Sports Editor

The Shadow League is where sports and culture intersect. As part of DDM Group's family of digital media brands, we cover the biggest stories and boldest voices in sports, with a sharp lens on how athletics shape-and are shaped by-Black culture. We're entering an exciting new chapter and looking for a driven, creative, and hands-on Sports Editor to help shape what's next.

About the Role:
The ideal candidate is a seasoned editor with deep SEO expertise, an understanding of sports, sharp editorial instincts, a track record of growing digital audiences, and the operational chops to build and manage high-performance teams.

You'll need a keen understanding of how to use search trends and keyword strategy to shape story development, headlines, and packaging from the start. We're looking for someone with a strong editorial point of view, but who also thrives on the operational side of the business-refining workflows, managing people, and creating structure that supports speed and quality.

You'll guide daily coverage, launch new content initiatives, leverage relationships for original stories, and work closely with audience and social teams to expand our reach. This is a leadership role for someone who can both set vision and execute, especially during a pivotal phase of growth.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage a team of writers and contributors, setting a high standard for editorial excellence and urgency

• Oversee day-to-day coverage and long-term editorial planning, ensuring a mix of breaking news, original reporting, opinion, and evergreen content

• Use SEO best practices to shape story ideas, headlines, and packaging to maximize search performance and audience reach

• Collaborate closely with social and video teams to amplify content and grow reach across platforms

• Help establish and refine editorial processes and workflows that enable speed, clarity, and creativity

• Leverage your network of sports journalists, athletes, analysts, and insiders to commission original content and secure impactful interviews

• Analyze traffic, trends, and performance data to inform editorial decisions and drive growth

• Bring fresh, forward-thinking ideas to grow audience and deepen engagement in ways that resonate with today's sports fans

Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in sports journalism, with at least 2 years in an editorial leadership role

• Deep knowledge of the sports landscape and its intersection with race, politics, and culture

• Strong SEO knowledge and experience using analytics tools (GA4, Parse.ly, Looker, etc.)

• Demonstrated success building, mentoring, and managing editorial teams

• Operational and organizational strength - able to refine systems and manage resources effectively

• Excellent judgment under pressure, clear communicator, collaborative mindset

• Willingness to work hands-on and lead by example, especially in a growth and rebuild phase