Global Director of Editorial Operations, GQ

Global GQ and Pitchfork are seeking an experienced editorial operations leader to project manage and lead all editorial operations for the GQ and Pitchfork editorial teams, ensuring projects are executed strategically and efficiently. This role involves managing editorial budgets, leading teams, executing multi-platform content strategies, coordinating with cross-functional teams, and navigating transformational change. The director will support the Global Editorial Director, manage an operations team, and ensure content delivery on deadline while maintaining brand standards.

Must Have

• Lead and project manage editorial operations for GQ and Pitchfork.
• Manage editorial budgets and ensure efficient resource allocation.
• Execute multi-platform content strategies.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams.
• Ensure timely content delivery and rights management.
• Support global editorial strategy and team management.
• Act as primary editorial contact for revenue partners.
• Partner with HR for team growth and organizational change.
• Establish and maintain editorial brand guidelines.
• Directly manage the Editorial Operations Team.
• 8-10+ years in senior editorial or leadership roles.
• Strong leadership, empathy, and mentoring skills.
• Excellent organizational, time-management, and prioritization skills.
• Proven budget management and financial acumen.
• Deep understanding of GQ and Pitchfork brands.

Perks & Benefits

• Generous employee benefits package
• Discretionary bonus compensation

For more than 50 years, GQ has been the premier men’s magazine, providing definitive coverage of style and culture. With its unique and powerful design, work from the finest photographers, and a stable of award-winning writers, GQ reaches millions of leading men each month. The only publication that speaks to all sides of the male equation, GQ is simply sharper and smarter.

Job Description

Global GQ and Pitchfork are seeking an experienced editorial operations leader to help project manage and lead all editorial operations for the GQ and Pitchfork editorial teams, ensuring all projects are executed strategically and efficiently.

The ideal candidates will have extensive experience managing editorial budgets, leading editorial teams and executing multi-platform content strategies in complex matrix environments. Candidates should be skilled problem-solvers, extremely organized, and strong people managers with excellent ability to help a large editorial team prioritize across multiple projects, workstreams and deadlines. This role is focused on supporting all operational elements of the editorial team, including: building optimal organizational structures, managing editorial budgets, ensuring all content is delivered on deadline, coordinating across cross-functional teams including but not limited to Commercial Revenue, Marketing, Commerce, Finance and HR, and navigating transformational change as needed. The Global Director of Editorial Operations directly manages several operations team members dedicated to GQ and Pitchfork. In addition, the person in this role will work collaboratively with a global Content Operations team and will support the Global Editorial Director with managing GQ’s global team and Pitchfork’s US-based team. Candidates should have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, investment in mentoring and fostering growth, excitement for working in a fast-paced media environment and passion for the worlds that GQ and Pitchfork cover: fashion, menswear, music and music criticism, film, television, internet culture, sports, and more.

This role reports to the Global Editorial Director.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Work closely with GQ and Pitchfork leaders to build, effectuate and operationalize editorial strategy; support leadership with communicating editorial strategy to all internal stakeholders.
• Partner with editorial leadership to ensure clear editorial programming plans are developed across all platforms to deliver on editorial KPIs and strategic goals
• Oversee all editorial project management, including building clear workflows for print, digital, video and events content production; leading regular team production meetings; creating project plans and deadlines for all editorial endeavors; and partnering across departments to distribute all content across editorial channels.
• Oversee and manage all content and opex budgets for global GQ and Pitchfork, ensuring resources are adequately allocated according to editorial priorities and content strategy; oversee all editorial cost management, communicate all budget targets to internal stakeholders, and partner with Finance and People teams to manage budget goals.
• Build and manage content rights management processes; ensure editorial teams are securing and tracking the required rights for content prior to publication; oversee editorial contract and release management in partnership with Business Affairs team; ensure all editorial team members are trained on content rights expectations on regular basis
• Support Global Editorial Director with leading GQ global content strategy and managing global content team; communicate global priorities, wins and identify strategic solutions as needed
• Act as primary editorial point of contact for Revenue partners, collaborating on revenue-driving initiatives to find innovative solutions and developing new opportunities, communicating editorial strategies to maximize monetization, and partnering with editorial teams to execute all editorial deliverables for revenue-driving initiatives.
• Partner with HR to support team growth, manage organizational change, oversee performance management and cascade company policies, guidelines, and expectations as needed; lead editorial hiring process, supporting editorial managers through recruitment, hiring and onboarding.
• Take a lead role in helping shape, refine, implement, and iterate on both the global editorial structure and team structures by market.
• Establish and maintain editorial brand guidelines, standards, and processes to ensure excellent and accurate storytelling across all platforms; partner with editorial leaders to ensure all brand standards are followed; ensure clear processes are in place to comply with company Code of Conduct.
• Take a lead role in the onboarding of any senior editorial staff across all markets.
• Provide operational support for brand extensions and special projects, including but not limited to all product, property and media licensing opportunities; support launch, onboarding and maintenance for new and existing licensee GQ markets.
• Monitor industry trends, innovations and developments to identify new opportunities for brand growth
• Direct management responsibility for the Editorial Operations Team.

Desired Skills & Qualifications:

• 8-10+ years of experience in senior editorial roles or leading editorial teams
• Ability to lead with compassion, empathy, and optimism, while delivering results in a fast-paced environment
• Experience mentoring and fostering growth for a large, creative team, as well as coaching editorial leaders on effective management, nurturing team development, and conflict resolution
• Excellent organizational, time-management and prioritization skills; ability to effectively manage several competing deadlines with an eye towards achieving both short-term and long-term goals
• Experience managing a budget and balancing financial goals with editorial ambition
• Deep understanding of GQ and Pitchfork brands; passion for core coverage areas of each brand: fashion, menswear, music, criticism, culture, film, television, sports and more.

The expected base salary range for this position is from $190,000 - $230,000. Salary offers are based on a wide range of factors including but not limited to relevant skills, training, experience, and education.

In addition to salary and a generous employee benefits package, successful candidates may also be eligible to receive discretionary bonus compensation

What happens next?

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply below, and we will review your application as soon as possible. You can update your resume or upload a cover letter at any time by accessing your candidate profile.

Condé Nast is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, familial status and other legally protected characteristics.