Audience and Content Editor - The Herald

Audience and Content Editor - The Herald

Application Deadline: 2 December 2026

Department: Editorial

Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time

Location: Glasgow

Reporting To: Catherine Salmond

Description

The Herald is Scotland’s leading quality news brand, with a proud history and an ambitious approach to its digital future. We are looking for an Audience and Content Editor who can grow our audiences, deepen engagement with readers and help drive subscriber growth.

This is a rare opportunity to help shape the future of one of Scotland’s most respected news brands and take on a key senior role at the heart of our newsroom.

The Audience and Content Editor will help lead our digital strategy across multiple channels, including SEO, social media, newsletters, the homepage and video, bringing a data-led, audience-first approach to our journalism.

They will also take responsibility for The Herald’s live team, leading our approach to breaking and developing news and ensuring we are fast, authoritative and competitive when the biggest stories unfold.

Working closely with senior editors, reporters and production teams, they will make sure our journalism reaches the right readers, in the right format, at the right time, while helping to turn strong audience engagement into subscriber growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead a multi-channel audience growth and engagement strategy, using audience data and analytics to shape daily editorial decisions and longer-term planning.
• Lead The Herald’s live team, overseeing our response to breaking and developing stories and ensuring fast, accurate and engaging coverage across our digital platforms.
• Plan and coordinate live coverage around major news events, working closely with editors and reporters to make sure The Herald is setting the pace on the stories that matter.
• Set clear KPIs for reach, engagement, conversion and retention and regularly assess performance against them.
• Lead our on-site SEO strategy and execution, including headline, metadata and content optimisation.
• Work with editors and reporters to embed SEO and audience best practice throughout newsroom workflows.
• Manage and develop our social media output across established and emerging platforms.
• Lead homepage curation and planning, balancing editorial priorities with breaking news and real-time audience behaviour.
• Own and develop our newsletter strategy, including growth, scheduling, tone, engagement and conversion.
• Work with reporters and editors to strengthen visual storytelling across the site and social platforms.
• Help commission and package short-form video designed for digital audiences, engagement and shareability.
• Keep pace with new digital tools, formats and audience trends and champion innovation and experimentation across the newsroom.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Proven experience in audience development, digital editing or a senior newsroom role.
• Experience handling breaking news and making confident editorial decisions in a fast-moving newsroom environment.
• Deep understanding of SEO, social media, homepage management, newsletters and digital audience behaviour.
• Strong editorial judgment and an instinctive understanding of how stories should be presented across different platforms.
• Excellent leadership and communication skills, with the ability to guide, motivate and work effectively with journalists across the newsroom.
• A strong understanding of audience data and the ability to turn insights into practical editorial decisions.
• Fluency with tools such as Adobe Analytics, Parse.ly and social analytics platforms.

Desirable

• Experience working for a subscription- or reader revenue-focused news brand.
• Experience of leading or working closely with a breaking news or live news operation.
• Confidence working across video strategy and social video formats.
• Knowledge of the Scottish news, political and media landscape.

What we offer

• The opportunity to play a significant role in shaping the digital and audience future of one of Scotland’s most trusted news brands.
• A senior position at the heart of a busy newsroom, with the opportunity to influence how we cover and present some of Scotland’s biggest stories.
• A collaborative, supportive newsroom with an appetite for innovation and new ideas.
• Access to tools, training and opportunities to develop professionally in a forward-thinking media environment.

Benefits

• 25 days holiday + bank holidays + your birthday off
• Holiday buy scheme for extra flexibility
• Structured career progression & ongoing training
• Pension plan  
• Employee Helpline counselling and advice
• Perks & discounts including: 
  • Gym membership
  • Cycle to Work scheme
  • Eye care
  • Retail discounts
• Team building days & annual volunteer charity day