Editorial Lead (Sydney)

Sydney Dramaturgical CompanyFreelance / independent contractor · Sydney · 15 hrs/week · $45.38/hr (Fair Work Journalists Published Media Award MA000067)Part-time independent contractor engagement, 12 months from December 2026 through December 2027Interviews this week over Zoom. Applications by Wednesday 20 August, 5pm AEST.
ABOUT SDCSydney Dramaturgical Company is an independent theatre company and web magazine publishing live performance criticism across Sydney, New York, and Montréal. We produce in odd years and write in even ones. We pay writers at working critic rate on first draft, run a paid emerging critic mentorship stream, and operate with a transparent AI/automation policy that keeps human writing central while automating everything around it.We're hiring a Sydney Editorial Lead to hold day-to-day editorial responsibility for SDC's Sydney coverage across a 12-month funded period (December 2026 – December 2027), while the Founder & Editor is based in New York completing an MS in Data Visualization at Parsons. Editorial direction stays with the Founder; the Sydney Editorial Lead runs the Sydney arm.
WHAT THE ROLE ACTUALLY ISMost of SDC's editorial infrastructure is automated — commissioning workflows, deadline tracking, publication scheduling, payment processing, listicles, applicant screening, roster CRM.
What can't be automated is the relationship work and the taste work.
Writer-facing workDirect relationships with SDC's Sydney contributors (~30 working critics and emerging writers across the roster of ~90)Editorial passes on first drafts: judgment, care, sharpening arguments, catching factual issues, honouring voiceOnboarding new Sydney-based writers as the roster growsWeekly editorial mentorship touchpoints with emerging critics on the Sydney streamSubstantive editorial back-and-forth — the conversations that make a piece land
PR- and venue-facing workPrimary Sydney contact for PR partners (Kabuku PR and equivalent mid-tier firms) and venue programming teams (Belvoir St, Sydney Fringe Festival, and others as the network grows)Press comps coordination and coverage negotiationsManaging SDC's coverage relationship with Sydney Fringe Festival specifically, including as lead editorial contact for the 2027 festival cycleRepresenting SDC at Sydney industry events, opening nights, and sector gatherings when useful
Social media (Sydney channel)Editing Instagram carousels for SDC's Sydney feed. Workflow: Gamma spits out three ~15-slide draft carousels from each published piece; you receive both the article and the drafts by email; you collage/cut/re-sequence into a single 9-slide-or-fewer carousel that reads well and honours the piece. ~30 minutes per carousel. Frequency: 2-5 per week, higher during Sydney Fringe.See unedited example: https://gamma.app/docs/lacuna-jb8e7qktxyx5d4fVs edited example: https://gamma.app/docs/lacuna-jzn544bargav9xcUploading finished carousels to a shared Google Drive folder (a downstream automation handles posting)No caption writing required; captions are automated
WHO WE'RE LOOKING FORSharp critical judgment and real feel for editorial voiceWriting background in criticism, journalism, or arts/culture publishing (you don't need to have edited at scale before, but you know good writing from the inside)Comfortable running warm, professional relationships with writers, PRs, and venue teamsAesthetically confident on social media, especially the visual/sequencing sideReliable, organised, communicative — hold multiple deadlines and writers at once without dropping threadsBased in Sydney, available for industry events, opening nights, and Sydney Fringe
Bonus (not required):Existing relationships within Sydney's live performance sectorBilingual capacity (English/French)
STRUCTURAL DETAILSIndependent contractor, 12 months from December 2026 through December 202715 hours per week, flexible scheduling$45.38/hr standard, ~$50.83/hr for the ~1 hr/week evening check-in with the Founder in NYC — per Fair Work Journalists Published Media Award MA000067, Digital publications sector, Band 1 Level 5 casual classificationReports to Founder & Editor; weekly editorial mentorshipEngagement contingent on Creative Australia grant funding (notification early December 2026); "subject to funding" clause appliesClassification and scope reviewed at 12-month renewal
TO APPLYApply on LinkedIn or send to editorial@sydneydramaturgical.com by Wednesday 20 August, 5pm AEST:Resume or brief experience paragraphOne writing sample (any format, any length)One paragraph on why SDC2-3 windows you're free for a 30-min Zoom this week (Wednesday–Friday preferred)Interviews rolling this week. Decision by end of week.