Director of Editorial - Axios Live

1 big thing: The Director of Editorial, Axios Live will oversee editorial content, event framing, and strategic list building for Axios Live programming, leading a small team to ensure Axios’ editorial standards, Smart Brevity style, and journalistic integrity are upheld across all public-facing materials, roundtable discussions, and editorial products, including recap articles. 

Why it matters: As Axios Live expands across live convenings and executive roundtables, this role serves as the crucial editorial compass. You will be a high-caliber editorial leader and manager who applies sharp news judgment to shape timely event concepts, curate high-level editorial rooms, take an active role in real-time coverage of Axios’ biggest live event moments, and deliver post-event recaps that read as sharp journalism.

Go deeper: Axios Live events are among the most sought-after convenings in business, policy, and technology. Reporting to the Head of Editorial Live, the Editorial Director will ensure that our events portfolio reflects our editorial standards, diverse points of view, and help Axios stay at the forefront of news.

In this role, you will:

• Oversee the drafting, editing, and approval of public-facing live event materials, including event concepts, registration pages, Axios webpages, social coverage, and post-event recap articles using Axios Smart Brevity.
• Oversee the curation and tiering of editorial participants for Axios Roundtables. Ensure tables feature balanced, expert perspectives across sectors while maintaining editorial control over seating charts and participant mix.
• Lead, coach, and manage a small, high-performing team of editorial writers and coordinators; set clear priorities, assign events, review deliverables, and foster a collaborative environment.
• Manage coverage assignments and collaboration with the newsroom around covering some of Axios Live’s biggest stages including our Summit and House products. 
• Own day-of editorial coverage for assigned live events, serving as the primary liaison to reporters and the newsroom, coordinating quick-turn coverage, leading live social reporting, and writing post-event recaps.
• Work in close alignment with the Head of Editorial Live, newsroom SMEs/reporters, events operations, pre-sale, sales, and client leads to ensure seamless event execution and brand alignment.
• Manage real-time editorial flow during live events, brief moderators, ensure all event materials are easily/immediately accessible for breaking news moments, and resolve and be the lead voice of editorial judgement for live editorial issues on the ground.
• Guide the team in utilizing approved AI tools and custom GPTs to streamline initial research, concept brainstorming, and list discovery while rigorously enforcing accuracy and Smart Brevity standards.

Worthy of your time: Ideal candidates will embody an entrepreneurial spirit, possess exceptional news judgment, and bring the following skills:

• 6–8+ years of journalism, editorial editing, live-event content creation, or public policy/media experience, ideally within a fast-paced newsroom or live news setting.
• Proven people management experience, with a track record of coaching editorial team members and reviewing high-volume written deliverables under tight deadlines.
• Sharp editorial and news judgment, with a deep understanding of policy, business, and tech trends, alongside a strong command of Axios Smart Brevity.
• Demonstrated expertise in room curation and list strategy, with an understanding of how to build senior, balanced executive tables (C-suite, policymakers, operators, subject-matter experts).
• Experience navigating commercial/client partnerships while maintaining editorial independence, neutrality, and journalistic red lines.
• Exceptional writing, line-editing, and copy-editing skills, with the ability to develop sharp, audience-facing event concepts and language, distill complex ideas into clear editorial framing, and produce concise, high-value recap articles.
• High operational rigor to manage overlapping deadlines across event concept pipelines, guest lists, seating charts, and post-event publications.
• Familiarity with AI-assisted research and editing tools, balancing efficiency with journalistic verification.
• Ability to travel for major Axios Live events and activations as needed.

Starting salary for this role is in the range of $110,000 - $130,000 and is dependent on numerous factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, and skills. This range does not include other compensation benefits. Axios' compensation philosophy takes into account cost of labor differentials across the country. Because this is a remote-optional job posting, this salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location.

Axios is committed to embracing artificial intelligence as a core part of how we work. All team members are expected to actively develop AI literacy and use AI tools to enhance their productivity, creativity, and efficiency. We invest in ongoing learning to ensure every employee is equipped to responsibly and effectively integrate AI into their daily workflows.

What Axios brings to the table besides salary:

• 401(k) with employer match
• Robust PPO and High Deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
• Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high deductible health plan option
• Dental and vision coverage
• Primary caregiver 12-week paid leave
• Generous vacation policy, plus holidays
• One mental health day per quarter
• Annual learning and development stipend
• $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
• Tele-mental health services through Headspace
• OneMedical membership, including tele-health services
• Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate
• Inclusive fertility, hormonal health and family-forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
• Access to the Axios “Family Fund”, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies
• Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers
• Virtual company-sponsored social events
• A strong and positive work environment
• A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Axios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Axios makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.