Contract Freelance Script Coverage Jobs in Illinois

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Director of News and Content, the Newsletter Editor is responsible for leading the editorial vision, strategy, quality standards, and day-to-day execution of NAR's flagship digital newsletter publications. 

This position is responsible for developing, assigning, editing, and producing high-quality content that informs, engages, and supports NAR members, association executives, and other key audiences following our strategic content goals of helping members get to their next transaction and showing how NAR is helping members get to their next transaction. The Newsletter Editor is expected to be a hands-on leader who can write, substantively edit, copy edit, package and approve content for publication. 

The Newsletter Editor works closely with the Content, Digital, Video, Communications, Research, Legal, Advocacy, Marketing, Advertising, and Events teams to ensure editorial alignment, uphold NAR's voice and standards, and deliver content through the most effective channels. The role is "content first" and media agnostic, determining the best vehicle for a story or message rather than writing for a single distribution method. The position also supports the evolution, refresh, and modernization of NAR's distribution channels. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

Editorial Strategy, Leadership & Publication Oversight: 

• Assist News Director in setting editorial direction, mission, tone, style, quality standards, and content priorities. 
• Help lead long- and short-term editorial planning, including annual editorial calendars, story pitch meeting, special emphasis areas, and special editions. 
• Oversee editorial decisions for NAR's daily, weekly, monthly, and commercial newsletter publications, including story selection, article structure, issue packaging, headlines, decks, captions, covers, and final language. 
• Partner with other digital content leaders at NAR on video, multimedia, and other new media opportunities to ensure topic alignment and effective distribution. 
• Help track execution of editorial plans, assess results, and implement process improvements to improve quality, efficiency, and impact. 
• Help manage editorial coverage of NAR meetings and major association events. 
• Help plan advance conference assignments, including stories, photography, live coverage, and staff responsibilities. 

Content Creation, Editing & Quality Control: 

• Write original content for digital publications and other platforms, including news articles, features, profiles, blurbs, scripts, and other member-facing communications. 
• Provide detailed, substantive edits of all assigned content to ensure accuracy, clarity, structure, tone, grammar, editorial style, and alignment with NAR messaging. 
• Conduct final reviews of covers, articles, headlines, captions, marketing copy, member-facing materials, and other high-visibility communications. 
• Ensure content follows NAR editorial standards, reflects the REALTOR brand appropriately, and maintains consistency with NAR voice. 
• Help determine when content requires review by Legal, Advocacy, Research, Communications, or other subject-matter experts. 
• Help develop "breaking news" pieces or urgent organizational content in coordination with Public Relations/Communications, Digital, and other relevant teams. 
• Identify members, association executives, leaders, and subject-matter experts to spotlight in features, profiles, and editorial packages. 

Qualifications:

Required: 

• 7+ years of progressively responsible editorial, journalism, magazine, publishing, or content leadership experience in a newsroom environment. 
• Strong background in digital content strategy, editorial planning, and multimedia storytelling. 
• Strong news judgment and ability to manage sensitive, high-visibility, or fast-moving content with discretion and accuracy. 
• Exceptional writing, substantive editing, headline writing, copy judgment, and editorial packaging skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to set and enforce editorial standards, publication voice, style, tone, and quality expectations. 
• Ability to manage freelance writers, contractors, subject-matter experts, and internal contributors. 
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to advise senior leaders, collaborate with stakeholders, and uphold editorial standards across teams. 
• Knowledge of audience analytics, digital engagement metrics, SEO, newsletter strategy, and content performance measurement. 

Preferred: 

• Demonstrated experience serving in a senior editorial role, preferably as an editor in chief, executive editor, managing editor, or equivalent. 
• Experience covering real estate, housing, business, public policy, association management, or member-driven industries. 
• Familiarity with REALTOR issues, NAR priorities, association governance, and member communications. 
• Experience working with editorial advisory committees, member leaders, association executives, or volunteer governance structures. 
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in journalism, communications, English, publishing, marketing, or a related field. 

NAR provides comprehensive benefits including health/dental/vision insurance.
NAR is on a hybrid schedule and in the office 3 days a week.

Organizational Overview:

The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) is a team of professionals dedicated to providing world-class service to approximately 1.5 million REALTORS working in the United States and around the world. The real estate industry is fast-paced and fast-changing--each year, our members participate in the sale, lease, and management of real estate. As in every industry, our members' value proposition is constantly being challenged by innovation.
It is our mission to empower REALTORS as they preserve, protect and advance the right to real property for all. We cannot do that without the ideas, passion, and commitment from our talented employees. As our greatest assets, employees are offered their pick of competitive benefits/perks and flexible work options. 

Alternatively, you can apply to this job using your profile from Indeed by clicking the button below: