Associate Director, Editorial Content

Cambridge, MA

MIT Sloan Initiative on the Digital Economy

Date Posted: 9/4/2025

Position Overview:

The Associate Director of Editorial Content leads development of publications for the IDE, including website, Medium publication, and all other editorial assets. The Associate Director is hands-on, collaborating with IDE leaders, staff and marketing to shape an editorial plan that fosters the goals of the Initiative. The Associate Director produces news stories, blogs, Q&As, white papers, and reports, oversees the editorial calendar, and makes strategic decisions about new multimedia coverage to support the growth of the IDE brand. They create original content and curate existing content for stakeholders and external business leaders to drive engagement and communicate IDE’s mission of shaping a brighter digital future. It is an active role with no full-time staff of writers or editors.

This position also is responsible for newsletter content and production, special event reports, research briefs, and other collateral. The Associate Director occasionally oversees and assigns the work of freelance journalists.

While much of the work is rooted in traditional, objective reporting, writing, and editing, the director should seek and welcome opportunities to communicate IDE insights and ideas in new content formats and through effective new platforms and channels including AI assistants.

More broadly, they are responsible for becoming a trusted authority and colleague within the MIT Sloan and the IDE, as well as external stakeholders. To that end, the Associate Director is committed to staying informed of the latest developments in artificial intelligence, analytics, data, and other technologies that impact the decision making of global business leaders.

This is a hybrid position based in Cambridge, MA, with an average of 2-4 days on campus per month, as needed. Principal Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions**):

Content Development and Strategy for IDE website, Medium publication and other key assets (60%)

• Develops a strategic plan and writes blogs and other content that reflects and analyzes the work, ideas, and insights of MIT IDE leaders and affiliates to stakeholders, members, and global business leaders.

• Oversees the IDE website (WordPress), Medium publication, and editorial calendar, publishing news articles in a timely, frequent, and strategic manner.

• Writes and edits for these sites using appropriate CMS.

• Maintains consistent style and ensures all work is accurate, proofed and approved before publication.

• Plays an active role in determining the visual identity of articles, reports and assets. • Independently develops content ideas and initiates new products.

• Attends conferences, seminars, and other in-person events for news value and to develop sources and identify content ideas.

Produces quarterly Research Briefs. II. Newsletter Content and Strategy (30%)

• Writes and produces content for all newsletters including monthly member and public newsletters and quarterly research newsletters.

• Working with the Associate Director, develops a newsletter strategy to reach global business leaders in new and innovative ways.

• Works with Hubspot email software and collaborates on email list.

• Occasionally updates existing collateral, writes or edits white papers and special reports, and contributes to video and audio content.

Management and Partnerships (10%)

• Develops and maintains relationships with faculty members, researchers, students, alumni, and staff to sustain a steady flow of engaging, innovative ideas.

• Confers with colleagues across MIT Sloan and MIT marketing, communications, fundraising and membership about ways to better articulate values and goals.

• As necessary, develops a robust slate of skilled freelance writers, with experience in management, business, technology, and finance.

• Manages the budget for freelance writers, transcription, reports and related expenses.

• Other duties as needed or required.

Supervision Received:

The Associate Director is supervised by the Executive Director, and will otherwise work with the IDE leadership team to shape editorial content.

Supervision Exercised:

The Associate Director will supervise freelance journalists.

Qualifications and Skills:

Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, media studies or another relevant field [finance/business or technology].

Experience: Minimum of five years progressive experience in journalism, writing, content marketing, and communications; significant experience with editorial journalistic standards and ethics.

Experience editing or creating business, science, or technology content in a news or editorial environment. Experience writing for digital platforms and with social media distribution in mind. Experience assigning and editing staff and/or freelance writers.

Skills (Required):

• Significant experience writing, interpreting and editing business, management, technology, and finance news about complex business topics (particularly AI and digital technologies) for a business audience.

• Experience packaging news for digital consumption (explainers, lists, data journalism, etc.).

• Experience developing and harnessing sources among busy professionals, including C-level executives, academics, entrepreneurs, researchers, and scientists.

• Curiosity in interviewing subject matter experts about their cutting-edge work.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently with minimal supervision, as well as collaboratively with team members.

• Experience with content management systems and email newsletter software. e.g.WordPress and HubSpot, among others.

• Strong writing, editing, and copyediting skills, with a careful attention to detail and knowledge of Associated Press style.

• Solid editorial judgment, with a commitment to accuracy, clarity and engaging content.

• Strong organizational skills. Ability to handle multiple tasks, prioritize work and impose and meet deadlines.

• Commitment to an engaged, energetic, collaborative, and equitable office culture.

• Willingness to conduct occasional evening and weekend work.

• Familiarity with digital metrics or analytics tools (e.g. Google Analytics) and search engine marketing (SEO) to measure outcomes of strategic goals.

• Experience and interest in business and technology issues, particularly AI, platforms, analytics, and leading-edge digital technologies.

• Competency with collaborative software, including Dropbox, Google docs, SharePoint, and Slack.

• Competencies:
  Is self-directed, flexible and proactive while advancing work and achieving results.

• Identifies problems and opportunities for change and implements solutions, when appropriate.

• Contributes to an open environment where all perspectives are encouraged, valued, and can be shared freely.

• Demonstrates an understanding of the qualities that promote and sustain a diverse community.

• Works toward team success.

• Values integrity and credibility

• Works with others towards a shared vision.

• Recognizes opportunities and makes decisions that encourage innovation and experimentation.

Qualification

** To comply with regulations by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the purpose and the result of the duties rather than the manner in which they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removal of that function would fundamentally change the job.