The Independent, Gaming Writer

Gaming Writer, The Independent

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a politically independent national newspaper. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to keep its values alive.

Through The Independent and indy100 websites, its subscription and contribution services, as well as its syndication and advertising businesses, The Independent hopes to continue the work of many decades, and with over 100 million unique global visitors a month, to make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

Today we have teams across the globe, from Delhi, Moscow and the Middle East, through to London, New York and Los Angeles.

Gaming Writer

The Independent is looking for a talented gaming writer to join the title’s IndyBest platform.

We are seeking a reporter with experience in games-focused ecommerce content – this role will include everything from liveblogging new launches and pre-orders to evergreen reviews of consoles, games, accessories and more. The successful candidate will have a genuine passion for games journalism, a strong understanding of SEO, and know how to create industry-leading and engaging review content that readers love and trust.

The right person will have excellent contacts and a wealth of technical knowledge in the world of gaming across all platforms, and understand how to make IndyBest’s gaming content accessible and enjoyable for all readers.  

Key responsibilities and skills:

• Liveblogging launches and covering pre-orders.
• Updating and optimising existing content for search engines. 
• Writing and editing evergreen reviews.
• Developing relationships with industry PRs.
• Coming up with new and interesting content ideas.
• Spotting opportunities and reacting in an agile manner.
• Working closely with key commercial colleagues.

Essential skills and experience

• A passion for video games. 
• Strong familiarity with The Independent and IndyBest.
• Skilled content creator.
• Expert knowledge of trends and SEO. 
• Experience of working in a dynamic fast-paced media environment.
• Excellent organisational and planning skills.

Expected behaviours

1. Continuous Improvement – Works in a smart, flexible and focused way, is open to change and suggests ideas for improvements to the way things are done.
2. Collaboration – Builds and maintains positive and supportive working relationships with colleagues.  Helps to create an inclusive and professional work environment.
3. Building Capability – Keeps own knowledge and skill set current and evolving and looks for ways to continue learning to support the achievement of business objectives.
4. Quality Service – Delivers high quality and efficient service and takes account of the diverse customer needs and requirements when looking at ways to improve service quality.
5. Responsive Delivery - Works to agreed business goals and objectives and deals with challenges in a constructive and responsive way.  Takes personal responsibility for quality of outputs.

To apply, please send an up to date CV along with a full covering letter with salary expectations.

Due to the high volume of applications we will only be contacting candidates who have been shortlisted and progressed through to the next stage.

Location: You will be based at our Head office in Kensington, London, W8.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer and we welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are under-represented in the creative industries. If you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

All of our employees are entitled to benefits including free on-site gym, great pension, private healthcare and life insurance schemes. We also offer cycle to work and season ticket loan initiatives to make our employees’ journeys to work easier. We want our employees to enjoy working for us and we invest in training and development to support and develop rewarding careers.