group, Australia’s largest youth-focused Editorial Director, is seeking an experienced and innovative Editorial Director to lead our award-winning network of brands: PEDESTRIAN.TV, Refinery29, VICE, Lifehacker, Kotaku, Gizmodo and The Chainsaw (our Web3-focused publication, launching in late August).

Reporting directly to the CEO, this executive leadership role will be responsible for the editorial vision and direction of our ever-evolving publishing portfolio, as well as our inhouse native and e-commerce content teams.

This is a rare opportunity for an experienced editorial director with outstanding decision-making and strategic skills, a deep understanding of audience acquisition, excellent commercial judgement and a hunger to build best-in-market brands that speak to their audiences in a way no one else can.

This is a full-time permanent position based out of Pedestrian Group’s HQ in Surry Hills, Sydney.

**Job Description**:
Pedestrian Group (Winner - Publishing Company of the Year, Mumbrella Publish Awards 2021) is seeking a talented and well-connected Commissioning Editor to join the team behind The Chainsaw, Australia’s first Web3-focused publication.

Reporting to the Head of Editorial and working closely with the Managing Editor, the Commissioning Editor will be focused on identifying and platforming key and emerging voices in the Web3/blockchain space on the brand’s site and associated socials, commissioning and editing everything from daily news hits to larger features and exclusives that will give us a name in market.

This role calls for someone with a deep understanding of key people operating within the industry and a strong network of existing contacts whose voice and opinion would be a good fit for the publication, so that they may contribute to drumming up engagement from our audience across the site and socials.

The Commissioning Editor will also work in tandem with the Managing Editor to edit copy produced by reporters on the team as needed.

**The Commissioning Editor will be required to**:

- Commission and editing everything from daily news hits to larger features and exclusives from key and emerging voices in the Web3/blockchain space
- Manage the commissioning process end to end: evaluating pitches for their suitability, providing a clear brief, working with contributors to developing their stories to ensure they are of the high quality that our readers will come to expect and all deadlines are met
- Negotiate agreements and talent contracts with contributors, working closely with Finance to ensure they’re onboarded correctly
- Manage a tight annual commissioning budget, fastidiously tracking pay rates and other spending to ensure there are no overages
- Be our ‘quality’ gatekeeper, who makes sure everything we produce lives up to its potential, and never lets good enough go out the door
- Work as part of a close-knit editorial team, editing copy produced by reporters on the team as needed
- Develop and maintain our in-house style guides
- Meet regularly with key contacts to build relationships, secure editorial exclusives and ensure that the brand remains at the forefront of the Web3 community
- Keep fully abreast of the Web3 news cycle to ensure that our coverage is timely, informed and unique

**Qualifications**:

- Demonstrated experience in, and passion for, Web3 - with a finger firmly on the pulse of the latest news and developments in blockchain
- 3+ years of experience in a senior features or editorial role, commissioning and editing long and short form journalism
- A comprehensive network of existing contacts within the blockchain space, both local and international
- A flair for storytelling and a proven track record of identifying trends and topics to cover - and the best way in which to write and engage with an audience
- Highly skilled at building stories and editing at speed within a CMS
- Strong understanding of SEO
- An excellent eye for detail
- Tertiary qualification in journalism or a related discipline

Additional Information
**Benefits**

As a Pedestrian Group employee, you will enjoy perks like company events, wellness programs, career development courses and a flexible work-life balance. But most importantly, you’ll work alongside inspiring colleagues who will encourage you to be your best self.
- Wellness - Our company’s Culture Club organises monthly yoga, meditation and tai chi sessions both virtually and IRL, and provides mental health support to all staff.
- Health & Fitness - Our Good Sports company initiative gives staff the opportunity to sign up for a seasonal sport of their choosing. Whether that be Netball, Basketball, Dodgeball or even Axe Throwing, it’s up to you
- Charity & Fundraising - Pay It Forward is Pedestrian Group’s charity and community program, where we use our unique set of skills to help raise funds and awareness for issues affecting Aussie youth.
- Work-life