Associate Director, Editorial

Associate Director, Editorial  

Communications

The Communications department supports leaders at all levels of the institution to promote project and campaign efforts, inform key audiences, and protect and advance Pew’s reputation. The department provides a comprehensive range of communications services for all programmatic and administrative units and Trusts-operated projects (TOPs). Our in-house expertise includes strategy and message development; editorial support; design and creative services; media event planning; digital and video production; and social media. The unit oversees all communications policies, guidelines, and processes in order to ensure production of the highest quality work and effectively steward Pew's resources. Within the Communications department, the editorial team is an essential partner helping to shape Pew’s brand and articulate its mission. Through comprehensive storytelling, the team amplifies Pew’s message and crafts tailored materials that resonate with and engage our audiences.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Senior Director of editorial, the associate director is an integral part of the editorial department leadership team, devising and implementing department policies and procedures together with the senior director and another associate director. The associate director, editorial, is responsible for leading, guiding, coaching, and supervising a team of content editors and several freelance content editors (for whom the associate director, editorial, maintains budget responsibility) who ensure the timely content editing of Pew editorial products for both print and digital platforms. This includes reports, briefs, fact sheets, articles, and other institutional materials as well as scripts and framing text that connect research to broader audiences. The associate director, editorial, also contributes to the production of Trust and Trend magazine, and serves as the content editor for several TOPs, which includes strategic planning of upcoming editorial products as well as senior-level line and structural edits, and will help in identifying new ways of sharing Pew’s work on digital platforms.   

In addition, the associate director will contribute to collaborative teams that bring together editors, designers, multimedia producers, and digital strategists to plan and shape multi-format storytelling projects. Such projects may include video series, podcasts, digital features, and other serialized content that expands Pew’s reach and impact. The associate director will also be an important backstop on reputational risk management and assist the senior director with fine-tuning editorial processes and change management efforts during a time of digital and AI transformation.     

This position is based in the Washington, DC, office, and will participate in Pew’s hybrid work program with core days in the office and the flexibility to telework the remaining days. Staff also enjoy four “flex weeks” per year.

Responsibilities 

Editorial oversight

• Directly supervise a team of content editors and several freelance content editors, with responsibility for performance management, staff development, and recruitment/scheduling/budgeting of the freelance content editors.
• Serve as content editor for several TOPs, which includes strategic planning of upcoming editorial products as well as senior-level line and structural edits.
• Maintain a general knowledge of issues related to Pew projects and campaigns to help ensure the highest level of editorial accuracy.
• Edit a variety of products for clarity, accuracy and impact, ensuring they meet Pew’s editorial standards and style guidelines.
• Ensure that all edited products are delivered on time and reflect Pew’s voice, standards, and commitment to accuracy and nonpartisanship.
• Work closely with policy experts, program communicators, and colleagues across communications to plan, promote, and edit content for Pew’s in-depth research reports and other established content types and also as part of broader storytelling efforts.
• Provide framing and narrative support for digital-first and multimedia products, including video scripts, podcast episodes, and serialized features.
• Collaborate with designers, producers, and digital strategists on content that integrates visuals, graphics, and other creative elements.
• Support the planning and production of special projects and cross-program storytelling initiatives as assigned.
• Explore and ideate new content types and formats, including modular content that works across multiple channels.
• Coordinate with policy experts and communications staff before editorial content is produced, to plan editorial content as