Assigning Editor

GAMURS Group•Austin, TX

13h•Remote

About The Position

The Mary Sue is looking for an experienced and highly motivated Assigning Editor to help develop and shape our entertainment and internet culture coverage during an exciting period of growth. At The Mary Sue, we have a strong editorial voice and a highly engaged audience. We’re looking for an editor who understands how modern audiences discover and engage with content daily. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced newsroom environment, loves spotting what’s about to take off, and is energized by performance and growth. Experience writing, curating, and planning content for various traffic referral sources, including Google Discover, social media, and syndication platforms, is highly desirable. This position will begin as a short-term contract role, with the possibility to transition to a full-time position after 3–6 months (depending on contract length) for the right candidate. The Mary Sue prides itself on its international teams filled with passionate, creative, and driven editors and writers. We love and live geek culture, movies, television, celebrities, emerging technologies, and all things weird and wonderful on the internet. We promote, celebrate, and champion diversity and inclusion in all areas.

Requirements

3+ years in a senior editorial or writing role within a busy digital newsroom or magazine environment
A proven track record of growing traffic and audiences across various verticals, mediums, or platforms
Strong knowledge of entertainment, internet culture, fandoms, and online communities
Prior experience in assigning, editing, or writing content at a high volume with performance in mind
Knowledge of what makes a story travel, spread, and resonate with audiences
Experience working with traffic data and performance metrics
Ability to make quick editorial decisions and give clear feedback
Familiarity with WordPress, Slack, Google Analytics, and similar tools
Familiarity and understanding of how to target a variety of traffic referral sources, including Google, Discover, Yahoo, MSN, and more

Nice To Haves

Experience working at or alongside large-scale digital publishers, magazines, or newsrooms (e.g., BuzzFeed, Jezebel, Mashable, Insider, Vox, The Daily Beast, LADbible Group, Reach PLC-style environments) is a strong plus.

Responsibilities

Assign and edit daily internet culture, entertainment, TV, film, celebrity, and political stories
Identify trending topics, social discourse, fandom conversations, and breaking moments worth covering
Work closely with writers to develop pitches and work on angles, framing, and headlines
Commission stories with a strong understanding of audience behavior and performance
Track how stories perform in real time, and adjust coverage accordingly
Oversee freelance output and experimentation (alongside senior editors)
Collaborate with senior editors, including the Editor-in-Chief, on coverage strategy and editorial experiments
Ensure all content meets The Mary Sue’s editorial standards while remaining competitive with major culture and entertainment publishers
Help shape and evolve editorial products and formats through testing, iteration, and performance learnings that drive repeat engagement, loyalty, and long-term success