Associate Editor, Culture and History

Job Description

Texas Monthly has an opening for an associate editor to contribute to its coverage of culture and the arts, including articles about Texas history. Reporting to the executive editor, this associate editor will solicit, assign, and edit about eight web-only stories a month on the arts, culture, and history that would publish under the website’s Arts & Entertainment and Being Texan verticals. The editor will also be responsible for editing about two short franchises in the print magazine every month that encapsulate Texas life. This position will work alongside senior editors in those verticals at Texas Monthly who will give guidance on coverage and occasionally delegate the associate editor stories to edit and publish, providing the opportunity for an early-career magazine journalist to collaborate closely with and learn from more senior colleagues.

The associate editor should have their finger on the pulse of what’s happening in arts and culture both in the state and beyond its borders, with an eye for stories that capture trends with a Texas angle; illuminate unique cultural phenomena; help connect readers with a sense of Texan identity; and highlight surprising or underappreciated people or events from Texas history. Ideal candidates should be comfortable editing both quick-turn digital stories that respond to breaking news or trends in a way that aligns with Texas Monthly’s identity and more deeply reported articles or cultural analysis.

This full-time staff position is based in Austin, Texas, and requires working out of our downtown office at least two days a week. It offers stable employment at a nationally renowned media company that has a culture defined by core values of integrity, honesty, diligence, enthusiasm, and collegiality, as well as the highest journalistic standards and an abiding sense of service to our millions of readers both in and outside of Texas. This position also offers generous benefits, including a comprehensive health-insurance plan, 401(k) matching, profit sharing, and eligibility for performance-based bonuses. Compensation is competitive and negotiable.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Editing approximately two short or medium-length articles for print each month and two articles for the web each week
• Developing quality story ideas and shepherding them from inception to production
• Making freelance assignments and developing new freelance talent
• Crafting headlines, deks, and all manner of display type, for an array of platforms (print, web, social)

Application process:

If you are interested in this position, please fill out this application form by March 5, 2025. Applications will be considered only if they are submitted through that form.

Texas Monthly will review applications on a rolling basis and may reach out to some candidates before that date, but all applications received by the deadline will be reviewed. Promising candidates will have an initial interview with the HR manager and one or two members of editorial leadership. From there, some candidates will be asked to complete an editing test. TM will then select 2–3 finalists to do a final round of interviews with TM leadership and other members of the editorial department.

Candidates who are interested in the position but would like to know more information about the role or about Texas Monthly before applying can book an information call with the director of editorial operations via Calendly.

Texas Monthly is committed to diversity and to cultivating an inclusive environment. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.

Job Requirements

Successful candidates will possess the following skills/abilities:

• Precise line editing
• The ability to edit stories for clarity, precision, fairness, and structure
• The ability to establish and meet deadlines
• Effective coaching of freelancers and staff writers
• An enthusiasm for collaboration
• An ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with other editors, copy editors, fact-checkers, and members of the art department
• An appreciation for the complex cultural dynamics of a sprawling, diverse, and fast-growing state and a desire to surprise, delight, and inform a diverse audience
• Interest in editing stories about sports is a plus

Education/experience:

• At least three years’ experience editing, in print or online, preferably for a magazine or similar publication
• An intimate knowledge of Texas arts and culture or the curiosity and enthusiasm required to quickly immerse yourself in it

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