Head of Shortform Video

As a Head of Shortform Video, you'll shape and deliver a distinctive social video strategy that grows audiences, deepens engagement, strengthens the Guardian brand and expands the reach of our journalism across platforms including the Guardian, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and emerging channels.

Join our team at the Guardian and be a part of a diverse and inclusive global organisation that delivers fearless, investigative journalism, and holds power to account. Our team of award-winning journalists, cutting-edge commercial professionals, and industry-leading digital experts are committed to making a difference and represent a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives. We offer a challenging and exciting environment for career development, with a focus on training, growth and fostering an inclusive culture.

You'll bring together video teams working in these areas, collaborating with editorial teams, audience editors, product teams and commercial stakeholders.

This is a permanent NUJ contract.

About the role

Develop and own the Guardian's shortform video strategy, working with the head of video and other senior members of the department to define editorial priorities, formats and publishing frameworks across platforms
Establish a distinctive voice and visual identity for shortform video across the Guardian globally, in collaboration with colleagues in our US and Australia teams
Drive audience growth, engagement and reach across shortform video platforms, keeping ahead of platform trends, algorithm changes and emerging audience behaviours
Use audience insights and analytics to inform commissioning, optimisation and innovation
Lead and develop a team with the culture, tools and skillset to produce compelling, platform-appropriate shortform video, including news, investigations, features, sport, lifestyle and explainers
Foster a culture of experimentation, creativity and continuous improvement, setting clear objectives, workflows and performance standards
Work with the audience team to define and monitor KPIs for audience growth and engagement
Partner with Guardian teams globally to identify and develop opportunities for shortform video stories
Deliver regular reporting and strategic recommendations to senior leadership
Evaluate emerging platforms and partnerships.

About you

Significant experience leading video, social video or digital content teams within a newsroom, publisher or media organisation
Strong editorial judgment and understanding of journalistic standards, particularly with regard to visual storytelling
Deep expertise in YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and other social platforms
Proven track record of growing audiences through shortform video
Experience managing creative teams and complex editorial workflows
Strong understanding of audience analytics and performance metrics
Excellent storytelling, commissioning and story development skills
Experience developing talent-led content and/or appearing on camera
Experience managing budgets and resource planning
Actively demonstrate inclusive leadership by promoting equity, valuing diverse perspectives, and addressing barriers that affect your team
Ideally, you'll have a demonstrable ability to bring a diverse perspective to this role.

How to apply:

To apply, please upload your latest CV.

The closing date for applications is 15th July 2026.