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HotLuck seeks an Editorial Director to lead the editorial vision, content strategy, audience development, and multi‑platform growth for one of the country’s most distinctive food and music festival brands. Reporting to the Food & Wine and HotLuck Editor in Chief, the role will oversee a year‑round content ecosystem that celebrates the people, culture, food, music, hospitality, and experiences that define the HotLuck brand.

The Editorial Director will expand HotLuck beyond its annual festival footprint, building a best‑in‑class content operation across digital, video, audio, social, newsletters, live events, and branded content. Responsibilities include launching and scaling a HotLuckYouTube channel, developing recurring social video franchises, producing editorially‑driven sponsorship programs, growing a robust newsletter portfolio, and establishing a HotLuck radio and audio presence.

• Develop and oversee HotLuck’s editorial vision, content strategy, and storytelling across all platforms, ensuring a cohesive brand voice that reflects food, music, hospitality, culture, and live experiences.
• Lead the development and growth of the year‑round content ecosystem, including newsletters, social platforms, video programming, YouTube, audio initiatives, editorial franchises, and emerging audience channels, and set measurable audience, engagement, and revenue goals.
• Launch and oversee original content initiatives such as a HotLuckYouTube channel, recurring social video series, creator collaborations, live‑stream programming, audio and internet radio programming, and other extensions that deepen audience engagement beyond the festival experience.
• Partner with executive leadership, sales, marketing, and partnerships teams to develop editorially‑led sponsorship campaigns, branded content programs, and integrated marketing opportunities that align with HotLuck’s voice and editorial standards while supporting revenue objectives.
• Lead editorial planning and execution for festival coverage, talent programming, chef and musician profiles, original features, newsletters, social content, video initiatives, and year‑round editorial franchises.
• Manage and mentor editorial staff, contributors, freelancers, creators, and production partners, providing coaching, feedback, and professional development while fostering efficient workflows and strong editorial standards.
• Use audience, SEO, social, newsletter, video, and performance data to identify opportunities, optimize content strategy, diversify traffic sources, and expand reach across existing and emerging platforms.
• Represent the HotLuck brand as editorial talent at events, panels, interviews, video productions, podcasts, radio appearances, and other public‑facing opportunities.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
• Experience launching or managing video‑first content initiatives, including YouTube programming, social video series, or creator‑led franchises.
• Experience developing newsletters, audience engagement programs, and subscriber growth strategies.
• Experience creating or overseeing podcasts, audio programming, radio shows, or other audio storytelling formats.
• Experience working with sponsorship, branded content, and integrated marketing programs.
• Background in food, hospitality, music, entertainment, culture, or experiential event media.
• Demonstrated success building audiences across multiple platforms and distribution channels.

Approximately 15‑25% travel to Austin, Texas, and other HotLuck event locations for editorial planning, festival operations, talent and creator programming, sponsorship activations, content production, partnership meetings, and industry events.

It is the policy of People Inc. to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. People Inc. also provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Pay Range (NewYork): $110,000.00 – $130,000.00(subject to change). Remote pay range: $100,000.00 – $120,000.00. Compensation may include annual bonuses and short‑ and long‑term incentives. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, unlimited paid time off, adoption assistance, donation matching, tuition reimbursement, life and disability insurance, commuter benefits, health savings accounts, flexible spending accounts, family care benefits, a generous 401(k) plan with company match, 10‑12 paid holidays, paid parental leave, and voluntary pet insurance and critical illness coverage.