Lead Video Editor, Social-First Content

Lead the craft behind social-first content watched by millions.

At Totem, we’re redefining entertainment for social-first audiences. We work with leading entertainment IP and brands to build and scale global audiences across YouTube, Facebook and other major platforms.

We’re looking for an accomplished Lead Video Editor to set the creative standard for our editing team and strengthen our ability to deliver high-performing social content at scale.

This is a hands-on player-coach role . You’ll lead and develop our onshore and offshore Video Editors while continuing to edit priority content yourself. You’ll combine outstanding editorial judgement with supportive people leadership, reliable delivery and a strong understanding of what makes audiences click, watch and keep watching.

What you’ll do

• Set clear standards for social-first storytelling across short and long-form platform-native content for YouTube, Facebook and other relevant channels.
• Oversee editing quality, ensuring content meets creative, technical, brand, licensing and platform requirements.
• Remain hands-on with priority edits and provide additional editing support during busy periods.
• Use audience insights and performance data to improve hooks, structure, pacing and retention.
• Lead, coach and develop our Editing team and foster a strong culture of collaboration, connection and knowledge-sharing.
• Provide clear feedback, practical training and regular one-to-one support that builds skill, speed and independence.
• Maintain visibility across workloads, deadlines and delivery risks, communicating concerns and solutions early.
• Contribute to Totem’s Video Editor Internship Program by providing interns with dedicated one-to-one mentoring and specialist editorial guidance.
• Be an active and dependable member of the Content Leadership Team, providing clear advice on editing capability, capacity, quality and delivery risk.
• Improve editing workflows, quality-control practices, training resources and collaboration across locations and time zones.
• Support the recruitment, onboarding and performance management of Video Editors.

What you’ll bring

• At least five years of professional video-editing experience with a proven record of creating high-performing, monetised social-first content.
• Experience leading and developing a team of remote editors through clear expectations, coaching, feedback, support and training.
• An outstanding portfolio demonstrating social-first storytelling across short- and long-form video.
• Expert proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro and strong capability across relevant Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
• A deep understanding of hooks, narrative structure, pacing, audience retention, audio and visual composition.
• Strong knowledge of YouTube and Facebook, including how performance data should influence editorial decisions.
• The ability to remain hands-on while leading people and overseeing delivery in a fast-moving, high-volume environment.
• Strong quality-control, organisational, prioritisation and problem-solving skills.
• A reliable, accountable and solutions-focused leadership style, with a genuine commitment to developing established editors and emerging talent.
• Additional experience in advanced motion graphics, graphic design, thumbnail development or AI-assisted editing is advantageous.

Why you’ll love working at Totem

You’ll join an ambitious, collaborative team in a deliberately remote-first business, with a genuine opportunity to shape the quality, performance and scale of the content we create.

Alongside the flexibility of remote work, you’ll enjoy benefits including our profit share bonus scheme, flexible public holidays, birthday leave, half-day Fridays throughout December, and confidential EAP support for you and your family.

If you’re an exceptional social-first editor who loves developing people, improving how work gets done and leading from the front while staying close to the craft, we’d love to hear from you!