Senior Content Manager, People Managing People (USA)
5 days ago
San Diego
Job DescriptionAt Black & White Zebra, our publications are the cornerstone of our business, and People Managing People is our flagship resource for forward-thinking leaders using AI to build better systems, stronger teams, and more human-centered ways of working with real business impact. Weâre seeking a Senior Content Manager to lead the program for People Managing People. In this strategic role, youâll manage a team of editors and own a cross-channel strategy spanning editorial, ebooks, newsletters, podcasts, events, video, and social. Youâll repurpose content across formats, bridge community conversations with the editorial roadmap, and ensure everything we publish is useful, credible, and performance-driven. Youâll ground the content roadmap in deep audience insightâfrom SEO and competitive research to direct user feedbackâwhile also spotting emerging needs leaders donât know they have yet. With your leadership expertise and curiosity about AI, youâll sharpen our editorial voice, bring clarity to complexity, and position People Managing People as the go-to source for future-ready leadership. Beyond traditional publishing, youâll explore and scale new content experiencesâfrom interactive tools and surveys to video and visual storytellingâthat deepen engagement, serve user needs, and strengthen our competitive edgeâand you'll coach editors to do the same. Youâll collaborate closely with Content Ops, SEO, Media, and Events teams to align efforts and continuously raise the bar on quality and efficiency. Who You Are ⢠A cross-channel content strategist with a track record of scaling content programs and leading high-performing teams. You know how to extend a story across newsletters, podcasts, events, social, and video., ⢠An AI enthusiast curious about how AI is reshaping content, leadership, and the future of workâand eager to test, apply, and share what you learn., ⢠A subject-matter expert in leadership and organizational design who understands the real challenges executives and people leaders face., ⢠An AI systems innovator who integrates AI across workflows to balance scale, efficiency, and thoughtful human strategy., ⢠A reader-obsessed leader, driven by clarity and empathy, who experiments with formats like interactive tools, surveys, and video storytelling., ⢠A hands-on contributor who interviews executives, tests tools, and brings lived leadership insights into the content you guide., ⢠A collaborative partner who thrives cross-functionallyâaligning content with SEO, product marketing, events, and partnerships to build trust and authority.What You'll Be Doing (Responsibilities), ⢠Lead cross-channel content strategy and roadmap: Own the content roadmap, deciding what we create, update, and optimize across channels based on performance data, business goals, and audience needs. Extend stories across editorial, podcasts, newsletters, video, social, and eventsâmeeting audiences where they are and repurposing content for maximum impact. Own and evolve our editorial methodology to ensure every piece aligns with our mission to help readers future-proof their organizations. Ground decisions in SEO, user feedback, competitive research, data sources, and emerging audience needsâespecially around AI and the future of project delivery., ⢠Elevate content quality and innovation: Oversee site-wide content quality and clarity, ensuring every piece helps readers future-proof their organizations. Write and contribute first-person content on high-priority and emerging topics, especially where thought leadership and SME insights are essential. Contribute to interviews, podcasts, and digital PR opportunitiesârepresenting the brand externally and amplifying our editorial voice across channels. Test, launch, and scale new formatsâinteractive tools, visual storytelling, surveys, and beyondâthat engage readers in fresh ways. Surface emerging reader needs by talking to users, testing tools, and spotting opportunities before they appear in SEO dataâwith a special focus on AI topics, spotting shifts before they show up in SEO data., ⢠Embed and scale AI-powered content systems: Work with content operations to integrate AI across every part of the content workflowâfrom templates to publishing and optimizationâand continuously refine processes to scale responsibly. Coach editors and internal experts to step into earned media, PR, and thought leadership opportunities in partnership with the Digital PR Lead., ⢠Grow and empower a high-performing content team: Manage and mentor a team of editors and contributors, providing structured feedback, editorial development, and career support. Coach internal experts and editors to participate in earned media and thought leadership efforts, in partnership with the Digital PR Lead. Foster a culture of curiosity, collaboration, and experimentation that keeps the team at the forefront of both AI innovation and content leadership.How Your Success Will Be Measured, ⢠Content output : Volume of high-quality net-new and updated articles published each month, aligned to strategic priorities and roadmap goals., ⢠Content quality & clarity: Adherence to editorial standards, voice, and structureâalong with improvements in engagement metrics, UX feedback, and time-to-publish efficiency., ⢠Performance impact: Growth in keyword rankings, organic traffic, newsletter sign-ups, and conversions tied to business-critical topics and funnel stages. Increased visibility and authority in conversations around AI, project delivery, and PM tools., ⢠AI powered, scalable improvements: Enhancements to templates, workflows, and AI processes that increase quality, reduce friction, and enable scaleâresulting in faster time-to-publish, increased traffic and revenue, and reduced content production costs., ⢠Team development: Feedback adoption, editorial growth, and quality improvements from contributors, resulting in faster content cycles, increased publishing autonomy, and higher volume of consistently high-quality content., ⢠Thought leadership readiness: Participation in media, interviews, and PR opportunities that extend brand authority. Engagement of SMEs, editors, and internal experts in thought leadership efforts in partnership with the Digital PR Lead., ⢠Proprietary enhancements: # of pieces enriched with original diagrams, templates, tools, visuals, or interactive elements that improve UX and search competitiveness.Your Skillset Includes, ⢠5â7+ years in organic content strategy, editorial leadership, or content marketing, with a record of scaling programs and driving measurable growth., ⢠A strong foundation in business management, people leadership, people operations, HR and/or workplace tech, with firsthand experience using tools like HRIS, ATS, onboarding platforms, or performance management systemsâand the ability to translate that experience into high-value content., ⢠A proven track record of managing content teams or freelancers in fast-paced, high-output environmentsâbalancing coaching, quality, and efficiency., ⢠Deep knowledge of SEO, user intent, and content UX, and how they come together to create content that ranks, converts, and genuinely helps the reader., ⢠Advanced experience with AI-assisted content production, including prompt design, workflow tuning, and integrating AI into templates and publishing processes to increase efficiency and quality., ⢠Strong research, interviewing, and storytelling skills, with the ability to turn complex concepts into clear, engaging narratives., ⢠Excellent cross-functional communication and project management skills, with experience working with SEO, media, operations, and leadership stakeholders., ⢠Ability to leverage data to drive decisions, including performance reporting, testing frameworks, and content analytics. Comfortable with our stack of tools including GA4, Ahrefs, WordPress, and Airtable., ⢠A deep curiosity about whatâs next in organizational leadershipâfrom new tools to new ways of workingâand a passion for helping others adapt and thrive.Nice To Haves, ⢠Experience contributing expert commentary or appearing in thought leadership content, ⢠Familiarity with PR/media collaboration and working alongside outreach or communications teams