YouTube Editor - Freelance

Sinclair Broadcast Group; Santa Monica (CA); Vor Ort; USD 34.000 - 83.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Sinclair Broadcast Group is seeking a freelance YouTube Editor to own the editing of YouTube-bound content and optimize long-form pieces for retention and engagement. This on-site role in Santa Monica focuses on channel strategy, hooks, pacing, and chaptering across YouTube and Shorts.

You will also cut weekly podcast clips for Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram, collaborating with the Long-Form Pod and Social teams.

Qualifikationen

• Experience editing for YouTube and social platforms.
• Ability to craft hooks, pacing, and chapters for long-form videos.
• Strong editorial judgment and platform-native storytelling.

Aufgaben

• Lead YouTube editing for 8–25 minute pieces with retention hooks.
• Produce weekly podcast cutdowns for Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram.
• Maintain YouTube content calendar and coordinate with content leads.

Kenntnisse

Video editing

YouTube editing

Storytelling

Editorial judgment

Platform-native execution

Tools

Premiere Pro

Final Cut Pro

Jobbeschreibung

The dedicated freelance YouTube Editor creates and refines long-form and short-form video content for YouTube and social platforms, playing a key role in the brand's video content strategy. The role owns the editing process for YouTube-bound content, transforming linear segments into YouTube-optimized long-form videos and editing YouTube-native programming with a focus on audience retention, strong hooks, pacing, and effective chaptering. The freelance YouTube Editor brings a deep understanding of YouTube and YouTube Shorts best practices, applying platform-specific storytelling techniques to maximize engagement and performance.

As a member of the Long-Form Pod, the freelance YouTube Editor partners closely with the Long-Form Video Producer Lead to develop and deliver long-form content for the channel. The role also creates weekly podcast cutdowns for YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram, turning recurring podcast episodes into compelling short-form content that extends audience reach across platforms. Working within the Director of Video Content's YouTube strategy and the Head of Social's broader social media strategy, the freelance YouTube Editor helps drive content performance through strong editorial judgment, creative storytelling, and platform-native execution.

This freelance role is expected to be approximately 40 hours per week, with schedules aligned to tournament coverage needs. Flexibility to work weekends may be required during key tournaments and high-volume event periods. This freelance engagement is anticipated to run through December 2026, with the potential to be extended through the end of 2027 based on business needs and performance.

This is a freelance role and onsite located in Santa Monica, CA.

In this freelance role, you will…

Lead YouTube Editing & Production (primary lane)

• Re-edit linear segments into YouTube-optimized long-form pieces (typically 8-25 minute range), with attention to retention pacing, hook structure, and chaptering.
• Produce and edit YouTube-native long-form content from scratch, in partnership with the Long-Form Video Producer Lead and the Director of Video Content.
• Maintain the YouTube content calendar in partnership with the Director of Video Content.
• Identify which linear content is best suited for YouTube re-editing; build relationships with the linear content team to access source material.
• Stage every YouTube upload for the Director of Video Content's pre-publish approval on brand-sensitive pieces; route SEO and thumbnail tests under the same approval flow.

Create Podcast Weekly Cutdowns (secondary lane)

• Cut the team's weekly podcast episodes down into platform-native short-form pieces for YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram - the standing recurring deliverable for this lane.
• Identify the strongest moments in each weekly episode - clean takes, sharp quotes, debate beats, reactions - and cut them into 30-90 second vertical pieces with platform-native styling (captions, sound, hooks, aspect ratio).
• Adapt each cutdown across the three target platforms - Shorts, TikTok, and Instagram Reels - with platform-appropriate length, pacing, captioning, and thumbnail/cover styling.
• Maintain a weekly cutdown publish cadence - typically 3-6 cuts per episode across the three platforms - coordinated with the Short-Form Pod and the on-shift coordinator on publish-window timing.
• Add platform-native styling to every cutdown (captions, sound mix, end cards) and a thumbnail/cover frame that holds up in feed.
• Partner with the Short-Form Video Producer Lead, the Social Media Specialist, and the on-shift coordinator on which cutdowns publish, when, and on which platforms.

Drive Content & Creative Direction

• Apply Tennis Channel brand voice and visual standards on every YouTube piece and every podcast cutdown.
• Partner with the Tournament Highlights Editor and the Original/Long-Form Editor on occasional YouTube edits when their formats are a better fit.
• Pitch new YouTube formats and serialized programming ideas to the Director of Video Content.

Stay Ahead of Platform Expertise & Trends

• Stay current on Shorts, TikTok, and Reels for the podcast cutdown lane - sound choices, edit timing, hook structures that work for podcast-derived clips.
• Run platform-feature tests on YouTube (Shorts placements, Premier