Senior Editor, Conferences & Events

About the Role

Bionews is looking for a Senior Editor to build and lead the editorial strategy and content programming across live and virtual rare disease conferences and events. In this role, you will shape the narrative by curating high-impact agendas, securing interviews, delivering real-time reporting, and transforming complex industry trends into compelling digital content. As an editorial leader, you will bridge the gap between journalism and experiential production, collaborating across content, audience development, sales, and our advocacy teams to deliver best-in-class event coverage that’s credible, accessible, and engaging for our audiences.

Work Format & Travel

This is a remote position with frequent travel required to attend conferences in person (expected to attend 3-4 in-person events per year). Expect travel to fluctuate seasonally based on the conference calendar.

What You'll Do

Content Strategy & Conference Planning

• Develop and execute the editorial strategy across a range of rare disease conferences, aligning coverage with audience needs and business objectives
• Identify high-impact research, clinical developments, emerging trends and technologies, as well as other newsworthy stories
• File timely, accurate stories under deadline pressure from the conference floor
• In collaboration with the Events Manager, lead conference planning, including editorial calendars, coverage priorities, freelance staffing and assignments, budgets, and pre- and post-conference content
• Attend select conferences in person, covering keynote sessions, new data, and patient/advocacy news as it happens
• Partner with advocacy, editorial, news, audience development, and commercial teams to maximize the impact and reach of conference coverage

Content Development

• Lead the end-to-end editorial process for conference coverage, from story ideation and assignment through reporting, editing, fact-checking, and publication
• Assign, edit, and publish high-quality, factual news stories, research summaries, interviews, and analyses
• Ensure coverage is accurate, timely, and engaging to the intended audience, translating complex scientific information into clear stories
• Uphold the highest-level editorial standards, journalistic integrity, scientific rigor, and organizational guidelines
• Conduct interviews with researchers, clinicians, advocacy groups, and industry leaders
• Coordinate onsite reporters, freelancers, and contributors
• Serve as a senior editorial lead at key conferences, leading fast-paced news coverage
• Recruit, vet, and onboard a roster of freelance reporters capable of covering medical and scientific conferences
• Manage freelancer budgets, deadlines, and performance

Cross-functional partnership

• Partner with the Advocacy team and external advocacy organization partners to identify key sessions, connect with sources, and align coverage with community priorities
• Work with the News team to ensure conference coverage integrates with broader editorial planning and breaking news needs
• Work with the Patient Advisory Board and the Community team to understand what audiences want from conference coverage and incorporate that feedback into strategy
• Report on coverage performance and continuously refine the conference coverage strategy based on audience engagement and community input

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of journalism experience, including experience covering medical, scientific, or health-related conferences
• Demonstrated experience managing or editing freelance writers
• Strong news judgment and ability to identify newsworthy angles quickly, including under deadline pressure
• Excellent editing skills, with close attention to accuracy and AP style
• Experience building relationships with sources, including researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and advocacy organizations
• Strong project management skills — able to juggle multiple freelancers, conferences, and deadlines simultaneously
• Comfortable and effective working cross-functionally with editorial, advocacy, community and sales teams
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to attend conferences (expected to be at 3-4 conferences a year)
• Bachelor's degree in journalism, communications, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience

Preferred:

• Existing familiarity with the rare disease, chronic illness, or broader patient advocacy landscape
• Experience with a content management system and basic multimedia reporting (photo/video/social from the field)