Newsletter Editor

Newsletter Editor, MedShadow

About MedShadow

MedShadow is a nonprofit foundation that focuses on the safest ways to take over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription (Rx) medications. We publish independent, evidence-based journalism, free from pharmaceutical funding or political agendas, to inform and support people’s  health decisions, including those involving integrative medicine. We also strive to use our content to stimulate public discussion about potential improvements to drug research and manufacturing processes as well as increased transparency and accountability from government and industry.  

Our editorial team is a small but mighty group of mission-aligned journalists and marketers who strongly believe in the power of quality investigative and service content that can educate consumers, influence policy, and improve people’s health. 

Job Description

The Newsletter Editor reports to the Head of Content and leads our newsletter strategy. Responsibilities include managing our weekly flagship newsletter, overseeing our newly launched Substack, Meet Me at the MedCart, on pharmacy and medication issues, and guiding the launch of additional targeted newsletters. Your job will be to grow our email subscriber list, boost engagement, communicate MedShadow’s unique value, and drive donations. 

You are a strong fit for this role if you are an experienced editor who specializes in health, medicine, or science, or brings a demonstrated interest in the space. Ideally, you have experience covering RX and OTC medication side effects or the business or consumer side of pharmaceuticals. Equally important, you should have demonstrated hands-on experience creating not just a newsletter content strategy, but the newsletters themselves. 

Our team is made up of people who believe in what we do and work hard to achieve the organization’s goals. We’re looking for someone with a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude, who values a “we are all in this together” mentality, and who thrives in a mission-based workplace.    

You must live in the NYC metro area. While the role is mostly remote, it will require NYC metro area residency for occasional in-person meetings in Manhattan. 

The salary for this position is $95 to $110K and includes paid holidays, paid time off, 100% paid health insurance, and matching IRA contribution. 

What You’ll Do:

Newsletter strategy and development

• Grow the newsletter email list size through strategic promotion, partnerships, webinars, and other audience-development initiatives.
• Continually assess and improve the performance of our weekly flagship newsletter by applying insights from A/B testing, experimenting with content formats and visuals, and ensuring a strong mobile experience.
• Dynamically strategize for launches of new subscription newsletter opportunities, based on data-supported insights, and feasibility plans including KPI and ROI tracking, focusing on audience engagement, partner content collaborations, new writer onboarding, etc.
• Lead subscription growth of our current Substack newsletter, and the development of sustainable paid subscription revenue.
• Use newsletter platforms and analytics dashboards to track performance metrics, extract insights, and identify growth opportunities and audience segments for new newsletters.
• Stay current on competitive newsletter offerings and evolving newsletter best practices, to continually experiment with innovative approaches.

Content creation and management

• Curate, package, and edit all newsletter content; write engaging display copy; and enter all relevant metadata.
• Identify, recruit and manage compelling experts and writers, including medication thought leaders and advocates as authors.
• Manage the newsletter content workflow and its budget, and ensure it is delivered on time.
• Incorporate fundraising messaging into newsletters in collaboration with the marketing team’s call-to-action campaigns.

Newsletter growth, performance, and audience insights

• Grow and manage our email subscriber lists to ensure they represent an active and engaged audience.

• Suggest effective ways to promote the newsletter on the site and in social media in collaboration with the marketing team.
• Work closely with marketing, design, and IT to facilitate visual and technical integration.
• Build strategic partnerships within the health and medical sector to expand our newsletter audience through cross-promotion.

About You:

• You have a strong fluency in audience and newsletter metrics; you have built new successful newsletter products from scratch.
• You are energized by developing and implementing creative newsletter growth strategies while working within a conservative budget. 
• You are deeply interested in the newsletter ecosystem and can speak with stakeholders about best practices and emerging strategies shaping the space
• You are comfortable working collaboratively with a compact, agile team.
• You are passionate about independent, quality journalism that can improve people’s lives.

Qualifications:

• At least 3 years working in dedicated newsletter creation and execution roles; a longer tenure is also welcome.
• Experience working in health/medical/science editorial or content marketing for a media brand, nonprofit, or corporation. 
• Proficiency in analytics and metrics and SEO related to newsletter growth and retention
• Proficiency with Google suite and WordPress (or other similar CMS); and newsletter production and analytics tools such as MailChimp and Substack
• Commitment to and respect for the MedShadow mission.
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience.
• A focus on science, medicine or health is a big plus 

The Talent Fairy is handling this search. To apply, please submit a cover letter along with your resume to Chandra Turner at The Talent Fairy via [email protected] explaining why you are a unique fit for this position. In the letter please also include links to newsletters you’ve worked on.