Freelance Editorial Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Job Posting Title:

Senior Producer, Editorial Video (National Geographic)

Req ID:

10156689

Job Description:

The Senior Producer, Editorial Video is responsible for creative development and production oversight of video content for National Geographic's editorial platforms. He/she/they will be a part of a visual storytelling team that defines National Geographic's voice across digital platforms and shapes a cohesive visual identity.

The senior producer will develop ideas, for both one-off executions and recurring series, in a variety of formats, including short-form, vertical video for social media distribution, mid-length videos for NationalGeographic.com and YouTube, and vodcasts. In addition to creating standalone concepts, he/she/they will partner with editors across the organization to determine how video can complement or amplify stories being developed in other forms, such as Magazine features. The producer develop clear creative briefs and will partner with an internal production services team as well as external partners to produce work, guiding creative execution, overseeing edits, and approving finished products for publication.

The senior producer will have a keen interest in National Geographic's subject areas-wildlife, history, science, health, space, travel, and more-and will bring an editorial and journalistic sensibility to the work, developing ideas that drive consumer engagement and loyalty across platforms. He/she/they will help to identify and develop talent both in front of and behind the camera, keep a close eye on deadlines, and budgets, and collaborate across teams to develop best-in-class video for the brand. This is a great opportunity for a creative video producer and editorial thinker to help develop National Geographic's approach to video journalism across platforms to help expand our reach and influence and attract new audiences to an iconic brand.

Responsibilities:

• Develop creative ideas for individual pieces of video journalism, repeatable formats and recurring series, and video that accompanies and amplifies other Nat Geo editorial stories, working in partnership across the editorial organization as well as with freelance talent to source ideas, develop concepts, strategize production opportunities, etc.
• Create and share creative briefs for editorial video with internal production services partners and, when appropriate, external production partners, ensuring clear articulation of project goals and requirements, developing production approaches, aligning on timing and budgets, and providing guidance and oversight of pre-production tasks.
• Guide internal production services partners or external production partners throughout production on creative and editorial considerations, and work closely with them on post-production work, providing guidance and oversight of creative choices, particularly during edits, offering notes throughout the process and ensuring both the editorial and creative execution meet the brief.
• Coordinate publishing with internal digital production and social media partners, ensuring ultimate presentation aligns with creative vision and predetermined goals.
• Continually identify and develop relationships with talent, from on-camera hosts, video journalists, and experts to external production companies, with whom we can collaborate on our video output.
• Monitor video performance and ongoing consumer trends to ensure our creative development is optimized to meet our strategic objectives.
• Collaborate with visual storytelling partners and leaders, helping to define and evolve our visual approach to video content, and ensuring our video output meets the highest visual standards.
• Attend conferences and represent National Geographic's approach to video at industry events

Basic Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience developing and producing video content, ideally in an editorial/journalistic media environment, working across a range of lengths and formats and producing content for a variety of platforms, including owned and third-party (e.g., social media, YouTube)
• Track record of developing successful editorial concepts and stories, as well as recurring formats and series that drive audience development and engagement
• Experience identifying creative talent, both on-camera and off, and engaging them and managing their work
• Experience serving as a lead producer on work, briefing and then managing others through production and edits
• Considered point of view on creative and editorial questions including visual style and tone of voice
• Strong understanding of trends in consumer video content consumption
• High degree of organization and attention to detail; ability to multi-task and juggle on many projects at once
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset - ability to gather ideas from across a matrixed organization and proactively develop new creative ideas

• Strong and clear communication skills, both written and oral

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing video content in Nat Geo's core subject areas, including wildlife/animals, history, science and health
• Understanding of hands-on video editing and proficiency with editing tools (e.g., Premiere)

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent work experience

Preferred Education:

• Journalism degree helpful but not required

The hiring range for this position in Washington, D.C. is $95,500 to $128,000 per year. The base pay actually offered will take into account internal equity and also may vary depending on the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience among other factors. A bonus and/or long-term incentive units may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to the full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the level and position offered.

Job Posting Segment:

National Geographic

Job Posting Primary Business:

National Geographic (DET)

Primary Job Posting Category:

Digital Content - Immersive Experiences

Employment Type:

Full time

Primary City, State, Region, Postal Code:

Washington, DC, USA

Alternate City, State, Region, Postal Code:

Date Posted:

2026-07-22