Copy Editor

COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE: Public Relations

REPORTS TO: Managing Copy Editor

LOCATION: Remote in Ohio or an approved state (FL, MI, NC, PA, TN, TX)

EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Part-time (approximately 24 hours per week), benefits eligible

COMPENSATION: $30-$35 per hour equivalent

Who Is Marcus Thomas?

Marcus Thomas is one of the country's leading independent advertising and marketing agencies, and we're independent again on purpose. We bought ourselves back from private equity so our clients and our people come before shareholders. We're 200+ people who work with fewer layers and less bureaucracy, focused on one goal: turning chaos into clarity, built around each client's problem.

We do the work ourselves, with real judgment and real people. We roll up our sleeves, ask a better question, figure it out and stay in it for the long term. We have offices in Cleveland and Cincinnati, Ohio; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Santiago, Chile, working across creative, media, public relations, social, digital strategy and technology.

Location and Work Arrangement

This is a fully remote role with no in-office requirement. Eligibility is based on the candidate's established primary residence at the time of offer.

• Remote: Employees anywhere in Ohio or in an approved state work fully remotely.
• Approved remote states: Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Texas
• Schedule: This position is expected to work approximately 24 hours per week. The specific schedule will be coordinated with the Managing Copy Editor based on team coverage needs and the employee's availability.

Candidates must have an established primary residence in an approved state before an offer can be issued. We can't issue an offer based on a planned future move without a valid address.

Employment Eligibility

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Marcus Thomas is unable to provide employment visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future.

About the Role

As a Copy Editor at Marcus Thomas, you'll help ensure the accuracy, consistency and quality of work produced across the agency. You'll primarily focus on proofreading, copy editing and fact-checking a wide range of client-facing and internal materials, from ads, catalogs and videos to layouts, reports, presentations and proposals. Working closely with the Managing Copy Editor, project managers, administrative assistants and teams across creative, media, public relations, social, digital strategy and technology, you'll make sure our work is accurate, consistent and true to the conventions of spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax and AP style. You'll work across many types of content we produce, and your work directly protects the quality our clients count on. This is a fast-paced, deadline-driven individual contributor role for someone with top-notch language skills, a sharp eye for facts and figures, and a genuine enjoyment of working with others.

Key Responsibilities

• Monitor email for incoming assignments, working closely with the managing copy editor to share and assign work and coordinate deadlines.
• Proofread and copy edit client-facing and internal materials across the agency, catching and correcting errors, inconsistencies and style issues.
• Review Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel files, PDFs and materials routed through Studio or Hive.
• Manage a varying workload of proofreading assignments and adjust to changing deadlines and priorities to meet the needs of our teams.
• Check grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting and consistency with style guides, using checklists, client style guides and other tools; conduct research to verify factual accuracy, including names, phone numbers, URLs, product names and trademarks.
• Assist in creating and maintaining style guides for both the agency and clients.
• Learn and support technology that is necessary to the copy editing function, including Hive.
• Assist with special copy editing projects as assigned.
• Adapt and improve proofreading practices in coordination with the Managing Copy Editor.

What Success Looks Like

First 90 Days

• Understand our intake process, Hive workflow, AP style conventions and key client style guides.
• Independently handle a regular daily load of proofreading assignments with accuracy and on time

Within 6 Months

• Consistently deliver accurate, on-deadline edits across all content types with minimal oversight.
• Serve as a trusted resource for project managers and teams on style, accuracy and fact-checking questions.

Within 12 Months

• Contribute meaningfully to creating and maintaining agency and client style guides.
• Help shape improvements to proofreading practices alongside the managing copy editor.

Required Qualifications

• At least three years of professional proofreading or copy editing experience, preferably in journalism, publishing, marketing or another deadline-driven editorial environment. Equivalent professional experience will be considered in place of a degree.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with short-term deadlines on a daily basis
• Rigorous attention to detail and quality - an eagle eye for catching errors
• Top-notch spelling and grammar skills
• Resourceful in checking factual information and spelling (e.g., product names, place names, people's names, websites, etc.)
• Excellent time management and organizational skills
• Ability to multitask and be flexible with changing priorities
• Collaborative, dependable and willing to adjust priorities to meet changing deadlines
• Ability to express oneself in writing and in person clearly and effectively
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel, and the ability to learn additional workflow and review tools such as Hive
• Ability to work well in a team environment and to work with many individuals and disciplines
• Ability to communicate concerns, solve problems with colleagues, and share or trade assignments

Preferred Qualifications

These qualifications may help someone ramp up more quickly, but they aren't required for consideration.

• Experience proofreading for an advertising agency, in-house marketing team or publisher
• Experience creating or maintaining editorial or brand style guides
• Experience fact-checking content for publication or broadcast

Benefits Highlights

• Time Off: A flexible time-off policy, with most employees taking approximately four to six weeks annually.
• Family Support: Twelve weeks of fully paid parental leave.
• Health and Wellness: Medical, dental and vision coverage, plus telemedicine, behavioral health resources.
• Lifestyle Support: Wellness and creative stipends, phone plan support and partner discounts.
• Financial Benefits: A 401(k) with company contributions, student loan repayment support and college savings options.

Team Values

At Marcus Thomas, our values shape how we work with each other and with our clients.

Community - We contribute to the growth of our agency, our industry and our communities.

Accountability - We show up, keep our word, and take ownership of our work and results.

Collaboration - We lead with empathy, listen actively and value every voice.

Curiosity - We stay curious, ask questions and bring new ideas to the table.

Diversity - We respect and celebrate different perspectives because they make the work stronger.

Make Work Play - We bring energy, creativity and joy into everything we do.

Our Hiring Process

Our hiring process helps us learn about your experience while giving you a clear understanding of the role, team and agency. It typically includes an initial recruiter conversation, a hiring manager interview, a team or leadership interview, and final selection.

We may use AI-assisted tools to help organize and review application materials. These tools may compare résumé information with job qualifications and highlight relevant experience for our recruiting team. Candidates may opt out of AI-assisted résumé screening when applying.

With candidate consent, we may use AI-assisted tools to record and transcribe interviews. Candidates may opt out of recording or transcription at any stage without affecting their consideration.

AI tools don't make hiring decisions. Our recruiting and hiring teams review candidate information and decide who moves forward.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Marcus Thomas, different perspectives strengthen our teams and our work. We're committed to fair access to opportunity and an environment where employees can contribute, develop and succeed.

We encourage applications from people with a wide range of identities, experiences and backgrounds, including those historically underrepresented in advertising and marketing.

Marcus Thomas provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees. Employment decisions are made without regard to any status protected by applicable law.

The pay range for this role is:

30 - 35 USD per hour (Remote (United States))