Career guide
Video Editor Job Description: Template, Duties and Skills
A video editor turns raw footage, graphics, music and sound into finished videos that meet a brief, then delivers the right versions for each platform. On a marketing team that usually means ads, social content, product videos and event recaps, often in many formats at once. Below is a template you can adapt and a plain account of the work behind it.
Key takeaways
- A video editor turns raw footage, graphics, music and sound into finished videos that meet a brief, and delivers the right versions for each platform.
- Marketing video editors usually cut ads, social content, product videos and event recaps, often in several aspect ratios and lengths from the same footage.
- A strong video editor job description names the content types, platforms, volume, editing software and who the editor works with.
- Agency video editors work across clients and briefs, while in-house editors go deep on one brand's look, voice and audience.
- Ask for a reel or links to recent work, because a video editor's portfolio shows craft that a resume can't.
This page is for teams hiring video editors in marketing: brand and social teams, agencies and production companies making ads and content, and companies hiring freelancers. It’s also useful if you’re an editor reading postings and trying to work out what a role really involves. Editors in film and TV do related work on longer projects, and their job descriptions tend to focus on credits and genre experience.
What does a video editor do?
A video editor takes everything that was shot or gathered, picks the best material and shapes it into a video that does what the brief asks: sell a product, explain a feature, grow a channel, recap an event. The work covers story and pacing, plus the technical finishing that makes a video look and sound right.
On a marketing team, the same footage often becomes many deliverables: a 30-second ad, 6-second and 15-second cut-downs, vertical versions for short-form platforms, captioned versions for sound-off viewing, and a longer cut for the website or YouTube.
Video editor job description template
Adapt the brackets to your team. The more specific you are about content types, volume and tools, the better the applicants you’ll get.
Video Editor, [Brand / Social / Creative] Team About the role [Company] is looking for a video editor to cut [content types, e.g. paid social ads, organic short-form video and product launches] for [brand or clients]. You'll work with [the creative director, designers, the social team, producers] to turn footage into videos that [goal, e.g. stop the scroll and drive sign-ups], delivering [approximate volume, e.g. 10 to 20 finished pieces a week across formats]. What you'll do - Edit videos from brief to final delivery: selects, story, pacing, music, sound and color. - Create versions for each platform and placement, including vertical, square and horizontal cuts and different lengths. - Add titles, captions, simple motion graphics and on-screen text in line with the brand's guidelines. - Work with [creative and social teams] on concepts and hooks, and suggest edits based on what performs. - Organize footage, projects and assets so the team can find and reuse them. - Manage feedback rounds and deliver files to spec and on deadline. - [Optional: shoot simple footage, run a light kit, edit podcasts or livestreams.] What you bring - [X]+ years editing [content types] for brands, an agency or creators. - A reel or portfolio that shows [the content types you need]. - Strong skills in [editing software], plus [motion, color or audio tools if needed]. - An eye for pacing and hooks in short-form video, and an understanding of how each platform's formats differ. - Comfort with fast feedback cycles, multiple projects and clear file management. Nice to have - Motion graphics, color grading or sound design. - Experience reading performance data, such as watch time or completion rates, and editing with it in mind. [Location / hybrid / remote]. [Salary range, if you publish it or where the law requires it.]
If you’re hiring, put your real tools, volume and team in the brackets; a posting that sounds like your team attracts people who’d enjoy working on it.
Video editor duties by team
| Team | Typical work | What matters most |
|---|---|---|
| In-house brand or social team | Ads, organic short-form, product videos, event recaps, founder or employee content | Speed, volume, brand consistency, knowing the audience |
| Creative or ad agency | Campaign spots, cut-downs and social versions for several clients | Craft, versioning, feedback from creative directors and clients |
| Production company | Commercials, branded content, documentary-style pieces | Story, finishing quality, working with directors |
| Freelance | Whatever the client needs, often a series or a campaign | Reliability, clear scope, fast turnaround |
Agency editors often handle the most versions per project, because each campaign needs cuts for every placement the media team bought. The agency life guide describes what working on client deadlines is like.
Skills to look for
- Story and pacing. Can they find the strongest moment and get to it fast?
- Short-form craft. Hooks in the first seconds, captions for sound-off viewing, formats for each platform.
- Technical finishing. Color, audio levels, export settings and file specs.
- Motion and graphics. At least simple titles and on-screen text; more if your content needs it.
- Organization. Clear project structures, naming and asset libraries, especially on a team.
- Taking feedback. Turning notes into a better cut without losing what worked.
Video editor vs related roles
| Role | Focus |
|---|---|
| Video editor | Shapes footage into finished videos and versions |
| Videographer or camera operator | Plans and shoots the footage |
| Motion designer | Creates animation and motion graphics, sometimes with no footage at all |
| Content creator | Often plans, shoots, edits and posts their own content |
| Art director | Sets the visual idea and look for a campaign, and directs editors and designers |
Many marketing roles combine editing with shooting or motion, so say clearly which parts you need.
How to make the posting work
- Name the content and volume. “Short-form paid social, about 15 pieces a week” tells an editor more than “dynamic video content”.
- Name the tools. Editors care which software you use and whether they’ll have the hardware to run it.
- Ask for the right reel. Ask for links to work like yours, such as vertical ads or product videos, rather than a general showreel.
- Be clear on scope. Say whether the editor will also shoot, design motion or manage freelancers.
- Include pay where you can. Several states require a pay range in job postings; check the rules where you’re hiring.
Hiring a video editor? What to ask in the interview
- Walk me through one piece in your reel: the brief, the footage you had and the choices you made.
- How do you approach the first three seconds of a short-form video?
- Tell me about a time feedback changed your cut. What did you keep, and what did you let go?
- How do you organize a project so someone else could pick it up?
- How do you use performance data, such as watch time, in your edits?
FAQ
What is the difference between a video editor job description for marketing and for film?
Marketing video editor roles focus on volume, platforms and versioning for ads and social content. Film and TV editing roles focus on long-form story, genre experience and credits on productions.
Does a video editor need a degree?
Many postings ask for a degree in film, media, communications or a related field, but a strong reel often carries more weight. Say in your posting whether a degree is required or only preferred.
Should a video editor also shoot?
It depends on the team. Small in-house and social teams often want an editor who can shoot simple content; agencies and production companies usually separate the roles. State it in the job description either way.
What should a video editor include on their resume?
A link to the reel, the content types and platforms they edit for, their volume and turnaround, the software they know well and any results. The video editor resume guide has examples.