Head of Publishing

22% 1-Year Employee Growth Rate | 37% 2-Year Employee Growth Rate | LinkedIn | $697.9M Venture Funding

What Is Employee Growth Rate & Why Is It Important?

Automattic, the company behind products such as WordPress.com, Tumblr, Jetpack, and WooCommerce, is looking for a Head of Publishing. This person will oversee an editorial team that manages two award-winning long-form publications as flagship examples of what is possible on WordPress.com. The team provides editorial guidance across all of Automattic, primarily WordPress.com.

This person will ensure that our words, messaging, and publications are as carefully crafted as our code and pixels. Leading a small yet plucky team of professional writers and editors, you’ll collaborate with the team on an overall vision; identify and explore levers for growth; and help shape the business strategies for The Atavist and Longreads, Automattic’s flagship publications. You’ll offer high-level direction and support, but also roll up your sleeves and contribute as a productive member of the team: No task is too small. (And if you have an opinion on how to use the semicolon, you’re in the right place!)

What You’ll Do:

• Promote, both internally and externally, Automattic’s commitment to high-quality journalism as part of its wider mission to make the web a better place.
• Help shape short- and long-term strategies for Longreads and The Atavist. You’ll commission, edit, and produce thoughtful, exceptional essays and incisive journalism and manage the budgets.
• Contribute to the day-to-day operations of both publications as needed, from curating Longreads editors’ picks to promoting Atavist stories on social media.
• Explore ambitious investigative journalism projects and digital storytelling opportunities across media (online, podcast, etc.).
• Explore strategic ways to position our publications within the WordPress.com ecosystem and find opportunities for cross-collaborations with WordPress.com marketing initiatives.
• Collaborate with marketing, product, design, and other teams at Automattic on editing, copywriting, ghostwriting, and content curation/creation as needed.

What We’re Looking For:

• Extensive editorial experience, especially in the digital media context with experience managing operations and business outcomes for high-traffic publications. An understanding of IP development into film, television, and books is a huge plus.
•  A passion for storytelling of all types, from blogging to podcasting and a commitment to commissioning and publishing diverse voices. Some experience in multimedia production and podcasting knowledge is a plus.
• A hands-on background in journalism or a related field, and if not, a deep understanding of the issues and challenges facing journalism today.
• Exceptional writing and copy editing skills and an impeccable attention to detail is a must. Excellent creative judgment. Grace and aplomb.
• Prior experience with WordPress and knowledge of its role in the publishing ecosystem strongly preferred.
• The ability to be flexible and adaptable. Your sleeves are rolled up. You’ll contribute as a member of the team.
• Fluency in any of the following languages is a plus: Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Hebrew, Japanese. (English proficiency is a must.)

ABOUT AUTOMATTIC

We are the people behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Jetpack, Tumblr, Simplenote, Longreads, and more. We believe in making the web a better place.

We’re a distributed company with more than 1200 Automatticians in 75+ countries speaking 90+ different languages. Our common goal is to democratize publishing so that anyone with a story can tell it, regardless of income, gender, politics, language, or where they live in the world.

We believe in Open Source and the vast majority of our work is available under the GPL.

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION AT AUTOMATTIC

We’re improving diversity in the tech industry. At Automattic, we want people to love their work and show respect and empathy to all. We welcome differences and strive to increase participation from traditionally underrepresented groups. Our D&I committee involves Automatticians across the company and drives grassroots change. For example, this group has helped facilitate private online spaces for affiliated Automatticians to gather and helps run a monthly D&I People Lab series for further learning. Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Automattic, though our dedication influences far more than just Automatticians: We make our products freely available and translate our products into and offer customer support in numerous languages. We require unconscious bias training for our hiring teams and ensure our products are accessible across different bandwidths and devices. Learn more about our dedication to diversity and inclusion and our Employee Resource Groups.

How to apply:

Does this sound interesting? If yes, click the Apply button below and fill out our application form. In your cover letter, let us know what you can contribute to the team. Proofread! (But you already knew that.) Make sure you spell and capitalize WordPress and Automattic correctly.

Want to increase your chances of standing out? If so, please include answers to the following questions in your cover letter:

• Recount an ethical dilemma you faced, the actions you took to overcome it, as well as the outcome.
• Share your favorite piece of longform narrative journalism. Why do you love it?

Tagged as: 501+ Employees, Hide US-Only Jobs, Venture Funded