The Senior Editor leads the creation and curation of content that aligns the organization’s strategic priorities with unmet needs for planning information in the marketplace. The role prioritizes digital strategies, ensuring that content maximizes engagement and reach.
Critical Outcomes
Relevant and compelling written, audio, and visual content is developed to deliver timely news, celebrate advances in planning practice, and proactively address gaps in planning knowledge, as a primary means of advancing APA positions, priorities, and strategic goals.
A digital-first content strategy employs a breadth of creative formats for delivering information to APA’s target audiences in new and existing channels.
Strategically aligned content is designed and delivered with efficiency and purpose advancing APA’s priorities and position in alignment with topics most valuable to customers.
Content reach is maximized through effective customer listening and learning using data and insights.
Communications vehicles including Planning and podcasts deliver mutual value to the marketplace and APA, driving consumption, engagement, and sharing of APA content by customers and creating revenue and conversion opportunities for APA.
Content planning, development, and distribution processes efficiently and consistently deliver against production deadlines and budgets, leveraging the expertise of internal and external partners.
Core Responsibilities
Editorial Strategy. Plays a crucial role in editorial direction. Collaborates with a variety of staff to understand organizational priorities, positions, and goals. Understands revenue and conversation opportunity for APA and content needs of target audiences to identify unique opportunities to create mutual value. Leads experimentation around a digital-first content strategy for APA, starting with the evolution of content formats (e.g., video, interactive graphics, etc.) to the intentional application of new and existing distribution channels (e.g., social media, podcasts, e-newsletters, etc.) to deliver value. Manages the development of written content for digital channels, aiming to get "more bites of the apple,” for each piece of content, avoiding redundancies, and curating relevant archival content.
Content Planning and Creation. Leads ideation around specific content streams that deliver on strategic messaging and editorial/audience priorities. Makes decisions about the editorial direction of content in digital channels. Collaborates with the Creative Director to plan and support a realistic digital Planning and podcast editorial schedule. Writes (or produces) new content for a variety of channels. Assigns and edits content written by freelance writers and members; assesses and modifies existing APA content for re-use. Enforces written content development deadlines. Reviews final layouts of digital and print publications for copyediting and copyfitting issues, and for voice, clarity, and relevance. Manages editorial budget.
Content Delivery. Coordinates delivery of content solutions for purposes of cross-promoting them in communications vehicles, deciding the best distribution timing for maximum impact, and ensuring consistency in tone, voice, and messaging. Manages email and social media outreach campaigns in collaboration with integrated Marcom teams.
Ambassadorship. Identifies, creates, and maintains relationships with internal and external influencers who may supply content, serve as subject matter experts, or help to promote APA content solutions.
Leadership. Supervises Content Associate, providing coaching, professional development, empowering them to exercise creative and critical thinking and independent judgment in achieving results.
Core Requirements
Highly collaborative team member and leader who works effectively with colleagues across the organization to pursue opportunities, overcome challenges, and maximize impact. Models and effectively communicates organizational values and priorities. Encourages partnership around shared goals.
Passionate about the planning profession and its stakeholders; readily cultivates relationships with potential content authors and contributors, growing and diversifying the pool of talent supporting APA.
Journalistic savvy, creativity, and excellent oral and written communication skills that inspire customers, influence stakeholders.
A digital expert with a track record of success developing and deploying engaging content in a variety of formats and channels. Comfortable implementing best practices (SEO, SEM, community building, etc.) to attract customers, create and deliver value. Proven track record effectively planning and implementing a promotion strategy across social media and other channels.
Commitment to continuous learning and adaptation in the face of rapid change.
Ability to explore, design, and iterate solutions centered on the customer that create mutual value to the organization (design thinking capacity).
Thrives in a complex environment. Excellent organizational skills with the ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, adhere to and enforce deadlines on strategy, and deliver outcomes.
How to Apply
Submit a cover letter to communicationjob@planning.org. The following must be addressed in your letter to participate in the evaluation process:
Salary expectations
Resume
Writing sample
The American Planning Association exists to elevate and unite a diverse planning profession as it helps communities, their leaders and residents anticipate and meet the needs of a changing world. Learn more at www.planning.org.
APA embraces diversity and equal opportunity in our employment practices. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our impact will be.
APA Dynamic Office Environment
APA offers a dynamic work environment that brings those of us in the Chicagoland area together in person two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday. This time is used to rekindle relationships, build new ones and connect with each other formally and informally in a way we can’t do online. The other three days can be worked remotely or in the office.
APA exists to elevate and unite a diverse planning profession as it helps communities, their leaders and residents anticipate and meet the needs of a changing world.
