The San Francisco Standard is hiring a Producer and Story Editor for our weekly news podcast “Pacific Standard Time.” This is an entertaining, informed, conversation-driven video podcast that explores the most important stories shaping San Francisco—from culture to business to politics to technology.
We are looking for a hybrid powerhouse who thrives in fast-paced editorial environments and startups, and brings a video-first mindset alongside podcasting prowess. You should have a sharp ear for audio and a keen eye for video and social, with deep experience guiding story development from pitch to publish. Beyond the long-form episode, you will be responsible for the show's "digital footprint," ensuring our content is engineered for growth on our site, YouTube, and social media through strategic clipping and packaging and partnership with our web and social teams.
You’ll work with the co-hosts, associate producer, and head of audio to shape each episode’s editorial arc while overseeing the technical and editorial pipelines that bring the show to life each week. You’ll be part of the newsroom team at The Standard, a successful and growing local news startup.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead the production for Pacific Standard Time, running pitch meetings and shaping weekly coverage based on the SF news cycle; Oversee the full production lifecycle of the video podcast.
- Manage production timelines and editorial calendars, ensuring the team meets weekly deadlines and is fully prepped for interviews and tapings.
- Partner with newsroom leaders and editors to identify stories that should be adapted for the podcast; Attend daily editorial meetings and represent PST therewithin.
- Direct hosts and guests during tapings, maintaining a high standard for both performance and visual composition; Also oversee video and audio technical elements during tapings
- Hands-on in the producing and editing process of the show, willingness to wear many hats to create the best possible episode each week.
- Identify "hooky" moments within episodes to create high-performing clips for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts and be able to create those yourself.
- Understand what performs on YouTube; oversee the creation of thumbnails and titles that drive engagement and subscriber growth.
- Help the podcast succeed on the SF Standard’s site, embodying an experimental attitude around packaging the show for the web and readers.
Qualifications
- 5–8+ years in audio production, with significant experience in video podcasting or digital video.
- Technical Mastery:
- High proficiency in Adobe Premiere Pro and Descript (video) required. You must be comfortable navigating video projects and multi-cam sequences.
- High proficiency filming with video cameras (specifically Canon systems); knowledge of lenses, manual settings, and lighting for video is required.
- A proven track record of growing a show’s audience via social media. You know why a clip goes viral and how to "edit for the algorithm" without sacrificing editorial integrity.
- Extremely strong news instincts, especially regarding San Francisco’s political and cultural landscape, a good sense of what each week’s most exciting, interesting stories are.
- Excellent story-structuring skills.
- Proficiency in ProTools or similar DAWs for final audio polish. Some experience with mixing/mastering preferred.
- Experience with YouTube-specific packaging, including SEO-driven titles and thumbnail strategy.
- Spanish- and Chinese-language skills are a plus.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $130,000 - $150,000 annually, depending on experience.
- Full health, dental, and vision coverage.
- Generous PTO and parental leave.
- 401(k) with employer match.
- Office based in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood.
To Apply
Please submit your resume, cover letter, and links to 3-5 pieces of relevant work, a few of which should feature video podcasts or digital video series you have produced & edited. Include 1-2 examples of social clips or "reels" you’ve produced that drove engagement.