Senior Editor

Senior Editor, American Gardener

Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt

Position Summary

The American Horticultural Society (AHS) seeks a skilled Senior Editor to support the planning, development, editing, and production of American Gardener, the Society’s award-winning bi-monthly magazine. The Senior Editor plays a key role in shaping the publication’s editorial quality, voice, and accuracy, and ensures that magazine content reflects AHS’ mission, programs, and brand.

The Senior Editor works closely with the Editor to produce a magazine that educates, inspires, and engages readers through science-based, inclusive, and compelling horticultural storytelling. This position manages day-to-day editorial workflow, works with contributors, supervises aspects of production in coordination with design staff, and supports AHS’ broader communications and digital content initiatives. The Senior Editor reports to the Editor of American Gardener.

About The American Horticultural Society

Founded in 1922, AHS is a national organization with 22,000 members. Our national programs include Lifelong Learning educational sessions, the Great American Gardeners Awards, the National Children & Youth Garden Symposium, a Travel Study program, and a Reciprocal Garden Network. The AHS website (www.ahsgardening.org) offers resources to horticulturists, gardeners, and other constituents. AHS maintains an active presence across multiple social media platforms.

The Society is headquartered at River Farm, a 26-acre garden property overlooking the Potomac River in Alexandria, VA. By joining AHS’ outstanding team of professionals, the Senior Editor will support AHS’ mission of inspiring a culture of gardening and horticultural practices that sustain healthy, beautiful communities and a livable planet.

Responsibilities

This position may include other job-related responsibilities and tasks, but this list identifies the essential functions and requirements of the position.

• • Support the planning, development, and timely production of a bi-monthly, four-color magazine.
  • Collaborate with the Editor to develop and maintain an annual editorial calendar. Assist in generating article ideas, commissioning freelance writers, and managing contributor relationships.
  • Review, edit, and fact-check manuscripts and other editorial materials to ensure accuracy, clarity, and adherence to AHS standards.
  • Write articles, columns, introductions, captions, and packaging elements as needed.
  • Help ensure all content reflects the organization’s commitment to scientific integrity, inclusivity, environmental stewardship, and accessible horticultural education.
  • Work with the creative/design team to coordinate article layouts, photography, illustrations, and visual storytelling.
  • Support the integration of magazine content across AHS digital platforms, including the website, newsletters, and social media.
  • Assist with developing editorial strategies that deepen reader engagement, strengthen membership value, and expand the magazine’s audience.
  • Maintain production schedules, coordinate deadlines, and support workflow across internal teams and external partners.
  • Contribute to selecting and evaluating editorial vendors, including writers, photographers, illustrators, printer, and fact-checking resources.
  • Stay informed of trends in gardening, horticulture, and publishing to enhance editorial quality and relevance.
  • Represent AHS, as needed, at horticultural conferences, garden industry events, and writer/editor gatherings for contributor recruitment and idea development.
  • Collaborate with other departments—including Travel, Membership, Programs, and Development—to ensure strategic alignment and accurate portrayal of AHS initiatives.

Qualifications

• • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in journalism, English, horticulture, environmental sciences, or related field.
  • Minimum of five years’ experience in magazine editing, journalism, or long-form content development.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of horticulture, plant sciences, natural sciences, or environmental disciplines.
  • Experience editing science-based or technical content for general audiences.
  • Strong writing, editing, and proofreading skills, with high attention to detail.
  • Ability to manage multiple deadlines and work collaboratively with internal staff, freelancers, and partners.
  • Experience with layout planning and basic design tools, with the ability to support the creative team in producing visually compelling magazine pages, a plus
  • Strong familiarity with digital media, social media, and emerging publishing platforms.
  • Experience with Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. Familiarity with WordPress, SEO optimization, Adobe InDesign and Express and other digital publishing tools is a plus.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively in hybrid, remote, and cross-functional environments.

The Senior Editor is a full-time, salaried position. AHS offers generous vacation, holidays, individual health, dental, vision, and 403b benefits. This position may be based at AHS headquarters in Alexandria, VA, hybrid, or remote.