Head of Editorial, Axios Live New Washington DC or NYC

The big picture: Axios is a modern media company dedicated to providing trustworthy, award-winning news content in an audience-first format. We’re hiring a Head of Live Editorial to join our award-winning events team, Axios Live!

Why it matters: Axios Live is one of Axios’ three core business pillars, bringing Axios journalism to in‑person and virtual audiences through interviews, panels, roundtables, and executive forums. This senior editorial leader will oversee macro people management, connect the Booking and Coverage silos, and serve as the primary liaison between Axios Live and the broader newsroom. Reporting to the Executive Vice President, Global Head of Axios Live, this role ensures our live events portfolio meets Axios’ editorial standards, reflects diverse perspectives, and strengthens Axios’ position at the forefront of news and business storytelling.

Go deeper: This is a high-impact leadership role with broad editorial and operational responsibilities, including but not limited to:

• Set the editorial vision and strategy for Axios Live programming across all event formats.
• Ensure all Axios Live editorial outputs, including onstage interviews, marketing materials, recap articles, and post-event coverage, meet Axios’ editorial standards and Smart Brevity style.
• Exercise sound editorial judgment in fast-moving news environments, adapting programming as news develops and ensuring live-event scripts, materials, and coverage assets are ready for breaking-news needs.
• Lead and develop the Axios Live editorial team, including editors, bookers, coverage leads, and Managing Editor; oversee team structure, role design, performance management, and career development.
• Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture aligned with Axios’ mission and values.
• Serve as the primary liaison to the broader newsroom, aligning editorial priorities, event coverage, and resource sharing.
• Partner with Communications to align on timely promotion, amplification, and coverage of Axios Live events, while identifying opportunities to grow the Axios brand, audience, and event reach.
• Lead rigorous copy editing and final editorial review of Axios Live’s external-facing materials, including event scripts, moderator notes, speaker introductions, marketing copy, run-of-show materials, recap stories, social copy, and other audience-facing assets, to ensure accuracy, clarity, consistency, and adherence to Axios’ editorial standards and Smart Brevity style.

Programming and Standards

• Develop event concepts, programming arcs, and editorial frameworks for all Axios events, summits, and larger Axios-hosted programs.
• Shape a diverse, compelling Axios Live programming portfolio that keeps Axios at the forefront of news, policy, and industry storytelling.
• Partner with Sales and Partnerships to design sponsored and branded programming that maintains editorial integrity.

Strategy and Innovation

• Contribute to the strategic growth of Axios Live, including new formats, verticals, and revenue opportunities.
• Demonstrate comfort with and understanding of AI, automation, and emerging tools, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and quality across research, booking, production, and editorial workflows.
• Represent Axios Live internally and externally, and potentially onstage at live events, as a senior editorial voice.

Connect Booking and Coverage

• Own the connective tissue between Booking, including securing newsmakers and influencers, and Coverage, including event language, recaps, live‑tweeting, and post‑event content.
• Ensure seamless coordination among editorial, events, sales, and partnerships so programming is editorially sound and commercially compelling.

Worthy of your time: Ideal candidates will embody an entrepreneurial spirit, a deep passion for Axios’ mission and journalism, and the following skills:

• 12 - 15+ years of journalism or editorial experience, including significant experience leading teams and complex editorial operations.
• Significant experience in live news, events, TV or video production, or related fields.
• Proven success working in, or closely with, a newsroom and building strong cross‑functional relationships.
• Excellent writing, copy editing, and research skills, with exceptional attention to detail, keen news judgment, and storytelling ability.
• Deep familiarity with digital and social media landscapes and how news travels across platforms.
• Strong understanding of Axios’ Smart Brevity style and the ability to teach and uphold it across a team.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and scale editorial teams, including managers and senior individual contributors.
• Ability to operate in high‑pressure situations, meet tight deadlines, and make calm, sound decisions under pressure.
• An extensive rolodex of senior leaders, policymakers, CEOs, and other newsmakers, along with the ability to scout, pitch, and book editorially sound guests for high‑profile onstage moments.
• Understanding of how editorial excellence supports business goals, including sponsorships, partnerships, and ticketing.
• Ability to travel for major events and activations, which may include Davos, Cannes Lions, SXSW, CES, Climate Week, and political conventions.
• Experience with video editing, live production, or broadcast is a plus. A background in media, policy, Capitol Hill, or political campaigns is also a plus.

Starting salary for this role is in the range of $180,000 - $230,000 and is dependent on numerous factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, and skills. This range does not include other compensation benefits. Axios' compensation philosophy takes into account cost of labor differentials across the country. Because this is a remote‑optional job posting, this salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location.

Axios is committed to embracing artificial intelligence as a core part of how we work. All team members are expected to actively develop AI literacy and use AI tools to enhance their productivity, creativity, and efficiency. We invest in ongoing learning to ensure every employee is equipped to responsibly and effectively integrate AI into their daily workflows.

What Axios brings to the table besides salary:

• 401(k) with employer match
• Robust PPO and high‑deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
• Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high‑deductible health plan option
• Dental and vision coverage
• Primary caregiver 12‑week paid leave
• Annual learning and development stipend
• $100 monthly work‑from‑home stipend
• Tele‑mental health services through Headspace
• OneMedical membership, including tele‑health services
• Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate
• Inclusive fertility, hormonal health and family forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
• Access to the Axios “Family Fund”, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies
• Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers
• Virtual company‑sponsored social events
• A strong and positive work environment
• A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Axios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Axios makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.