Deputy Website Editor

Reform UK is seeking an ambitious Deputy Website Editor to help run its new, enlarged digital newsroom from the party's Westminster headquarters. Working closely with the Website Editor, this role will be central to turning the Reform UK website into a fast, authoritative and high-performing national publishing operation.

The Deputy Website Editor will run shifts, commission stories, manage handovers, quality-control output, respond to breaking news and help maintain the homepage and daily publishing agenda across a seven-day rota. The role requires strong native digital skills, excellent judgement, energy and the ability to keep a busy team organised when the news agenda changes quickly.

• Run shifts and keep the newsroom buzzing
• Deputise for the Website Editor and take clear responsibility for the newsroom, homepage and publishing agenda during assigned shifts.
• Run commissioning, handovers and daily priorities so every important story has an owner, deadline, platform package and next action.
• React quickly to breaking news, speeches, events and political developments, reallocating resources and updating priorities without losing control of the broader schedule.
• Help manage early, late and weekend rotas, ensuring consistent leadership, continuity and resilience across the seven-day operation.

Commission and edit breaking news, original reporting, interviews, explainers, policy coverage, video-led stories and event packages that can compete for national attention.

Push reporters beyond low-value rewriting and clipping, encouraging original angles, strong sourcing, clear headlines and useful follow-up coverage.

Help build named topic ownership and repeatable coverage rhythms around priority areas so the website develops authority as well as volume.

Ensure copy is accurate, well structured, properly sourced and appropriately optimised before publication, with clear escalation on contentious or higher-risk material.

Maintain high standards of headline writing, homepage presentation, internal linking, embeds, recirculation and lifecycle management of time-sensitive pages.

Monitor real-time and longer-term performance and use the evidence to influence commissioning, headlines, homepage treatment and follow-up coverage.

Apply strong SEO knowledge to breaking and evergreen publishing, helping grow non-branded discovery and authority around Reform UK's key topics and public figures.

Spot opportunities quickly from search demand, audience behaviour, social signals and the developing news agenda, and convert them into practical editorial action.

Coach reporters and producers during shifts, providing clear feedback and helping less experienced colleagues improve speed, judgement and native digital skills.

Support performance management, training, rota planning and team development, identifying gaps or recurring workflow problems early.

Coordinate closely with Video & Live and Brand Social Media so major stories and events are planned for the website and adapted effectively across other platforms.

Work constructively with Communications, Campaigns, Policy, Operations and other stakeholders while maintaining clear editorial priorities and avoiding unnecessary gatekeeping.

Help ensure website content supports wider audience journeys into email, Reform Go, membership, events and other appropriate actions without weakening the core editorial product.

• Apply strong editorial and legal judgement to fast-moving content, escalating defamation, contempt, privacy, copyright or other risks appropriately.
• Use clear green/amber/red approval principles so routine work moves quickly while contentious or high-risk material receives the right level of review.
• Identify bottlenecks and recurring errors, fix the underlying workflow where possible and eliminate structural issues before they become operational failures.
• Give the Website Editor clear updates on performance, risks, staffing issues, opportunities and decisions requiring follow-up.
• Contribute proactively to editorial planning, new formats, topic strategies and improvements to the website rather than treating the role as shift supervision alone.
• Build trusted relationships with reporters, senior editors, political colleagues and subject specialists, communicating clearly…