Editorial Lead

As a global online auction platform, Collecting Cars delivers 24/7 auctions for cars, motorcycles, and automobilia. Alongside Collecting.com, we have successfully sold over £1.3bn worth of lots across the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Hong Kong and the Middle East. We are building the modern alternative to the traditional auction house: the expertise and curation, without the friction or the gatekeeping. We are now in search of an Editorial Lead to join at our London HQ, as we continue to grow.

The Role

The Editorial Lead at Collecting Cars and Collecting.com is a key role across both functions as Content is how an enthusiast brand earns the right to be trusted with someone's most valuable objects and assets. Strategic ownership of content has until now been spread informally across the team; this role consolidates it, and becomes the single editorial standard and the single point of accountability.

We’re all about getting great watches and cars consigned. So the content that matters most to this business is not always the content that gets the most views. It is the content that convinces a collector to sell with us rather than somewhere else, and the listing content that makes a buyer bid with confidence.

Responsibilities

- Design and execute an editorial roadmap for both Collecting Cars and Collecting.com, ensuring a distinct yet cohesive brand voice across automotive, watches, and luxury passion assets.
- Build and maintain an operational, multi-channel editorial calendar.
- Ensure high production standards while maintaining reliable publishing cadences across all formats.
- Set high benchmark standards for overall production and build and improve internal video capabilities, equipment setups, and workflows.
- Elevate the visual and narrative quality of live auction listings across photography, hero imagery, and vehicle/watch descriptions.
- Develop and maintain video templates and guidelines for consignor-led walkthroughs, cold starts, driving clips, and condition reports to maximise auction engagement and trust.
- Lead, mentor, and direct a small, agile team of internal creators.
- Maintain active relationships with top automotive and watch creators, journalists, influencers, and industry figures for strategic collaborations and cross-promotions.
- Establish clear KPIs across view counts, engagement, watch time, and conversion support, providing regular coaching to ensure team growth.

Required Skills and Experience

- Seasoned editorial and content leader with 8+ years of experience building and managing high-performing content engines.
- Proven video credentials: you haven’t just managed video strategies, you have commissioned, produced, and shipped video work that audiences actively choose to watch.
- Deeply fluent across channels and can grasp the structural, cultural, and technical differences that separate YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and long-form storytelling.
- Able to identify influential creators, channels and talent that align with Collecting.com and Collecting Cars.
- Bring high artistic standards and editorial flair to every project, paired with the operational discipline required to run a tight content calendar and consistently hit deadlines.
- You are comfortable owning commercial targets, understanding how editorial impact translates into revenue, sponsorship value, and broader business growth.
- Oversee the Creative Designers projects as well as being hand on with project demands.
- You are comfortable appearing on camera to host, interview, or panel duties when the content calls for it.
- You are commercially mind while having a keen Interest cars, watches, luxury goods and wider collecting categories.

Nice to Have

- Watches, automotive, luxury or collectibles experience.
- Auction or marketplace background.
- Experience managing a creator or talent roster commercially.
- Editorial SEO instincts, and willingness to work closely with our SEO Lead.

Benefits

- Competitive base salary + Performance bonus.
- Access to private health insurance for you and your family.
- Professional development allowance.
- Company pension contribution.
- 25 days holiday excluding bank holidays (an additional day per year served after 2 years of tenure).
- The opportunity to attend amazing automotive and watch events.