Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Assistant Editor

🎯 Role Definition

The Assistant Editor supports senior editorial leadership by managing editorial workflows, refining content for audience and platform, and ensuring accuracy and consistency across publications. This role blends copyediting, production coordination, fact-checking, and cross-team communication to deliver high-quality print and digital content on deadline. Ideal candidates are detail-oriented editors with strong editorial judgment, familiarity with style guides (AP/Chicago), content management systems (CMS), and a metric-driven mindset for audience engagement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Editorial Assistant or Editorial Intern
Copy Editor or Production Assistant
Staff Writer or Reporter

Advancement To:

Senior Editor (Features, Digital, or Section Lead)
Managing Editor or Content Manager
Content Director or Editorial Director
Deputy Editor / Editor-in-Chief (longer-term)

Lateral Moves:

Copy Editor
Social Media Editor / Audience Editor
Digital Content Strategist
Assignment Editor / Desk Editor

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Manage daily editorial production by coordinating assignments, tracking story progress, and ensuring all copy meets publication deadlines, quality standards, and brand voice.
Copyedit and proofread articles, headlines, captions, and metadata for grammar, punctuation, clarity, style (AP/Chicago), and consistency across platforms to maintain editorial standards.
Conduct thorough fact-checking and source verification on assigned pieces, contacting contributors and subject-matter experts to confirm dates, quotations, statistics, and attributions.
Act as primary liaison between writers, reporters, photographers, designers, and production teams to resolve editorial issues and deliver final assets for publication.
Upload, format, and publish content in the CMS (e.g., WordPress, Drupal, Contentful), including proper tagging, SEO titles, meta descriptions, and image optimization to maximize discoverability.
Rewrite or substantially revise copy to improve clarity, structure, tone, and flow while preserving author voice and intent for print and digital audiences.
Assign tasks to freelance contributors, maintain freelance rosters, negotiate deadlines and terms, and review submitted pieces for commission compliance and quality.
Manage editorial calendars and content pipelines by planning features, special projects, and multiplatform coverage aligned to seasonal cycles and traffic goals.
Monitor analytics (e.g., Google Analytics, Chartbeat) and audience metrics to recommend editorial adjustments that increase engagement, time on page, and conversion.
Prepare and edit copy for newsletters, social posts, and syndication feeds; adapt long-form content into social-native formats and headline variants for A/B testing.
Develop headlines, subheads, and package elements that improve click-through rates and readership while balancing editorial integrity and SEO best practices.
Coordinate copy flow for print production, including pagination notes, style reconciliation, and final PDF proofing with production/design teams.
Ensure legal and ethical compliance by flagging potential libel/defamation issues, securing permissions for images and text, and maintaining records of releases.
Support senior editors in commissioning in-depth reporting and longform projects by drafting briefs, vetting pitches, and managing deadlines and budgets.
Lead morning editorial meetings or desk huddles, summarize priorities for the day, and reassign resources in response to breaking news or shifting deadlines.
Mentor junior editorial staff and editorial interns by providing feedback, training in style guidelines, and hands-on oversight of their assigned tasks.
Maintain and update style guides, editorial checklists, and operating procedures to streamline workflows and reduce recurring errors.
Coordinate multimedia elements (photo galleries, video embeds, audio clips) with production teams to create cohesive and platform-appropriate presentations of stories.
Proof final proofs and preflight content for print and digital distribution, maintaining version control and archiving published materials.
Execute quality-control spot checks on syndicated or partner content to ensure brand alignment, accuracy, and technical standards before republishing.
Support SEO initiatives by conducting keyword research, implementing internal linking strategies, and ensuring on-page SEO elements are present and optimized.
Manage content tagging, taxonomy, and metadata to improve site search, editorial curation, and long-term content discoverability.
Work with marketing, subscription, and product teams on promotional calendars, cross-promotions, sponsored content workflows, and native advertising guidelines.
Coordinate rapid response workflows during breaking news events: assign writers quickly, manage fast-turn edits, and ensure accurate updates across channels.

Secondary Functions

Maintain editorial asset libraries, image catalogs, and archives with consistent naming and rights documentation.
Assist with budget tracking for freelance contributors, special editions, and production costs as assigned by senior staff.
Support audience development initiatives by testing headline variants, analyzing referral traffic sources, and recommending editorial experiments.
Participate in product meetings and feature testing to provide editorial perspective on UX changes affecting content presentation.
Compile editorial performance reports and weekly highlights for leadership, including top-performing stories and lessons learned.
Help prepare press releases, media kits, and contributor agreements when required for special issues or sponsored pieces.
Serve on cross-functional task forces for events, webinars, or live coverage, providing editorial planning and onsite editorial support.
Contribute to the hiring process for editorial roles by screening resumes, conducting interviews, and providing input on candidate fit.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert command of AP and/or Chicago Manual of Style; ability to apply style consistently across all content types.
Advanced copyediting and proofreading skills with a track record of reducing errors and improving readability.
Hands-on experience with CMS platforms (WordPress, Drupal, Contentful, or similar) including publishing workflows and content templates.
SEO fundamentals: on-page optimization, headline testing, meta descriptions, keyword placement, and basic keyword research tools.
Familiarity with analytics platforms (Google Analytics, Chartbeat, Adobe Analytics) to interpret traffic and engagement metrics.
Proficiency with editorial production tools: Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and collaboration platforms (Slack, Asana, Trello).
Experience with digital content formatting: HTML basics, image optimization, alt text best practices, and embedding multimedia.
Knowledge of newsroom workflows and editorial management systems, including assignment tracking and version control.
Ability to prepare and format print-ready files and an understanding of pagination, prepress checks, and print production schedules.
Competence with headline writing and A/B testing methodologies to improve CTR and audience retention.
Experience working with freelance writer onboarding, contracts, and royalty or fee tracking systems.
Familiarity with legal and ethical issues in publishing, including libel, permissions, licensing, and privacy considerations.

Soft Skills

Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy under tight deadlines.
Strong editorial judgment with the ability to prioritize high-impact content and make defensible decisions.
Clear and diplomatic communicator who can provide constructive feedback to writers and stakeholders.
Collaborative team player capable of coordinating across design, product, marketing, and editorial teams.
Excellent time-management and multi-tasking skills; able to juggle competing deadlines and shifting priorities.
Resilience under pressure and adaptability to breaking news, shifting campaigns, and product changes.
Mentoring mindset: ability to train junior staff and elevate team writing and editing standards.
Problem-solving orientation with a bias for quick, practical solutions to production bottlenecks.
Curiosity about audience behavior and willingness to test new formats and distribution strategies.
Professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive editorial or legal matters.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Journalism, English, Communications, Media Studies, or a related field, OR equivalent professional editorial experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s degree with coursework or concentration in editing, digital media, or communications; Master’s degree in Journalism, Publishing, or related field considered a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Journalism
English / Literature
Communications
Media Studies / Digital Media
Publishing / Technical Communication

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–4 years of professional editorial or publishing experience (newsroom, magazine, trade publication, or digital content team).

Preferred:

3–5+ years of progressively responsible editorial roles, including copyediting, CMS publishing, and editorial project coordination; experience with analytics-driven editorial strategies and multimedia integration preferred.