Chief Editor - Times of Gaming

VAP Group; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

VAP Group in Dubai is seeking an experienced Editor-in-Chief to lead its editorial strategy, set content voice, and sign off major stories across the Global Games Show vertical.

You will manage senior editors and freelancers, guide content roadmap, oversee policy and ethical standards, and represent the publication publicly through panels and partnerships.

Strong newsroom leadership, proven track record building digital publications, and expertise in WordPress, SEO, and analytics are essential.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of journalism/editorial experience, including at least 3 years in a senior editorial leadership role (Editor-in-Chief, Chief Editor, or equivalent).
• Proven track record of building or scaling a digital news publication, ideally in a fast-moving, technical, or niche vertical.
• Exceptional news judgment, editorial ethics, and command of AP/house style, fact-checking, and sourcing standards.
• Strong people‑leadership skills with experience managing distributed editorial teams and freelance contributor networks.

Responsibilities

• Define and refine editorial vision, voice, and content strategy aligned with audience needs and market positioning.
• Hold final editorial authority and sign-off on major stories and content carrying risk.
• Set and enforce the Editorial Policy, ensuring separation between editorial content and sponsored/advertising.
• Recruit, mentor, and manage senior editorial staff; build a high-performing newsroom culture.
• Own the content roadmap, balancing breaking news, evergreen guides, and thought leadership.
• Oversee event agendas and external representations of the publication.
• Monitor crisis protocols; ensure accuracy, sourcing, and timely corrections.

Skills

Editorial leadership

News judgment

People management

WordPress

Tools

WordPress

Job description

Location: Hybrid (Dubai) Employment Type: Full-time

Key Responsibilities

• Define and continuously refine Times of Games's editorial vision, voice, and content strategy in line with audience needs and market positioning.
• Hold final editorial authority and sign-off on major stories, investigations, exclusives, and any content carrying legal, reputational, or ethical risk.
• Set and enforce the Editorial Policy, ensuring clear separation between editorial content, sponsored/press release content, and advertising.
• Recruit, mentor, and manage the Managing Editor and senior editorial staff; build a high‑performing, accountable newsroom culture.
• Own the annual/quarterly content roadmap, balancing breaking news, evergreen guides, market analysis, and thought leadership.
• Responsible for the comprehensive management and oversight of the Global Games Show's event agenda www.globalgamesshow.com.
• Represent the publication externally: media appearances, industry panels, partnerships with events (e.g., the Global Game Show series), and relationships with PR agencies, exchanges, studios, or vendors relevant to the vertical.
• Oversee crisis and correction protocols; ensure factual accuracy, proper sourcing, and timely corrections across all published content.
• Partner with SEO, growth, and revenue teams to align editorial output with traffic, engagement, and business goals without compromising editorial integrity.
• Monitor industry trends, competitor coverage, and audience data to identify new coverage areas and content formats (video, newsletters, social).
• Approve editorial hires, freelancer/contributor agreements, and editorial budget allocation.

Requirements

• 8+ years of journalism/editorial experience, including at least 3 years in a senior editorial leadership role (Editor-in-Chief, Chief Editor, or equivalent).
• Proven track record of building or scaling a digital news publication, ideally in a fast-moving, technical, or niche vertical.
• Exceptional news judgment, editorial ethics, and command of AP/house style, fact-checking, and sourcing standards.
• Strong people‑leadership skills with experience managing distributed editorial teams and freelance contributor networks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable representing the brand publicly.
• Working knowledge of WordPress‑based publishing workflows, SEO fundamentals, and content analytics tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience covering the specific vertical at senior editorial level.
• Existing network of industry contacts, spokespeople, and press contacts relevant to the beat.
• Experience negotiating and managing media partnerships with industry conferences and events.
• Familiarity with disclosure requirements for sponsored content, press releases, and paid coverage in digital media.

Success Metrics / KPIs

• Editorial quality: accuracy rate, correction turnaround time, and adherence to editorial policy.
• Audience growth: organic traffic, returning readers, and newsletter subscriber growth.
• Team performance: retention of senior editorial staff, output consistency, and coverage speed on breaking news.
• Brand reputation: media citations, event partnerships secured, and industry recognition.