Communities Editor

We are pioneering a new model for local and niche journalism  launching hyper-local and highly targeted paid newsletters in markets like Southport, Ayrshire, and the Newcastle business community, we are shifting from scale-driven pageviews to deep, subscription-driven community engagement.

The Communities Editor will spearhead the execution of this new vertical. You will oversee the successful launch and daily operations of these initial titles, helping to write the playbook for how Reach does journalism in these markets moving forward. This is a unique hybrid role requiring the editorial standards of a seasoned editor and the growth mindset of a modern digital strategist.

You will steer the content strategy and be responsible for optimising these brands for audience growth, community engagement, and journalistic impact.

We are flexible around location and this role can be based anywhere in the UK, but we would ideally be looking for someone who is able to travel into one of our national hubs when required.

Hello, we’re Reach. Every day, our trusted news, stories and content connect with millions of people where they live - whether that’s on their social feed or at their neighbourhood newsstand; through their local community or their take on the hot topic of the day.

We're home to more than 120 trusted brands - from household names like the Daily Record, Mirror, Express and Daily Star, to local titles like Glasgow Live, Belfast Live, and the Manchester Evening News, and brands making a splash in the US like the Irish Star.

It's our ability to understand people and the things that matter to them that makes us the UK and Ireland's largest commercial news publisher. We reach 70% of the UK's online population and speak to over 100 million social followers around the world. And we’re just getting started…

As a modern media organisation, we're much more than just news. And it takes a wide range of people and skills to serve diverse audiences, customers and communities like we do.

We know everyone has their own story to tell, so we’ve built an environment where every background is respected and every day is a day to explore.

We’ll help you build a career that works with your life, while giving you the space to create and grow.

• Launch and operate: Lead the rollout of our initial test markets (Southport, Ayrshire, Journal), taking them from concept to live beta, and establishing the daily publishing rhythm.
• Define the playbook: Develop and document best practices for this new model. This includes defining content cadence, formatting ("Smart Brevity" style), platform workflows (Launchpad to Substack), and community engagement tactics.
• Talent management and coaching: Hire, manage, and mentor a new breed of entrepreneurial journalists. You will help them hone their distinct "voice," coach them on building their local networks, and support them in acting as both reporters and community managers.
• Optimise for growth and conversion: While you won't hold the ultimate PandL, you will be responsible for the metrics that drive the business. You will obsess over the funnel: free sign-ups, open rates, click-throughs, and free-to-paid conversion rates, adjusting content strategy to improve these numbers.
• Product and platform iteration: Continuously experiment with the platform's capabilities (e.g., commenting, podcasts, local events, tiered subscriptions) to see what drives reader retention and loyalty.

To make this work, the Communities Editor will need to operate seamlessly across multiple departments:

• The writers/local talent: Your direct reports. You are their editor, mentor, and biggest internal advocate.
• Reach editorial and commercial leadership: You…