Senior Video Editor (Greater Chicago Area)

We’re looking for a Senior Video Editor with strong editorial instincts, exceptional craft, and a deep understanding of social-first storytelling. You’ll work closely with Creative Directors and other members of the creative team to turn raw footage, loose concepts, and established creative direction into compelling video across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, paid media, and other digital channels.

This is a hands-on editing role for someone who can find the story, make confident creative decisions, and move quickly without sacrificing quality. Some projects will come with a clear, creative vision. Others will require you to shape the structure, pacing, sound, and visual language from the ground up.

A strong portfolio and/or reel is required for consideration. We care deeply about the quality of the work itself: storytelling, editing judgment, pacing, sound, typography, and attention to detail.

Editorial & Storytelling

• Own edits from raw footage through final delivery across social, paid, brand, and digital channels.
• Find the strongest story within the material, even when working from a loose brief or limited direction.
• Create strong openings and maintain viewer attention through pacing, structure, sound, music, and visual rhythm.
• Make confident editorial decisions about what to cut, what to emphasize, and when an edit is finished.
• Adapt storytelling and execution appropriately across short-form and longer-form formats.

Motion & Craft

• Use typography, motion, transitions, graphics, sound design, and compositing to strengthen the story rather than decorate it.
• Apply brand systems consistently while knowing how to push them appropriately for different audiences and channels.
• Create polished motion treatments in Premiere Pro and After Effects.
• Maintain a high bar for picture, sound, color, typography, and finishing.

Creative Collaboration

• Partner closely with Creative Directors from concept through final execution.
• Share work early, incorporate feedback quickly, and iterate without becoming overly precious about an edit.
• Contribute ideas, references, editing approaches, and creative solutions rather than waiting for prescriptive direction.
• Contribute editorial standards across the team and provide feedback to other editors when appropriate.

Workflow

• Manage several projects at different stages while meeting tight deadlines.
• Balance craft with speed and understanding when a project needs deeper refinement versus a fast, effective solution.
• Maintain clean, organized project files and handoffs.
• Stay current with evolving editing styles, creator culture, platform conventions, and emerging creative tools.

Required

• A strong portfolio or reel demonstrating senior-level editing craft is required. Applications without work samples will not be considered.
• Significant professional video editing experience, with a body of work spanning social, digital, branded, advertising, or creator-led content.
• Expert-level proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro.
• Strong working proficiency in After Effects.
• Excellent instincts for story, pacing, music, sound design, typography, and visual rhythm.
• Ability to take an edit from ambiguous or loosely defined material through a finished piece.
• Strong creative judgment and attention to detail.
• Ability to work quickly across multiple projects and respond well to direct creative feedback.
• Strong understanding of social platforms and contemporary editing styles without relying on trends as a substitute for good storytelling.

Applications are accepted for the next 30 days.

The company offers a comprehensive benefits program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; critical care insurance; personal accidental insurance; commuter benefits; pet insurance; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program); and other supplemental benefits (e.g. legal planning assistance; identity theft protection; pet insurance; wellness resources).

To apply, please submit your resume and application via LinkedIn.

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Rate is an Equal Opportunity Employer that welcomes and encourages all applicants to apply regardless of age, race, sex, religion, color, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital or parental status, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy or other reason protected by law