Associate Editor, Planetizen

Urban Insight

Associate Editor responsible for steering editorial operations at Planetizen, the leading urban planning website. Editing content and managing contributor relationships to enhance audience engagement.

Posted 6/16/2026full-timeLos Angeles • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesJuniorMid-Level💰 $50,000 - $60,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Drupal

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Editing, publishing and writing – 50% of time
Assigning and editing 2-5 feature, op-ed, analysis and other editorial pieces per week, working closely with external contributors to hone pitches for assignment and delivering substantive, line and copy edits in a timely manner
Packaging pieces for publishing: writing sharp, catchy headlines and deks; choosing attractive, editorially relevant and interesting imagery; utilizing AP style; uploading and formatting pieces in Planetizen’s content management system and scheduling them for release
Taking an active role in shaping editorial processes, content types and overall editorial ideation, including proactively identifying and problem-solving barriers to success and ideating opportunities for improvement and growth
Writing short editorial posts (like monthly wrap-ups and Planetizen’s Federal Action Tracker), and contributing unique feature, op-ed, analysis or other editorial content pieces
Sourcing, summarizing and publishing ~30 pieces of essential urban planning news per week for Planetizen’s aggregated newsfeed
Writing and formatting templated posts for Planetizen’s social media feeds and newsletters
Using analytics and other audience engagement metrics to monitor and optimize editorial content performance according to Planetizen’s strategic goals
Completing editing and quality assurance tasks for the Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs, Planetizen Courses, AICP Exam Prep, and other Planetizen products

Requirements

What you’ll need

2+ years experience in a newsroom or other journalistic/editorial environment
Comfort in a fast-paced environment handling high volumes of content
Strong judgement, critical thinking and editorial instinct
Ability to take initiative, self start and work independently yet collaboratively on a small team that values teamwork, and each other
Excellent time-management and organizational skills, with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects at different stages simultaneously
Ability to use data and other audience engagement measures to make decisions that optimize editorial performance
Experience with Google Workspace, Google Analytics, Data Studio, Drupal, Canva, Sprout Social or similar tools and systems
Experience with or strong interest in urban planning

Benefits

Comp & perks

Paid time off (15 days increasing to 20 after four years)
Holiday time off (~10 days per year)
Medical, dental and vision insurance (95% employer-paid for the individual)
Company-sponsored 401(k) plan with employer match (after 60 days)
Performance and compensation reviews annually

ATS Keywords

✓ Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools

editingpublishingwritingcopy editingcontent managementdata analysisaudience engagement metricseditorial content optimizationheadline writingformatting

Soft Skills

judgementcritical thinkinginitiativeteamworktime managementorganizational skillsindependencecollaborationproblem-solvingcreativity