Deputy Editor

Substack•San Francisco, CA

3d•$120,000 - $130,000

About The Position

Substack is building a new economic engine for culture, giving the brightest, most interesting and creative people on the internet the power of their own publishing platform. It empowers creators with financial autonomy, ownership and a direct connection to their communities. Substack’s model, based on direct subscriptions, has fueled an explosion of independent publishing and is revolutionizing culture. The Substack Post is Substack’s flagship culture publication. We cover the best of what’s being written, made, and debated on the platform—and increasingly, the ideas, voices, and creative experiments shaping culture more broadly. Our goal is not just to reflect culture, but to help define it. We’re looking for a Deputy Editor to help lead The Substack Post editorially, operationally, and creatively. This person will report directly to the Editor of The Substack Post and play a central role in shaping our coverage, commissioning and editing writers, and helping the publication grow in ambition, reach, and impact. This is a senior editorial role for someone who has sharp ideas, strong instincts about culture, and is energized by the idea of building something new. Location: San Francisco, New York, or Los Angeles preferred

Requirements

5-7 years of experience as an editor at a publication known for cultural, literary, or intellectual ambition
Proven ability to edit long-form and short-form work with clarity, taste, and rigor
Strong commissioning instincts—you know how to spot a great idea early and help it take shape
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Comfort juggling multiple projects, deadlines, and stakeholders without losing editorial focus

Nice To Haves

A deep curiosity about culture—high, low, online, offline, emerging, and overlooked
Sharp judgment and strong taste, paired with openness and intellectual generosity
Someone who can zoom out strategically and zoom in on a sentence as needed
A collaborative editor who enjoys working closely with both writers and teammates
Genuine enthusiasm for Substack’s mission: free expression, independent voices, and creator-led media

Responsibilities

Serve as a key editorial partner to the Editor of The Substack Post, helping to set the publication’s voice, priorities, and long-term vision
Help shape coverage across essays, reported features, profiles, criticism, cultural analysis, and experimental formats
Edit stories at every stage—from pitch to publication—ensuring clarity, rigor, and a distinct point of view
Identify, recruit, and commission writers and creators both on and off Substack, with an eye toward originality and range
Work closely with emerging voices and established writers alike, helping them do some of their best work
Maintain strong relationships with contributors and act as a thoughtful, engaged editor
Help manage editorial calendars, workflows, and production timelines across multiple weekly publishing cycles
Coordinate with social, design, video, and partnerships teams to ensure stories are thoughtfully presented and widely seen
Step in as a decision-maker when needed—balancing speed, judgment, and editorial standards
Help think through how The Substack Post evolves: new series, new formats, special packages, print or live extensions, and more
Track performance thoughtfully, focusing not just on traffic but on cultural resonance, reader response, and long-term value
Contribute ideas about how Substack can better surface and support great cultural work across the platform