Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Food Editor

🎯 Role Definition

The Food Editor leads the creation, curation, and optimization of culinary content across platforms. This role combines editorial judgment and culinary expertise to develop recipes, plan editorial calendars, manage writers and freelancers, optimize content for search and audience engagement, and oversee food photography and video production. The Food Editor ensures every piece of content reflects brand voice, meets quality and safety standards, and drives measurable growth in traffic and engagement.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Assistant Food Editor or Editorial Assistant (food vertical)
Food Writer / Recipe Developer
Culinary Stylist / Food Photographer

Advancement To:

Senior Food Editor
Editorial Director / Food Content Director
Head of Content, Food Division

Lateral Moves:

Digital Editor / Social Media Editor (Food)
Product Content Lead (recipe platforms)
Brand Partnerships or Commercial Content Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop, plan, and manage a high-performing editorial calendar for food content that aligns with seasonal opportunities, cultural moments, SEO priorities, and audience insights to drive sustainable traffic and engagement growth.
Create, test, and finalize original recipes and food features end-to-end — from ideation and recipe testing to writing clear directions, scaling yields, and ensuring reproducible home-cook results.
Edit, proofread, and shape long- and short-form food content (recipes, features, listicles, how-tos, product roundups) to ensure clarity, brand voice consistency, accuracy, and adherence to AP/house style.
Commission, recruit, and manage freelance writers, recipe developers, photographers, videographers, and stylists; negotiate rates, set deadlines, and provide clear, constructive editorial feedback.
Oversee recipe testing protocols, ingredient sourcing, allergen and dietary labeling, and food-safety best practices to minimize errors and protect the brand editorially and legally.
Lead recipe development and costing efforts for commercial and sponsored content, collaborating with partnerships and sales teams to meet client briefs while preserving editorial integrity.
Direct and art-direct food photography and styling, setting shot lists, mood boards, plating guidance, and shot approvals to ensure images translate well across web, social, and newsletter formats.
Plan, script, and produce short-form and long-form food video content (reels, how-to shorts, long-form recipe videos), coordinating talent, kitchens, and post-production timelines.
Implement SEO strategy for food content: conduct keyword research, optimize recipe metadata (titles, descriptions, schema), and work with SEO teams to improve organic discoverability and recipe rich results.
Publish and QA content in CMS (WordPress, Contentful, or proprietary systems), ensuring recipe schema, structured data, alt text, and accessibility best practices are correctly implemented.
Monitor performance metrics (pageviews, time on page, recipe conversions, social engagement) and iterate on content formats and editorial strategy to meet KPIs and audience needs.
Collaborate with product, engineering, and data teams to test new features (interactive recipes, filters, personalization) and provide editorial input on product prioritization and user experience.
Maintain and evolve the food vertical’s style guide, recipe templates, and editorial standards so contributors deliver consistent, high-quality content at scale.
Build and nurture relationships with PR, brand partners, culinary experts, and vendors to secure exclusives, access to chefs, and sourcing for shoots and stories.
Lead coverage planning for events, food trends, restaurant openings, and seasonal holidays — producing timely trend pieces, shopping guides, and gift guides that convert and engage readers.
Manage editorial budgets for shoots, freelance talent, ingredient costs, and equipment; track spend and ensure efficient allocation of resources against planned content.
Mentor and manage a team of editors, writers, and recipe developers—conducting reviews, setting professional development goals, and fostering a collaborative, creative culture.
Ensure legal and safety compliance in content: fact-check nutritional claims, properly attribute recipes and images, secure talent releases, and collaborate with legal on sponsored content approvals.
Tailor content for multiple channels (desktop, mobile, email newsletters, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest), optimizing formats and CTAs to maximize engagement and subscriptions.
Lead monthly editorial reviews and planning sessions where performance insights are translated into editorial priorities and experimentation roadmaps.
Drive audience development through strategic partnerships, newsletter strategy, paid social experiments, and cross-promotion with other verticals or sister brands.
Spearhead inclusivity and representation in recipe development and storytelling, ensuring diverse cuisines, dietary needs, and cultural contexts are treated respectfully and accurately.
Champion continuous testing (A/B tests on headlines, thumbnail images, recipe formats) to improve conversion, retention, and discoverability metrics.

Secondary Functions

Support cross-departmental initiatives such as brand marketing campaigns, merchandising launches, and audience research projects by providing editorial expertise and creative assets.
Assist with ad hoc content projects like flash recipes, rapid-response trend pieces, and editorial support for product launches or revenue-generating partnerships.
Contribute to training materials and best-practice documentation for new editors, freelancers, and content producers to accelerate onboarding and maintain quality.
Participate in sprint planning and editorial production cycles; coordinate with project managers to maintain deadlines and resource allocation for shoots and video production.
Help evaluate and recommend content tools, recipe delivery platforms, and content workflow software to improve team productivity and publishing speed.
Provide editorial input to UX and design teams when iterating on recipe templates, article layouts, and mobile presentation to enhance readability and conversion.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Expert recipe development and testing skills with a demonstrated ability to write clear, reproducible recipe instructions optimized for home cooks.
Proficiency with content management systems (WordPress, Contentful, or similar), including publishing workflows, taxonomy, and media management.
Strong SEO knowledge specific to food content: keyword research, on-page optimization, recipe schema (structured data), and rich-result optimization.
Hands-on experience with food photography direction and an understanding of styling, lighting, and composition to inform image briefs and approvals.
Experience producing and editing food video (short-form and long-form), including basic knowledge of camera setups, shot lists, scripting, and post-production workflows.
Familiarity with analytics platforms (Google Analytics, Chartbeat, or similar) to interpret content performance and guide editorial decisions.
Competence in editorial tools and image editors (Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom) and basic familiarity with InDesign or editorial layout tools for print or long-form features.
Strong fact-checking and legal-awareness skills, including knowledge of attribution, copyright, talent releases, and compliance for sponsored content.
Recipe costing and budgeting experience for commercial content and partnerships.
Basic knowledge of nutrition labeling, allergen disclosure, and food-safety best practices relevant to recipe publishing.
Experience using social publishing and scheduling tools (Hootsuite, Sprout Social, Later) and familiarity with platform-specific best practices (Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest).
Ability to implement and audit accessibility best practices for web content (alt text, headings, semantic markup).

Soft Skills

Excellent editorial judgment and an authoritative, confident food voice that balances creativity with audience needs and brand tone.
Strong leadership and people-management skills: mentoring, feedback delivery, and team development.
Exceptional project management and organizational abilities: prioritization, deadline management, and multi-project coordination.
Clear, persuasive communication skills for working with writers, cross-functional partners, and external stakeholders.
Collaborative mindset: ability to build consensus between editorial, product, marketing, and sales teams.
Detail orientation and quality focus — meticulous about measurements, instructions, attributions, and publication accuracy.
Creative problem-solving and adaptability in a fast-moving editorial environment.
Data-informed decision-making: comfort using analytics to iterate on content strategy and experimentation.
Negotiation skills for managing freelance rates, vendor contracts, and production budgets.
Cultural sensitivity and curiosity: ability to handle cuisines and cultural contexts with respect and authenticity.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications, Culinary Arts, Food Studies, or related field — OR equivalent professional experience in food media and recipe development.

Preferred Education:

Associate’s or certificate from culinary school, or advanced degree in Journalism/Communication/Media Studies; additional coursework in nutrition, food science, or photography is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Journalism, Communications, or English
Culinary Arts or Food Science
Photography / Multimedia Production
Nutrition or Dietetics (helpful for specialty verticals)

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 4–8 years of progressive experience in food writing, recipe development, or editorial roles with at least 2 years managing content or people.

Preferred: 5+ years leading food content initiatives, managing contributors and production workflows, with a demonstrated track record of growing audience metrics and running multimedia shoots.