Rouleur, Editor

Know professional cycling inside out and a whole lot more besides? Willing and able to steer Rouleur’s editorial direction and attract a new audience to the finest cycling print publication in the world?

Rouleur seeks an Editor who is passionate about bikes, bike culture and bike racing; who can help grow a highly-respected and market-leading magazine; who has the skillset and potential to help take this much-loved brand into the future with bold ideas, creative content and brilliant concepts.

The global pandemic has provided a steep learning curve for all of us in publishing. With retail outlets barely existing, we made the decision to remove Rouleur from the newsstand and make it subscriber and online-only purchasable. The result? Record numbers of subscribers (after 16 years in existence) and our highest-selling issue ever with the women-only edition to begin 2021 with a bang. 

As other cycling titles cease to exist, or are merged and subsumed in the current economic climate, Rouleur remains fiercely independent, but with a deep understanding of what ticks the boxes of both our readership and our commercial partners.

You will be brimful of bright ideas, ready to lead the line and help grow a business with the magazine at its core; working hands-on and closely with our tight knit team to maximise impact and sales across the board – website, podcast, online retail emporium and the Rouleur Live show. Rouleur is a fast moving, entrepreneurial company; you will be expected to show initiative and be proactive in taking on extra responsibility in all areas outlined within this job description. 

With Rouleur now publishing in Italian (Rouleur Italia) and Spanish (via our sister magazine Volata), further internationalisation and expansion into more global territories is in the pipeline.

You will be based at our lovely new office in Somerset House, London WC2, with scope for home working too.

Closing date for applications: Monday 9th February.

Please include CV and covering letter. We support a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace, and welcome applications from different backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Steer editorial direction and grow Rouleur readership, ensuring the publication is produced to the highest quality and is original, progressive, thought-provoking, accurate, global and compelling
• Work closely with our executive editor, designer, sub-editor and talented internal team to produce 8 flawless issues per year 
• Decide themes for each issue, ensuring Rouleur is at the cutting edge and leading the conversation in cycle sport and cycling culture
• Root-to-branch magazine-making from commissioning, flatplanning, cover choice, feature editing, organising contributors, proofreading and post-production marketing
• Contribute features to every issue and an Editor’s Letter
• Commission the finest writers and photographers, regularly refreshing the search for the best editorial talent
• Liaise with international editors of Rouleur Italia and Volata to maximise original content across three editions
• Manage magazine budget effectively and efficiently, ensuring Rouleur gets maximum value for money 
• Ensure clear communication to contributors regarding commissions, invoicing, payment and terms and conditions
• Assist Rouleur’s commercial accounts manager in maximising advertising revenue and working together on deck copy
• Work closely with Rouleur’s digital editor to ensure effective crossover with website, social media and a cohesive strategy
• Be a high-profile face of the company on social media and within the cycling industry, attending relevant events
• Shape the editorial direction, timetable and guest list of Rouleur’s own flagship annual show, Rouleur Live
• Initiate and contribute to brand strategy and supplementary projects
• Contribute regularly to the Rouleur podcast
• Play an active role in marketing the magazine, the brand and PR activities

Requirements

• Proven experience of planning, editing and commissioning content and/or making a magazine and organising a small team
• Highly creative, curious and proactive, with thought-provoking, progressive ideas that will continue to set Rouleur apart from the crowd
• Understanding of Rouleur, what makes the brand, publication and website unique and how to commission and create content accordingly
• Ability to write fast, flowing, clean and top-quality feature copy
• Ability to work closely with commercial partners and Rouleur team to maintain highest standards of content
• Need for international and domestic travel, collating multiple strands of content every time – written, audio, video
• Meticulous eye for detail, in both words and imagery 
• Passion for print media and the written word
• Excellent time management and prioritisation skills
• Ability to stick to firm deadlines and remain calm during busy periods
• Exemplary grasp of grammar, punctuation, spelling and style
• Proficiency in Italian/Spanish/another foreign language desirable, but not necessary
• Covetable book of contacts, including leading cyclists, foremost industry figures, team staff, press officers, journalists, photographers and illustrators. 

About Rouleur

Rouleur is an award-winning magazine and media brand focussed on cycling culture. Born in 2006 within the cycling clothing brand Rapha, Rouleur has always celebrated and perpetuated the sense of exploration, free thinking and style that is central to the world of cycling.

Rouleur became its own independent publisher in 2013, and subsequently launched an international live event (rouleur.cc/live) alongside a digital content and e-commerce platform (rouleur.cc). We have seen healthy growth in all elements of our business the last two years, as readers have begun to favour premium print content and we have seen our subscriber numbers triple.

Rouleur is an independent publication that prides itself on a progressive stance toward cycling – championing gender and diversity issues in the sport, and gaining national press recognition for our 2021 Women’s Issue. Our eight print issues per year lie at the heart of Rouleur the brand, and all members of the editorial team contribute to the magazine. We are a highly collaborative team, with editorial staff members in the UK, Spain and Italy, offering unique opportunities to develop relationships across global brands.

With world-class content at the heart of all of our marketing, e-commerce and commercial offerings, we encourage creativity across the entire business, and expect staff to help bring unique ideas, experiences and insights into every aspect of what we do.