Features & Profiles Editor

Help shape the stories that define a new premium local magazine.

Illinois Fitness & Sport Magazine is hiring a Features Editor to lead the development of standout profiles, long-form features, and community-centered stories across fitness, sport, performance, wellness, and the people behind them.

This role is for an editor who knows how to find strong human stories, conduct thoughtful interviews, shape structure, elevate drafts, and build a feature pipeline that gives a magazine its identity. You will help define the stories readers remember most — athletes, coaches, clinicians, fitness leaders, and community builders across Illinois.

We are looking for someone who is editorially sharp, highly organized, deadline-aware, and strong with both story judgment and relationships. This is a key role in a growing local-first publication and a strong fit for someone who thrives in a hands-on, high-accountability editorial environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop, assign, and edit feature stories for print and digital publication
• Identify strong profile subjects, local story opportunities, and cover-worthy editorial ideas
• Conduct interviews and guide contributors through reporting and story development
• Shape long-form features from early concept through final edit
• Collaborate with the Managing Editor on issue planning and editorial calendar development
• Build and maintain relationships with athletes, coaches, clinicians, fitness professionals, and community leaders
• Ensure stories align with the magazine’s voice, standards, and audience
• Maintain a forward-looking pipeline of features and profile candidates
• Write, rewrite, or polish copy as needed to meet editorial quality and deadline expectations
• Coordinate with photographers, designers, and production staff to support strong visual storytelling
• Contribute to planning meetings, issue development, and close workflows

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in editorial, journalism, magazine writing, feature editing, or a related content role
• Strong experience with interviewing, long-form storytelling, and developmental editing
• Excellent writing, editing, and story-structure skills
• Strong organizational ability and deadline discipline
• Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with a lean editorial team
• Good editorial judgment and strong communication with sources and contributors
• Genuine interest in fitness, sports, wellness, health, and community storytelling

Preferred background

• Experience in magazine, newspaper, local media, or long-form editorial environments
• Experience editing profiles, human-interest stories, or community-centered features
• Familiarity with the Illinois, Central Illinois, or Midwest sport and fitness landscape
• Experience working with freelance writers and photographers
• Comfort working in a startup or growth-stage publication

What success looks like

• Build a strong feature pipeline within the first 30 to 60 days
• Help the magazine stay ahead on profile and cover-story development
• Deliver polished, engaging features that reflect the brand’s editorial voice
• Build reliable contributor and source relationships across the local sports and fitness ecosystem
• Improve the consistency, originality, and depth of the magazine’s feature well

Compensation

This is a salaried role with an expected pay range of $40,000-$60,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and editorial scope.

About Illinois Fitness & Sport Magazine

Illinois Fitness & Sport Magazine is a premium local-first publication focused on fitness, sport, performance, wellness, and community. We serve athletes, families, coaches, fitness enthusiasts, and sports-minded readers through strong storytelling, practical content, and trusted local partnerships.

To apply

Please submit:

• your resume
• 2 to 4 relevant writing or editing samples
• a brief note describing your editorial background, the types of stories you most enjoy developing, and why you are interested in this role

Pay: $40,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule

Application Question(s):

• What types of stories have you most often written or edited?
• Please briefly describe your experience with magazine, newspaper, local media, or long-form editorial work.
• Do you have experience developing or editing long-form feature stories?
• Do you have experience interviewing sources and shaping narrative-based stories?
• Are you able to work in the Peoria area and attend in-person meetings, interviews, and events as needed?

Experience:

• editorial, journalism, or feature editing: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: In person