Local Buyers Guides, Managing Editor- CONTRACT

ConsumerAffairs publishes local buyers guides that help people choose service providers in their city. We're hiring a CONTRACT Managing Editor to run the program day-to-day, overseeing the production, editing and quality of these guides from research through publication.
This is a structured, high-volume content program, but quality comes first. You'll need the discipline to manage a repeatable production process and the editorial judgment to recognize when a page needs more research, context or refinement. You'll also have the opportunity to improve how the program works and find new ways to make our guides more useful to consumers
How the work gets done
Our local guides are built using a combination of structured research, proprietary data, editorial tools and standardized content workflows. Some projects involve creating new guides from the ground up, while others focus on updating existing pages with new company information, recent review data, fact-checking and additional local context.
You'll learn both types of work and determine what each page needs to remain accurate, current and useful.
Scope of Work
Coordinate editorial production
Coordinate the production of new and updated local buyers guides
Assign articles to editors and track work through publication
Review editors' work for accuracy, completeness and adherence to editorial standards
Give clear, actionable feedback and identify recurring quality issues across the program
Keep production moving across a high volume of assignments and deadlines
Research and add local companies
Research, evaluate and add relevant local businesses to buyers guides
Verify service areas, locations, services offered and business status
Fact-check local costs, licensing requirements, permitting requirements and regulations
Evaluate source quality and ensure factual claims are appropriately supported
Own quality
Catch unsupported claims, inconsistencies, outdated information and factual errors
Run final QA on links, formatting, company details and local accuracy
Identify issues with source data, research processes or production workflows
Document problems clearly so they can be corrected and prevented in future work
Make the pages better
Identify opportunities to add value beyond standardized elements, including stronger local insights, better use of consumer review data and useful new sections
Look for content gaps and areas where additional research would make a guide more helpful
Help refine documentation, processes and editorial standards as the program grows
Maintain a strong focus on whether each page genuinely helps consumers make a more informed decision
Improve the system (as you ramp up)
Help troubleshoot and refine the tools and workflows that support content production
Identify opportunities to improve accuracy, consistency and efficiency
Work with Content, SEO, data and engineering teams when improvements require broader support
Recommend process changes based on patterns you see across the program
What successful delivery looks like
Success in this engagement means consistently delivering accurate, publication-ready local buyers guides while keeping work moving efficiently through the editorial process. The contractor will be expected to:
Maintain a consistent flow of completed assignments
Identify and resolve quality issues before publication
Deliver thorough, well-sourced research
Maintain established editorial and QA standards
Clearly document recurring issues and recommended solutions
Identify opportunities to improve the efficiency, accuracy and usefulness of the program
Requirements
What we're looking for
2+ years of experience in editorial, content operations or a related field, including experience editing or managing writers or editors
Exceptional attention to detail and an ability to recognize patterns across large volumes of content
Strong organization and project management skills across multiple assignments, people and deadlines
Rigorous research, sourcing and fact-checking skills
Strong editorial judgment and the ability to distinguish reliable information from weak or unsupported claims
Fluency with spreadsheets and structured data
Comfort learning and working with modern content, research and automation tools
The ability to follow a detailed process while also recognizing when that process needs to change
Clear written communication, particularly when giving editorial feedback
Curiosity about how structured content can be made more useful to consumers
Bonus if you have
Programmatic SEO or local SEO experience
A background in service journalism or consumer guides
Experience building or troubleshooting editorial workflows using tools such as AirOps, Airtable or similar platforms
Experience researching local businesses, licensing or government regulations
Experience working with company review data or large datasets
Familiarity with Ahrefs or Google Search Console
Basic experience with automation, APIs, no-code tools or scripting
Benefits
This is a contract position and, as such, is not eligible for company-sponsored benefits.

Work arrangement
No