Who we are
Semafor is a global news platform for an increasingly complex world in which consumers are overwhelmed by too many news sources and unsure what to trust. We are building Semafor to enable world-class journalists to deliver reporting and insights with rigor in journalistic forms that ensure a new level of transparency. Our editors and reporters distill the most important stories from all over in formats that uncover the forces shaping the stories, explain the interests behind polarizing narratives, and replenish the stock of shared facts. As a global platform, Semafor recognizes that smart people can disagree and that informed readers need to understand alternative points of view from competing centers of power and culture in a multi-polar world. Want to join us? Read on.
About the Role
Semafor is seeking a Senior Producer, Video & Live Journalism to lead the editorial and production execution of our interview-led video programming, with an initial focus on conversations with CEOs and other consequential global decision-makers.
This person will play a central role in producing across a range of Semafor shows. Semafor brings policy makers and business leaders into substantive, newsworthy conversations about the decisions shaping their companies and the new world economy.
The Senior Producer will also help define how video extends the reach and impact of Semafor’s journalism. Working closely with the newsroom, audience, and live journalism teams, this person will shape the strategy around livestreams, what should be reimagined as on-demand programming, and how Semafor’s gatherings can generate distinctive video before, during, and after each event.
This is both a strategic and hands-on role. The ideal candidate can sharpen the editorial thesis of an interview, prepare a host for a high-stakes conversation, run a multi-camera production, give decisive notes in the edit, and use audience data to make the next episode better.
Responsibilities
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Own interview shows from idea to publication. Lead the end-to-end production of CEO and executive interview programming, including editorial development, research, pre-interviews, host preparation, rundowns, scripts, production, post-production, and final publishing.
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Work with hosts, reporters, and editors to identify the decisions, tensions, and moments of judgment that will produce candid, news-making interviews rather than conventional executive profiles.
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Produce hosts and editorial talent. Help hosts refine their on-camera voice, interview approach, pacing, and chemistry. Provide clear feedback before, during, and after production.
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Lead video production. Manage studio, field, remote, and event-based shoots, including crews, editors, lighting and audio teams, production vendors, schedules, budgets, travel, releases, and technical requirements.
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Partner with the live-journalism and events teams to identify the sessions, speakers, and moments with the greatest video potential. Build capture and distribution plans that distinguish between live utility and durable, on-demand programming.
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Extend the life of Semafor’s events. Create intentional packages around marquee events, including livestreams, full conversations, backstage interviews, field pieces, previews, recaps, and short-form excerpts.
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Direct the edit and maintain a high creative bar. Shape long-form episodes, trailers, cold opens, promotional assets, and social cuts. Give precise notes on story structure, pacing, visuals, sound, graphics, and tone.
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Build platform-native distribution plans. Work with Semafor’s audience team on titles, thumbnails, descriptions, chapters, clips, publishing cadence.
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Use data to improve the journalism. Analyze audience retention, watch time, click-through rates, completion rates, returning viewers, and other platform-specific signals. Turn those insights into practical changes to format, packaging, episode structure, and distribution.
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Build scalable production systems. Establish repeatable workflows, calendars, templates, review processes, and quality-control standards that allow Semafor to produce ambitious work consistently and efficiently.
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Protect Semafor’s editorial standards. Ensure that scripts, interviews, edits, headlines, and promotional materials meet the highest standards for accuracy, fairness, transparency, and editorial independence.
Qualifications
- At least 7 years of experience in a newsroom, broadcast organization, or digital news operation, with significant responsibility for video journalism or interview-led programming.
- Exceptional editorial judgment and a strong grasp of business, economics, politics, technology, global affairs, and the forces affecting corporate leadership.
- Experience working directly with prominent hosts, reporters, correspondents, executives, or public figures. You are comfortable operating around senior talent without becoming deferential or losing sight of the journalism.
- A sophisticated understanding of YouTube and LinkedIn, including how audience expectations, packaging, tone, length, and measures of success differ across the two platforms.
- Strong technical fluency across production and post-production. You do not need to perform every production function yourself, but you must understand cameras, lighting, audio, editing, livestreaming, and delivery well enough to make informed decisions.
- An entrepreneurial approach and willingness to operate in a growing newsroom where the person defining the strategy is often also responsible for executing it.
Compensation: The salary range for this role is $130,000 - $160,000 annually based on individual candidate experience and skills.
Additional job details
Semafor offers a Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO) policy to our full-time, salaried employees who may take paid time off as-needed without a prescribed limit or defined balance.
Semafor, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. Semafor, Inc. will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
