Editorial Director

About us

Hydrogen is the Communications division of The PA. We create high-quality content for the PR and marketing industry, backed by the distribution power of the PA newswire.

Our creative and social teams combine editorial expertise, insight and deep platform knowledge to help organisations connect with their audiences and make an impact.

As part of The PA, we share a wider ambition: to be a beacon of trust for news, content and data. We believe trusted, effective communication can build greater understanding, connection and influence.

About the role

We’re looking for an experienced editorial leader to lead the news-generation capability within Hydrogen Creative.

This is an opportunity to take the instincts, judgement and discipline developed in a fast-paced newsroom and apply them in a different environment, helping brands and organisations turn ideas, research and campaign briefs into credible stories that journalists genuinely want to cover.

You’ll work alongside PR agencies, brands, creative teams and account leads, bringing an editorial perspective from the very start of a campaign. You’ll identify the story, find the strongest angle and understand how it can connect with the wider news agenda – while maintaining the accuracy, credibility and quality expected of The PA.

This is a senior, influential role for someone who knows what makes a story travel, understands how UK newsrooms think and can bring that expertise confidently into a commercial environment.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead the news-generation strategy across a varied portfolio of PR and marketing campaigns.
• Assess briefs through an editorial lens, quickly identifying where the genuine news value lies.
• Develop compelling storylines, news hooks and campaign narratives designed to generate meaningful earned media.
• Work with creative and account teams to turn ideas into credible, executable news propositions.
• Connect campaigns to the wider news agenda, cultural conversations and emerging opportunities.
• Use your knowledge of UK newsrooms, journalists and media outlets to shape stories for different audiences and platforms.
• Lead the development of rapid-turnaround stories, research, data-led content, interviews and news releases.
• Find multiple angles and opportunities within a story to maximise its potential for coverage.
• Set high editorial standards for accuracy, relevance, credibility and quality.
• Work directly with clients and agency partners, providing clear editorial advice and setting realistic expectations around potential media outcomes.
• Mentor journalists and editorial colleagues, helping build editorial capability across Hydrogen.

What we’re looking for

First and foremost, you’ll be an experienced journalist and editorial leader with excellent news judgement who knows instinctively what makes something a story.

You’ll bring:

• Significant journalism experience gained in a fast-paced newsroom, ideally within a national news agency, newspaper, broadcaster or major digital publisher.
• Proven experience operating as a senior editorial leader.
• Excellent knowledge of the UK media landscape and current news agenda.
• A strong understanding of how a story develops from an initial idea through to publication.
• The ability to make confident editorial decisions at pace without compromising accuracy or credibility.
• Experience leading journalists and working effectively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to advise and challenge senior clients and agency partners.
• Commercial awareness and an understanding of how strong editorial thinking can contribute to measurable client outcomes.
• A practical understanding of PR and brand campaigns, and the ability to balance client objectives with genuine editorial value.
• It would be an advantage if you have a recognised journalism or NCTJ qualification, or previous experience working with commercial, PR or branded-content briefs.

Why join us?

• Bring your newsroom expertise into a new environment – use your editorial judgement and creativity to shape campaigns for a wide range of brands and organisations.
• Make an impact across Hydrogen – strengthen our editorial proposition, influence ideas from the outset and help develop the capability of colleagues around you.
• Be part of The PA – bring the standards and instincts of a newsroom to ambitious commercial campaigns, backed by more than 150 years of trusted journalism.
• Hybrid, flexible working with a minimum of 3 days a week in our Paddington office.
• 25 days’ holiday plus options to purchase more, alongside enhanced family leave.
• Life assurance at 4x salary.
• Wellbeing and volunteering days to support you inside and outside of work.