Reporter at Haymarket

Brand/Title Description

PistonHeads is the UK’s second largest motoring website, and has enjoyed staggering growth over the past 12 months. Our site generates over10m visits from 4.2m unique users every month, our lively forums generate over300,000 posts every month, and our classifieds have an unmatched reputation as the destination for performance car enthusiasts, with over 100,000 cars for sale at any time. The successful candidate will be writing for one of the largest audiences in motoring journalism.

This position is at the very heart of PistonHeads’ editorial machine and, stripped to its fundamentals, is about the sourcing, creation and delivery of news and features to the PistonHeads homepage. This is more than just a writing job though. Subbing, processing and preparing copy and uploading stories, photos and videos via the CMS are an equally important part of the job.
 
Working closely with the editor, the role is a broad test of journalistic skills, most specifically tailored to the online sphere but demanding of wider abilities and experience too. Sourcing, sizing and preparing images and video for online publication are another important aspect of the role, as is an understanding of social media and how PistonHeads works within this realm.

This is, to a degree, a public-facing role too, with engagement with the readers through the forums, Twitter and Facebook but also at events like Sunday Service. In the professional context there will also be the opportunity to represent PistonHeads at industry events, launches, motor shows and similar where networking and news gathering skills will be at a premium. This is a big job in a small team with huge opportunities but also significant responsibilities. Ostensibly office-based, this won’t always be a nine-to-five, Monday-to-Friday role and the willingness to work flexibly is a given.

Person Specification

Ambitious, full of initiative and with a hunger to be at the heart of the most exciting motoring website in the business, the role demands a broad range of skills underpinned by a passion for the subject matter and ability to talk knowledgeably about cars of all ages, shapes and sizes. You’ll be passionate and opinionated about cars and eager and able to communicate this without forgetting the need to conduct yourself professionally at all times and appreciate the fact you’re representing a large community with equally passionate – sometimes opposing – views. A combination of sensitivity and a thick skin and instinct for knowing which is appropriate and when is vital.
 
An appreciation of motoring media, both print and online, and where PistonHeads fits into it is essential, likewise a technical understanding of basic website production, HTML, CMS systems, social media and SEO.
 
You’ll be an unapologetic car nut but also blessed with finely tuned journalistic instincts and able to spot a story, turn it around and upload it to the homepage in double quick time. An ability to work fast is essential but, with it, a fierce dedication to accuracy and rock solid fact checking. A keen subbing eye will also be required, both for checking submitted work from freelancers and making sure that everything on PistonHeads is consistent in presentation and factually and grammatically correct, not to mention provocative, entertaining and in keeping with PistonHeads’ unique editorial ‘voice’.
 
Fundamentally you’ll be a car-mad journalist able to drive PistonHeads’ content forwards with the passion and knowledge its audience demands. An instinctive appreciation of, and ability to comment on, the marketplace for the new and used cars that matter to PistonHeads readers is vital too. As is the ability to source and select appropriate imagery and supporting video content, basic ‘visual awareness’ and photographic ability a welcome additional skill.

How To Apply

Haymarket is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all areas of the community.
 
If you are interested in applying for this position please click the ‘Apply Here’ button below.