Head of Editorial

The Edinburgh TV Festival is seeking a Head of Editorial to lead the execution of its 2026 Festival programme. This role sits at the heart of how the Festival's ideas, talent and conversations come to life: shaping individual sessions and maintaining the highest editorial standards across all content.

Working within the Festival's London-based team, the Head of Editorial ensures that every part of the programme reflects the Festival's values of independence, creativity and industry insight.

You will work closely with a network of freelance and partner producers to turn ideas into bold, distinctive and well produced sessions - from flagship interviews to fast moving panels.

Person Specification:

• An experienced editorial professional with excellent knowledge of the television industry.
• Experience of managing a small team effectively with compassion and vision.
• A collaborative team first attitude that understands the benefits of sharing knowledge and time in a small organisation
• Proven record of content commissioning, or senior production/editing in live events, broadcast, or factual programming.
• A strong grasp of current affairs and cultural trends shaping the TV industry.
• Exceptional communication and diplomacy skills, with the ability to guide contributors, senior industry figures and producers.
• Deep understanding of editorial balance, tone and compliance, with an instinct for audience engagement.
• Open and calm under pressure, able to inspire teams to deliver outstanding work.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee the editorial quality, tone and cohesion of all sessions - ensuring every strand meets the Festival's standards, values and resonates with its audience.
• Manage a small team of Strand Producers and external producing partners to deliver approximately 30 sessions across the Festival.
• Act as a senior editor and story shaper - refining session briefs, scripting key moments and ensuring editorial clarity and balance.
• Reviewing submissions from our open call for sessions
• Liaise with speakers, chairs and facilitators to ensure they are fully briefed, confident and aligned with the Festival's editorial approach.
• Stay across industry trends, issues and emerging voices, ensuring sessions remain relevant, timely and representative.
• Support our existing relationships across the TV industry with tact, diplomacy and sound editorial judgement.
• Reflect our values and support the goals of the TV Foundation across key areas such as climate storytelling; class representation; and the wider need for diversity and inclusion across the industry
• Collaborate across departments - particularly with Production, Operations and Commercial teams - to ensure smooth, audience focused delivery and working with partners.

The job description gives an outline of key duties and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The post holder may be asked from time to time to take on other responsibilities as reasonably requested by their manager.

Salary & Hours: Dependent on experience
Fixed Term Contract:January to September 2026
The Edinburgh Television Festival is committed to valuing diversity and seeks to provide all staff with the opportunity for employment, career and personal development on the basis of ability, qualifications and suitability for the work as well as their potential to be developed into the job.

We endeavour to support flexibility around hours as well as working from home requests, subject to business needs and operational requirements.

Application deadline:Monday 19 January at 5PM

Timeline: We encourage early applications, as interviews may takeplace on a rolling basis before the closing date. To be considered for an earlyinterview, please apply by January 6 th at 5pm.

If you would like to arrange a short informal chat with theCEO about the role, please email your request, along with your CV to

We support diversity and inclusion and actively welcome and encourage applicants from under represented groups, both of non white ethnicity and/or those who identify as D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent. If you let us know you belong to any of these groups in your cover letter and meet our minimum requirements we guarantee you will be invited for a first round interview.

To apply please follow the Apply Now link below and complete the short form, you will need to upload a cover letter outlining how you meet the role's requirements and your CV.

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