Gig alert: Westword needs a music editor

Westword has an immediate opening for a full-time Music Editor. The successful candidate will lead and manage our esteemed coverage of Denver’s vibrant music scene, with a focus on digital media. 

Since its founding in 1977, Westword has been an intrinsic part of Mile High music. We’re looking for a visionary who can bring fresh ideas to life and continue the evolution of our music section — because the Denver music scene is more than just this weekend’s show at Red Rocks (although we love those, too). This city is full of countless bands, music fans and venues, and it’s our never-ending goal to tell their most compelling and important stories. 

The most successful candidate will combine a wide-ranging love of music, a fanaticism for detail and an aptitude for connecting with audiences and exploring audience data. We are not seeking a columnist or a critic, though you will find plenty of room to write and create a presence on social media. Foremost, we want to see a passion for fact-finding and a knack for getting the best possible work out of freelancers.

This position is based in our Denver newsroom and reports to the Voice Media Group national editor. Remote candidates will not be considered.

Westword is published daily online and weekly in print. Always free.

Key Responsibilities

• Recruit and manage freelance reporters and photographers to produce a range of stories. Our stories include breaking news and trending topics that need to be written at the speed of online news. We also invest in enterprise and feature stories that take longer to craft. 
• Efficiently edit stories for structure and flow. Copy edit stories to read clearly, concisely and without errors of grammar or fact. Optimize headlines, photography and art. Adhere to our house style and SEO best practices.
• Collaborate with the senior editor and national editor on planning music coverage.
• Manage the editorial workflow for the music vertical. Assign stories to staffers and freelancers, monitor deadlines, and maintain a regular cadence of story output and balance. Hit goals for volume and traffic.
• Manage a freelance budget.
• Contribute your own stories routinely.
• Maintain an active social media presence to build connections with the music community and expand reach.
• Create and collaborate on vertical videos that bring our reporting and voice to audiences on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. 
• Coach and manage freelancers through pitching, reporting, writing, editing and production. Recruit new freelancers as needed.
• Build broad relationships with the music community so that sources, story ideas, research and reporting reflect the diverse communities of Denver.
• Participate in our annual Best of Denver issue and other special projects during the year.
• Work collaboratively with the audience strategist on trending news and SEO best practices and with the director of membership on our membership program, such as helping plan in-office concerts or writing compelling copy for membership campaign newsletters.

Who You Are

• An experienced journalist with at least two years of newsroom management experience and a working knowledge of — or eagerness to immerse yourself in — the character, people, and music of Denver.
• An adept editor who edits stories quickly and effectively.
• A competitive reporter and shrewd observer, eager to move fast and to surprise readers with your fact-finding and sourcing.
• A highly organized, resourceful self-starter committed to accuracy and meeting deadlines.
• A native of social media and digital journalism who’s comfortable using analytics to inform coverage and serve our audiences.
• A strong written and verbal communicator.

Benefits

• Compensation range of $65,000-$70,000.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance.
• In the first year: 10 paid holidays, 10 paid vacation days, 5 paid sick days.
• Hybrid work policy based in our Denver office.

How to Apply

Westword believes our journalism best serves our communities with a culturally diverse staff and freelancers who offer a range of voices. We are committed to creating and sustaining an environment of inclusion, diversity, empowerment and equality. We are at our best when all our team members are respected and included regardless of race, age, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation and national origin. Women, veterans, people with disabilities, people of color and gender-nonconforming candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Think you’ve got what it takes? Email us at DEN-music-editor@voicemediagroup.com. Send a resume, a cover letter describing your experience and your ideas for how to run our music section, and links to your best writing. Include “Westword Music Editor” in the subject line.