Food Content Editor (8-month FTC)

Job Description:

Please note that this is an 8-month Fixed Term Contract role.

Are you a multi-talented food content editor with flawless recipe-creation skills, covering everything from classics with a genius twist to the latest trends, all communicated through clear, concise and engaging multichannel copy? Do you have an insatiable appetite to set the bar high in food media, creating recipes and content that cuts through across print, online and social?

At Waitrose, we are looking for a qualified food content editor with more than five years of experience to join us on an eight-month contract. Working in collaboration with our specialist agency, Senior Content Manager and Food Content Editor, you will plan, produce and deliver content that drives our print and digital strategy forward, with a particular focus on our Your Week in Food newspaper and related digital content.

The ideal candidate will be as passionate about discovering the latest food trends and products as they are about creating recipes that meet nutritional and food safety policies. You must be a self-starter, commercially savvy and tech-literate using SEO and AI to boost content ranking and accomplish tasks at pace.

About the John Lewis Partnership:

The Partnership is the UK’s largest employee-owned business and home to our two well-loved retail brands – John Lewis and Waitrose, as well as expanding into new areas beyond retail.

We aren’t an ordinary business, though. The Partnership is different because everyone who works here isn’t just an employee. We are Partners, with a shared responsibility for our success, and we share the rewards when we’re successful.

Everything we do is powered by our unique Purpose: Working in Partnership for a happier world. Our Purpose inspires our principles, drives our decisions and acts as our guide, so that everything we do contributes to Happier People, Happier Business and a Happier World.

Critical purpose of the role:

• Be a point of contact for food content in Waitrose.
• Skilled in crafting, writing and editing engaging content across multiple communication channels, including print and online (SEO).
• Responsible for commissioning and delivering food and drink news, features and franchises for omnichannel editorial and commercial Partnerships.
• An agile Food Content Producer who can adapt tone, style, and approach to suit different formats and platforms, producing high-quality content that resonates with passionate food lovers.
• Responsible for producing engaging multi-format, multi-channel content that translates business priorities into compelling storytelling, making weekly shopping a more exciting experience for passionate food lovers. Collaborate with food content creators to maximise reuse of recipe-led content in owned content marketing channels.

Primary Outcomes & Accountabilities:

Partnership Values:

Act in accordance with the Partnership’s purpose and democratic principles, constructively participating in co-ownership, and demonstrating to customers and each other that it is a better way of doing business. Share your knowledge, experiences, ideas and opinion to improve the Partnership, speaking honestly and frequently.

Invest in your personal and professional development to achieve potential, by doing more, doing better, or doing different. Continuously engage with and actively contribute to your Profession.

Take responsibility for actively engaging with change.

Content creation:

Subject matter expert in food content, relevant for digital and printed application.

Commission and produce compelling short and long form content across our content ecosystem, including food features, omnichannel franchises and news stories, ensuring alignment with editorial guidelines and brand voice.

Support the planning, editing, commissioning, and delivery of a weekly trade-focused newspaper & supporting digital formats that enhance the shopping experience in-store and online. Work to the production schedules and ensure all deadlines are met in collaboration with relevant internal and external Stakeholders.

Create SEO-optimised content for recipe collection pages, individual recipe pages, and food guides, ensuring alignment with search intent and improving organic search visibility.

Stay ahead of the latest Waitrose food trends, product development and releases, producers and suppliers, emerging ideas and brands, offering fresh, timely, and exciting content that speaks to our customer’s needs for discovery. Working closely with all Waitrose Directorates.

Support the development of, establish and maintain the house style for recipe work and food content.

Produce advertorials and commercial content that aligns with brand objectives while maintaining editorial integrity. Collaborate with Content Media teams to identify

Measures of success:

• Delivers programme of work to plan, on time, to budget and to agreed standards
• Increase in content effectiveness.
• Accuracy of Food and Drink content including recipe content that meets nutritional and food safety policies.
• Integration of content across relevant channels
• Delivery within budget and accurate reporting. Year on year efficiency gains. Audience reach, feedback and engagement metrics. Audience reach, feedback and engagement metrics
• Efficiencies in cost base
• Growth in media revenue income
• Effective stakeholder communication and coordination (internal and external) - 360 feedback opportunities for incremental media revenue, propose and implement solutions.
• Collaborate with in house and agency teams to ensure content fits within broader strategies and objectives, and across thebusiness, e.g. Advertising; Product Development; Innovation; POS; Art Direction.
• Ensure all written content is accurate, clear, and free from errors, upholding high editorial standards and adhering to legal and safety compliance standards upholding Waitrose brand guidelines and governance.
• Work with Customer service and legal teams on appropriate responses to Customer feedback and questions.
• Cost control and efficient budget management, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of spend against targets.
• Measure and report on performance of content produced.
• Support events and experiences, creating content as required.
• Act as the spokesperson, public face and brand ambassador for
• Waitrose Food & Drink content, including hosting and participating in internal and external events as required.
• Embrace technology, adopting a digital first content approach

Skills:

• Food marketing: Food and beverage subject matter expert: deep understanding, knowledge, experience of all food and beverage related matters and connected and networked with experts and talent within the industry.
• Written Communication: Excellent writing, briefing, commissioning, proofreading and editing skills. In depth understanding and experience of end to end content marketing production and process management both on and offline.
• Stakeholder Management: Identifies who is impacted by or involved in your goals/objectives and therefore who is key to achieving the desired successful outcomes. Understands the motivations and priorities of these stakeholders and takes these into account in order to build and manage sustainable relationships. Can anticipate potential challenges stakeholders may bring and puts plans in place to achieve collaboration.
• Attention to detail: Restless in delivering high levels of accuracy, consistency, legal and safety compliance and house style.
• Project Management: Project management and planning: proficient in setting up models, managing and developing ways of working to effectively manage projects and stakeholders.

Qualifications & Experience:

Essential:

• 3-5 years of relevant editorial experience in writing and content creation, with a strong portfolio showcasing work across print, digital, and social
• Strong writing skills, with the ability to craft compelling editorial content, advertorials, and digital content while maintaining brand voice and tone
• A solid understanding of nutritional standards and UK government guidelines
• A deep understanding of SEO principles, with the ability to optimise print and digital pages for organic search visibility
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign) and experience with web content management systems
• Experience in writing food-focused content, including food trends and food culture
• Strong organisational skills and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines
• Excellent attention to detail, ensuring accuracy in all written content
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Desirable:

• Basic HTML/CSS
• Relevant Marketing qualification
• A solid understanding of Waitrose and food safety regulations and compliance standards, and have the minimum Food Hygiene Certificate Level 3 and HACCP Level 2
• WSET Level 2 Wines
• WSET Level 2 Spirits
• Membership of The Guild Of Food Writers, or other similar professional organisation