Creative Development Intern, Wirecutter
The mission of The New York Times is to seek the truth and help people understand the world. That means independent journalism is at the heart of all we do as a company. It’s why we have a world-renowned newsroom that sends journalists to report on the ground from nearly 160 countries. It’s why we focus deeply on how our readers will experience our journalism, from print to audio to a world-class digital and app destination. And it’s why our business strategy centers on making journalism so good that it’s worth paying for.
About the Team
The Creative Development team sits at the vital intersection of Revenue and Editorial at Wirecutter. We transform Wirecutter’s world-class consumer journalism and tentpole moments (e.g. Holiday Gifting, Back to School, and Wirecutter’s Hall of Fame) into ambitious, multi-format commercial programs across advertising, podcasts, social video, and live events. All while strictly safeguarding editorial independence and reader trust.
Role Overview
We are seeking a detail-oriented, collaborative, and innovative Creative Development Intern to help support our growing pre-sale and post-sale operations. In this role, you will work closely with Creative & Business Development leads to organize incoming commercial briefs, maintain our concept library, assist in pitching high-impact sponsorships, and track cross-functional execution across Editorial, Product, Marketing, and Sales.
This is an ideal opportunity for anyone interested in media strategy, commercial publishing, ad operations, or creative strategy at a major digital publisher.
Responsibilities
- Concept Library & Database Management: Assist in maintaining and organizing our internal database of creative content opportunities, cataloging pre-approved editorial sponsorship packages, budget thresholds, and production lead times.
- RFP Intake & Pitch Support: Help triage incoming RFPs from top-tier brand partners. Assist in drafting pitch one-sheets, organizing ideation materials, and tracking response timelines.
- Go to Market Planning Support: Support weekly and monthly cross-functional alignment meetings by helping update presentations, leadership updates and logging action items across newsroom and commercial teams.
- Competitive & Market Research: Conduct industry research on brand sponsorship trends, competitor event activations, and emerging digital content formats (social video, podcast integrations, newsletter sponsorships) to inform new commercial packages.
- Post-Sale Campaign Tracking: Support the post-sale handoff process by creating partnership tracking documents, auditing media plans, and organizing asset handoffs between Creative Strategy, Design, and Ad Ops.
- Demonstrate support and understanding of our value of journalistic independence and a strong commitment to our mission to seek the truth and help people understand the world.
Basic Qualifications
- Interest in Digital Media & Advertising: Strong interest in how journalism, commerce, and digital publishing intersect.
- Exceptional Organization: Highly organized with strong attention to detail; comfortable managing data and workflows in Airtable, Google Workspace, and Slack.
- Clear Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to summarize complex project statuses clearly and concisely.
Preferred Qualifications
- Creative Thinker: You enjoy thinking creatively, have a pulse on what's happening in culture both digitally and in society at large.
- Collaborative Mindset: Enthusiastic about working across diverse teams (sales, editorial, product, design) in a fast-paced environment.
- Respect for Editorial Integrity: Understanding of the importance of maintaining a strict firewall between commercial partnerships and independent newsroom reviews.
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Additional Compensation and Benefits
For roles in the U.S., dependent on your role, you may be eligible for variable pay, such as an annual bonus and restricted stock. Benefits may include medical, dental and vision benefits, Flexible Spending Accounts (F.S.A.s), a company-matching 401(k) plan, employee stock purchase plan, paid vacation, paid sick days, paid parental leave, tuition reimbursement and professional development programs.