Vertical Video Editor (News)

Job Description

Job Description

Title: Vertical Video Editor (News)

Schedule Format - Location: Hybrid - San Francisco

Pay Information: $79,828 - $99,785
Temporary: 1-Year Limited Term, Full Time

The Vertical Video Editor is an experienced video editor responsible for creating compelling, accurate, and platform-native vertical video content for KQED’s newsroom. Working closely with the Social Video Producer, reporters, editors, and other newsroom colleagues, this position will transform reporting, interviews, field footage, archival materials, graphics, and other source material into engaging short-form video for platforms including TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.

The Vertical Video Editor will be a creative editorial partner to the Social Video Producer, collaborating from story development through final delivery to determine the most effective visual approach, story structure, pacing, graphics, sound, and platform-specific execution. The role will help develop repeatable vertical video formats and editing practices that allow KQED News to produce high-quality social video efficiently and consistently.

This position requires strong editorial judgment, excellent storytelling instincts, and advanced technical and creative editing skills. The ideal candidate understands how audiences consume video on mobile and social platforms and can translate journalistic reporting into concise, visually compelling stories without compromising accuracy, context, or KQED’s editorial standards.

The Vertical Video Editor will work within post-production workflows established by the Senior Video Editor and collaborate with Digital Video, Audience Development, and News leadership to improve vertical video storytelling based on audience behavior and performance data.

KQED envisions a public media organization with a culture that centers on human dignity, equity, and belonging. This will enable us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling. 

We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.

KQED Code of Ethics -ethics

The mission that drives us:

KQED provide citizens of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.

This role will work hybrid between working in KQED's newly renovated headquarters and working remotely. 

Essential Functions:

• Edit high-quality vertical video content for KQED News across TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and other emerging vertical video platforms.
• Edit video from a wide range of sources, including original field footage, interviews, reporter standups, user-generated content, archival footage, photographs, screen recordings, graphics, and third-party materials.
• Shape edits for mobile-first viewing, using strong hooks, pacing, visual storytelling, captions, graphics, sound, and other techniques designed for vertical platforms.
• Create captions, text treatments, lower thirds, graphics, and other visual elements appropriate for vertical video platforms.
• Perform sound editing and mixing, color correction, basic motion graphics, and other post-production functions required to complete high-quality video.
• Source and incorporate appropriate visual and audio assets, including archival and third-party materials, in coordination with producers and newsroom staff.
• Create multiple versions, cutdowns, and platform-specific edits as needed.
• Prepare final video files and associated assets for publishing and distribution.
• Develop and maintain repeatable editing approaches, templates, workflows, and visual formats that improve the efficiency and consistency of KQED News vertical video production.
• Manage project media and maintain organized edit projects in accordance with KQED post-production, media management, and archival workflows.
• Meet tight publishing schedules and communicate proactively about potential production or post-production issues that could affect delivery.
• Work with animators, illustrators, photographers, reporters, and other creative collaborators to incorporate additional visual elements as needed.
• Work with the Senior Video Editor to develop, adopt and implement post-production standards, workflows, technical requirements, and best practices across News vertical video.
• Help establish and maintain a distinctive visual language for KQED News vertical video while ensuring consistency with KQED’s broader brand and editorial standards.
• Work quickly and efficiently on breaking and developing news while maintaining KQED’s standards for accuracy, fairness, attribution, context, and editorial integrity.
• Work with reporters and editors to clarify or resolve editorial questions that arise during the editing process.Work closely with the Social Video Producer, reporters, editors, and newsroom stakeholders to translate reporting and story concepts into compelling visual narratives.
• Collaborate with the News Social Video Producer from story development through final delivery, providing creative and editorial input on story structure, visual approach, pacing, graphics, sound, and platform execution.
• Collaborate with Audience Development to understand audience behavior, performance data, and platform trends and apply those insights to future edits and storytelling approaches.
• Participate in editorial and production meetings and contribute ideas for improving KQED’s vertical video strategy and storytelling.

Other Job Functions:

• Perform other video and organizational duties as assigned.

Knowledge/Experience Required:

• Minimum of three years of professional video editing experience, with demonstrated experience creating content for digital and social platforms.
• Strong proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro and familiarity with Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Media Encoder.
• Demonstrated experience editing short-form, vertical video specifically for platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
• Strong understanding of mobile-first and social-first storytelling, including hooks, pacing, visual sequencing, captions, graphics, and audience retention.
• Excellent editorial judgment and a strong understanding of journalistic principles, ethics, accuracy, attribution, and standards.
• Demonstrated ability to work with reporters, producers, editors, and other editorial stakeholders to shape stories during the editing process.
• Strong storytelling instincts and the ability to identify the most compelling narrative within interviews, field footage, archival material, and other source materials.
• Ability to edit quickly and accurately under tight deadlines, including the ability to respond to breaking or developing news.
• Strong sound editing and mixing skills, including dialogue cleanup, music, sound effects, and overall audio balancing.
• Experience with color correction and basic motion graphics.
• Strong understanding of video codecs, resolutions, frame rates, aspect ratios, audio formats, and technical requirements for digital and social video.
• Ability to create accessible video content, including accurate captions and clear audio.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, including the ability to manage multiple projects and maintain organized media and edit projects.
• Ability to work independently while also collaborating closely with a multidisciplinary newsroom and video team.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to respond constructively to editorial feedback and iterate quickly.
• Commitment to KQED’s mission and journalistic standards.

Knowledge/Experience Desired:

• Experience working in a newsroom or other journalistic environment.
• Experience editing breaking news, current affairs, documentary, explanatory, or other journalism-focused video.
• Experience developing repeatable social video formats, templates, or post-production workflows.
• Advanced After Effects and motion graphics skills.
• Experience incorporating animation, data visualization, maps, screenshots, social posts, and other visual journalism techniques into video.
• Experience working with user-generated content and third-party video materials.
• Familiarity with rights, licensing, releases, and editorial considerations related to third-party media.
• Experience using audience analytics or performance data to inform editing and storytelling decisions.
• Familiarity with KQED, public media, or mission-driven journalism.
• Familiarity with digital asset management and post-production systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, film, media production, communications, or a related field preferred.

NOTE : This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employees may be required to perform other related duties as necessary to meet the ongoing needs of this organization.

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