Social Media Editor, NYT Cooking

The New York Times•New York, NY

16h•$113,946 - $115,000•Onsite

About The Position

NYT Cooking is looking for a Social Media Editor with strong writing skills, sharp strategic instincts, an eye for visuals and a love of food to join our interdisciplinary, fast-growing team. You will be the day-to-day voice of NYT Cooking across our most visible social platforms, including Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and more. You will own the daily execution of our social strategy, building and publishing a high volume of engaging feed posts, Reels and TikToks. You will pair food photography and video with sharp, compelling copy that inspires people to cook and ultimately drives audiences to the NYT Cooking app, website, newsletter and other properties.

Requirements

5+ years of experience working as a social media editor or manager for a brand or publication, with direct experience running high-follower Instagram and TikTok accounts.
Exceptional editorial judgement and copywriting skills, with the ability to write clearly, concisely, and in a distinct, engaging voice.
Hands-on experience with social scheduling platforms, graphic design platforms like Figma and database platforms like AirTable.
Fluency in digital analytics software, such as Dash Social, ManyChat, Facebook Insights, NewsWhip and Google Analytics.
Experience with all mainstream and some emerging social channels.

Nice To Haves

A strategic mind with a bend towards testing and iterating to find what resonates with various audiences.
Functional cooking knowledge or culinary experience, and a love of cooking and recipes.
A commitment to collaboration and collegiality.
Willingness to learn new skills and pitch in when needed to accomplish the goals of a small team.
A deep passion for food, cooking and the mission of The New York Times.

Responsibilities

Build, schedule and publish a high volume of daily content, including 6-10 Instagram feed posts and 3-5 short-form videos (Reels, TikToks).
Write sharp, engaging captions and on-screen text. Workshop headlines and copy with senior editors to ensure everything published reflects the smart, accessible and entertaining voice of NYT Cooking.
Select, crop, and optimize food photography for social feeds. Add text, graphics and layout elements to posts using design platforms like Figma.
Optimize videos for social publication by adding text, closed captions and music/audio.
Be an expert on the competitive landscape: Keep a constant pulse on culture, trends and emerging formats and platforms.
Foster community by actively engaging with our followers in the comments; translate conversations happening on our social platform into actionable, relevant content and product ideas.
Help build a smart approach to our presence on smaller and emerging platforms such as Reddit, Pinterest and WhatsApp as necessary.
Actively participate in regular social promo meetings, brainstorming creative ways to visually package and promote upcoming recipes, articles, videos and seasonal tentpoles.
Work towards follower and engagement goals on social accounts; use analytics to make informed strategic decisions. Interpret data and signals to know what content is the right fit for what audiences at what time (holidays, seasonality, trends).
Track engagement rates, growth statistics, reader responses and other metrics to inform content strategy. Regularly communicate these data points to the editorial team, translating them into actionable takeaways that shape future storytelling.
Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.