WHAT DOES AN EDITORIAL MANAGER DO?

Updated: Mai 29, 2025 - The Editorial Manager collaborates with the Editorial Manager(s) and Head of Editorial Services to implement requirements and conduct training for the team. Responsibilities include monitoring capacity, managing resourcing, and escalating issues to ensure timely project delivery. The role also involves overseeing budget preparation, quality control, and reporting on project progress, risks, and successes

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Editorial Manager

1. Editorial Manager Duties

  • Leadership and Team Management: Line manage the Senior Managing Editors and Editorial Coordinators, meeting regularly to monitor progress, resolve issues, prioritize work, identify areas for personal and professional development, and provide general pastoral support and care.
  • Team Oversight and Development: Oversee line management of indirect reports (Managing Editors), supporting managers to ensure a consistent and effective approach, and developing a strong editorial management team.
  • Communication and Meeting Facilitation: Establish and run team meetings, to ensure that key business information and project updates are cascaded and departmental tasks prioritized.
  • Stakeholder Management: Agree requirements with Head of Editorial Services.
  • Recruitment and Talent Management: Manage end-to-end process preparing job description(s), raising requirements on internal system, briefing and liaising with Recruitment Analyst, managing interviews for direct reports and overseeing indirect, seeking approval on final offers and agreeing appropriate start dates.
  • Interview and Selection: In collaboration with the Editorial Manager(s) and Head of Editorial Services, ensure interview questions and selection tasks are consistent and fit for purpose, suggesting updates.
  • Internal Communication: Draft and post new recruit announcements to the business.
  • Progress Reporting: Keep the Head of Editorial Services updated on progress.
  • Onboarding and Induction: Input into the development and maintenance of a comprehensive Editorial Services induction plan.
  • New Hire Integration and Support: Prepare and implement a plan for new team members (manage for direct reports, oversee for indirect).
  • Budget Management: Adjust plans for locational needs and oversee budget.
  • Training and Development: Closely monitor the progress of new recruits, identifying requirements for further training, and providing additional support and guidance.
  • Skill Development and Empowerment: Identify gaps and opportunities for training within team in order to ensure that individuals are empowered and equipped to carry out roles to the best of abilities.

2. Editorial Manager Details

  • Collaboration and Training: Work collaboratively with Editorial Manager(s) and Head of Editorial Services to agree, prepare and implement requirements, carrying out training directly with own or to wider team.
  • Resource Management: Work with the other Editorial Manager(s) to ensure all pre-approval and approved projects are adequately resourced to ensure delivery to agreed deadlines.
  • Capacity Monitoring and Adjustment: Monitor capacity within team, solution and make changes.
  • Resource Tracking: Maintain central (live) resourcing sheet for visibility.
  • Communication: Communicate resource changes to project teams.
  • Escalation: Escalate resource issues to Head of Editorial Services in a timely manner.
  • Budget and Resource Planning: Prepare and oversee the preparation of Editorial Services budgets, resource plans and schedules for inclusion in investment approval documents.
  • Project Support: Support Senior Managing Editors with new project start-up, assigning appropriate resource at component level and ensuring schedules are prepared in a timely manner.
  • Reporting and Analysis: Provide the Head of Editorial Services with management reports and editorial spend figures, identifying project successes, delays and risks.
  • Feedback and Reporting: Collate feedback from team members in order to report at weekly management WIP meetings.
  • Escalation of Delays or Issues: Escalate project delays and/or team issues in a timely manner.
  • Quality Control: Monitor quality control on all products (print and digital), ensuring that procedures and processes are in place, and being followed, that minimize errors in finished products.

3. Editorial Manager Responsibilities

  • Process Improvement: Make suggestions for improvements, agreeing on changes to process or training requirements with Editorial Manager(s) and Head of Editorial Services to help ensure the highest quality standards are maintained.
  • System Management: Manage team to ensure all business systems and key systems of record are maintained and accurate.
  • System Superuser Management: Nominate system ‘superusers' from the team to act as champions.
  • Feedback and Issue Escalation: Collate feedback from team and escalate questions and issues as necessary.
  • Best Practices and Workflow Development: Departmental best practices, workflows and procedures.
  • Process Documentation: Create and input into processes and documentation outlining procedures and guidelines in all Editorial Services areas, e.g. editorial style guides, editorial briefing, workflow briefing.
  • Collaborative Process Feedback: Proactively feedback on procedures, making suggestions for better ways of working and work collaboratively to implement changes.
  • System and Process Implementation: Drive the implementation of new systems and processes and work to embed agreed best practices within team.
  • Supplier and Freelancer Management: Ensure team follow supplier and freelancer engagement best practice at all times (including use of preferred suppliers and rates, as well as following all contracting and PO guidelines).
  • Supplier Feedback and Performance: Encourage and collate feedback on supplier performance for escalation to Head of Editorial Services and Delivery Optimization Manager in order to monitor and assess business value, share experiences with other Editorial Manager(s).
  • Contract and PO Approval: Approve contracts and POs from team in a timely manner.
  • Additional Task Completion: Complete additional tasks as defined and agreed with the Head of Editorial Services.

4. Editorial Manager Job Summary

  • Client Coverage and Media Relations: Secure consistent, quality and favorable client coverage in target mediums and top-tier outlets across print, digital, podcasts and broadcast.
  • Account Management: Serve as key contact person for day-to-day editorial account activities.
  • Content Creation and Editing: Create and edit content on behalf of the brand ambassador program, draft and edit press releases and occasionally, write bylined articles on behalf of the Capture One leadership team.
  • Newsletter Content Coordination: Create and coordinate all editorial content for the monthly newsletter.
  • Collaboration with Stakeholders: Work with external stakeholders and other Capture One departments to ensure the quality and implementation of all external-facing content.
  • Editorial Calendar Management: Manage an editorial calendar with minimal supervision with a wide degree of creativity and independent thinking.
  • Partnership and Event Evaluation: Evaluate opportunities for partnerships, events, and sponsorships on an ongoing basis with Head of External Communications & PR and Head of Community.
  • Multitasking and Project Management: Multitask, adjust quickly, organize, and re-prioritize/manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
  • Media Placement and Press Management: Assist with media placement and management of press inquiries.
  • Media Masterclass Execution: Assist with the ideation and execution of media masterclasses.
  • Media Coverage Monitoring: Monitor and track media coverage.

5. Editorial Manager Accountabilities

  • Client Management: Handle important clients and continually raise the bar across all initiatives and press coverage.
  • Meeting and Conference Call Management: Run meetings and conference calls in a professional, educational and confident manner.
  • Adaptability and Multitasking: Thrive in a fast-paced environment and juggle multiple assignments and changing priorities.
  • Independent Work: Work independently and with very minimal supervision.
  • Brand Positioning and Messaging: Advise clients on brand positioning and messaging.
  • Media List Building: Build targeted media lists with relevant writers, editors and journalists.
  • Leadership and Continuous Learning: Commit to continuous learning and improvement of leadership skills.
  • Public Speaking and Presentation: Compelling presenter and public speaker.
  • Account Reporting and Strategy: Compile and deliver monthly account reports, status updates, call agendas, and strategy guides to clients to ensure continuous execution of goals and objectives.
  • Content Creation and Media Outreach: Craft enticing pitches, press releases and brand materials to distribute to targeted media.
  • Strategic Publicity Development: Develop high-level strategy for generating favorable publicity and desired messaging for all accounts across target media.
  • Relationship Building with Media: Develop and maintain relationships with key editors, media, and journalists.
Relevant Information
What Does An Editorial Assistant Do?
What Does An Editorial Director Do?
What Does An Editorial Do?