Junior Editor, Curated by Optimism

About Optimism

Optimism is a media company working to build a brighter web. We conceive, launch, and operate high-quality digital brands that spark curiosity, spread positivity, and improve the lives of our readers. With an inbox-first approach, we aim to transform email into a healthy alternative to social media feeds, a place where you can curate the news, entertainment, and information you truly want and enjoy.

Our brands populate a variety of lifestyle categories: including travel, learning, home, health & wellness, finance and more. Our universal approach helps us reach 15 million subscribers across our network and serve more than 30 million web sessions each month. And we’re growing with each new brand and newsletter launched.

About Curated by Optimism

Curated by Optimism [Curated] is Optimism’s burgeoning curatorial newsletter portfolio. It serves more than 2 million subscribers across its growing network of publications, which includes Recommended Reads, Feeding Curiosity, Living Simply, and Things to Read. These Curated brands collectively drive 4.5M unique sessions per month — a third of those are to other Optimism brands, while the rest are to over 700 third-party publishers. 

About the Role

As Junior Editor,  Curated by Optimism, you will oversee multiple curated newsletters in Optimism’s fast-growing, inbox-first media portfolio. Reporting to the Editorial Director of Curated by Optimism, you will work closely with them to compile content for these newsletters, focusing on viral, share-worthy stories our subscribers will want to read across several topics. You are early in your career with a finger to the pulse, and an innate ability to know what’s worth reading from a wide range of media outlets — from older, established organizations to emerging ones. You will also work closely with Optimism’s Campaign Managers to test emails for assigned brands and seek final approval from the Editorial Director and your assigned Campaign Manager before scheduling.

• Day-to-Day Content Management: This role will be responsible for multiple curatorial newsletters with varying focuses — i.e. Home, Travel, Wealth, General Interest, or Science. You will be responsible for compiling content from our own internal brands, third-party publications, and paid partners to fill the subscriber emails. Emails are sent daily but must be tested and scheduled in advance. Doing so requires working with Campaign Managers and the Editorial Director to ensure the links work and that the copy is grammatically correct and highly clickable.
• Day-to-Day Content Creation: Assist the Curatorial team where necessary with daily content creation, editing, and uploading, including, but not limited to, short- to mid-length features, roundups, and commerce content.
• Headline and Short Copy Writing: Our ability to craft compelling headlines is Optimism’s editorial team’s secret sauce. As such, you should be able to draft irresistible headlines and DEKs in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style. These titles should engage subscribers and entice them to click through to the source. 
• General Support: This role will provide support on a variety of key projects for the  Editorial Director and other editorial stakeholders. You will attend regular meetings with them and other departments to stay current on these projects.
• Operational Excellence: You will streamline processes for brands by identifying inefficient systems and finding solutions to solve problems. You will be expected to connect the dots and respond to feedback in a timely manner to improve, optimize, and grow your assigned brands.
• Audience Oversight: You will keep a pulse on key analytics and subscriber engagement, gaining a sense of what is working best for your assigned audiences, and making key decisions on how to proceed. It is your responsibility to act as a voice for the subscriber, making choices based on the mission of the brand and what will drive the best user experience.

• 1+  years of experience writing, editing, or managing content at a digital media company.
• Sound grammar and spelling skills, and the ability to confidently craft headlines, subheadlines, and short summaries of the articles you share.
• Digital media- obsessed and well-versed in the way the industry works. Strong knowledge of active, reputable publications.
• Strong understanding of what makes a high-quality story.
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and written communication skills.
• An entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, non-traditional media environment.
• An understanding of email and web optimization, and the ability to analyze data analytics using software and services like Google Analytics.
• Proficiency with product and content management software, including tools like WordPress, Asana, AirTable, and Slack.
• The ability to work on multiple projects and determine priorities based on time, complexity, and resources.
• Extreme attention to detail with a strong focus on brand success.
• A positive, go-getter attitude.

Our Commitment

We aim to provide equal opportunity for all. We are firm believers in the strength of diversity and aim to build teams of individuals that offer unique perspectives, come from different backgrounds, and challenge each other to be better every day!