Editorial Event Producer - Contract Opportunity

Who we are

Semafor is a global news platform for an increasingly complex world in which consumers are overwhelmed by too many news sources and unsure what to trust. We are building Semafor to enable world-class journalists to deliver reporting and insights with rigor in journalistic forms that ensure a new level of transparency. Our editors and reporters distill the most important stories from all over in formats that uncover the forces shaping the stories, explain the interests behind polarizing narratives, and replenish the stock of shared facts. As a global platform, Semafor recognizes that smart people can disagree and that informed readers need to understand alternative points of view from competing centers of power and culture in a multi-polar world. Want to join us? Read on.

About this Role

As the Editorial Event Producer, you will work closely with Semafor’s Executive Editor and live journalism team to help produce our flagship global economic event. You will engage prospective guests, develop thoughtful programming recommendations, and manage multiple executive relationships with exceptional communication. The role requires the ability to speak fluently across industries and global economic issues, understand what makes an executive or policymaker compelling on stage, and connect their expertise to the broader editorial agenda.

You will take ownership of guest outreach and booking timelines, working proactively to move conversations forward and navigate complex organizations to reach the right people. You should be a resourceful, self-starting researcher who knows how to find information when it is not readily available, quickly get up to speed on unfamiliar companies, industries, and leaders. Throughout, you will bring strong editorial judgment, curiosity, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset to building a newsworthy, high-caliber program featuring some of the most influential leaders in business, government, technology, and finance.

Your Responsibilities

• Own outreach and booking for a portfolio of senior executives, government leaders and other high-profile prospective guests for Semafor’s flagship economic event.
• Identify contacts and pursue outreach with persistence, creativity, and sound judgment across executive offices, communications teams, and other channels.
• Own outreach pipelines, leading follow-ups and updates as needed to secure commitments..
• Serve as a compelling ambassador for Semafor, speaking fluently about the event’s editorial mission, audience, and value proposition and persuasively articulate why an executive should participate.
• Leverage the strongest verbal communication skills when communicating with executive teams and exhibit professionalism, warmth, responsiveness and attention to detail throughout the booking process.
• Lead pre-event editorial calls with executive teams to discuss programming, surfacing the most compelling areas for conversation and detailed notes for moderators.
• Develop a strong understanding of each individual executive, their company, industry, and areas of expertise, articulating how each will contribute meaningfully to the broader program.
• Apply strong editorial and strategic judgment to assess the relevance and significance of prospective guests and make thoughtful programming recommendations.

What makes you qualified

• A Bachelor's degree is required.
• 7+ years in broadcast journalism, executive communications, event content or programming development, or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex editorial programs across dozens of speakers and sessions.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and proven ability to engage confidently with senior-level executives.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication, including the ability to craft compelling invitations and executive briefs.
• Strongest organizational and time-management skills, adept at juggling multiple relationship streams.
• Knowledgeable about major business and economic trends, along with skills to translate them into mainstage moments and other convenings for executives, with assistance from the editorial team.
• An entrepreneurial drive grounded in an eagerness to learn and grow alongside the company as it continues to scale and evolve.
• Passion for the media industry and great journalism.

Additional Job Details

This position is based in Washington, DC, or New York, NY, Monday through Thursday onsite in Semafor’s offices. Candidates must be willing to work flexible hours and travel domestically and internationally on an as-needed basis.

Salary Range:

Starting at $50.00 an hour. Pay is based on several factors including but not limited to education, work experience, certifications, etc.

Additional job details

Semafor offers a Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) policy to our full-time, salaried employees who may take paid time off as-needed without a prescribed limit or defined balance.

Semafor, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. Semafor, Inc. will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.