Executive Editor, Forbes Wine

Forbes is an iconic global media brand that has symbolized success for over a century. Fueled by journalism that informs and inspires, Forbes spotlights the doers and doings shaping industries, achieving success and making an impact on the world. Forbes connects and convenes the most influential communities ranging from billionaires, business leaders and rising entrepreneurs to creators and innovators. The Forbes brand reaches more than 140 million people monthly worldwide through its trusted journalism, signature ForbesLive events and 49 licensed local editions in 81 countries.

Forbes is seeking a proven editorial leader to launch and lead Forbes Wine, a new wine-focused editorial vertical debuting in the first half of 2026. This role will define the editorial vision, brand voice, and operating model for a platform that places wine at the intersection of business, culture, sustainability, and global influence—aligned with the broader Forbes mission.

The Executive Editor, Forbes Wine will be responsible for building a lean, high-impact editorial operation from the ground up, including hiring and managing staff, cultivating top-tier freelance contributors, and overseeing all written, video, and social content. The ideal candidate is a respected wine journalist and editor with deep industry credibility—equally comfortable shaping editorial strategy, editing with rigor, writing with authority, and representing the brand on camera and at live events. This role will report to the GM with whom you will work in close partnership to ensure editorial excellence aligns with audience growth and business objectives.

Responsibilities

Editorial Leadership & Brand Building
     • Define and own the editorial vision, voice, and standards for Forbes Wine
     • Create and oversee the editorial roadmap for launch and ongoing coverage
     • Develop brand guidelines, including style guide and editorial brand book

Content Creation & Management
     • Write, assign, and edit wine-focused articles and email newsletters
     • Build and manage a high-caliber roster of freelance writers, critics, and contributors
     • Oversee the editorial calendar across digital, email, video, and social platforms

Ratings, Reviews & Accolades Program
     • Lead the development of a flagship Forbes Wine ratings and reviews program
     • Design the operational framework, including tasting logistics, reviewer structure, freelance
        budgets, and tasting coordination
     • Define the scoring rubric and recommend the ratings approach (100-point, 20-point
     • Forbes-specific system such as the 5-star rubric used by our travel licensee, or hybrid)
     • Establish rollout strategy, including regional coverage, vintage reporting, tasting schedules, and
        launch timelines

Audience Growth & Distribution
     • Collaborate with product, audience development, marketing, and email teams to support growth
       and distribution strategy
     • Advise on monetization opportunities, including paywall strategy and ancillary revenue models

Team Leadership & Operations
     • Hire, onboard, and manage two direct reports in 2026, with responsibility for future team growth
     • Manage freelance and editorial budgets across content and reviews

Public Presence & Multimedia
     • Serve as a visible ambassador for Forbes Wine at industry events, tastings, and wine dinners
     • Produce and/or appear in video, social, and live programming

The ideal candidate

• Deep expertise in wine, with a strong commitment to wine education


• Established relationships across the wine industry, including writers, sommeliers, winemakers, and influencers


• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with a consumer-friendly, authoritative voice


• Demonstrated experience leading editorial teams and managing contributors


• WSET or CMS certification (or equivalent professional experience) preferred


• Comfort on camera and speaking in live or public-facing settings


• Willingness to travel for industry events, regional reporting, and Forbes Wine programming


• Prior experience launching or scaling an editorial brand strongly preferred


• Residing in the New York or Tri-State area is a plus

The annual base salary range for this role is $140,000 - $150,000

Forbes has estimated the compensation range set forth above in good faith.  The compensation range is what we believe we will offer, and ultimately pay, a successful candidate.  In determining this range, we consider the experience, level of education (if applicable to the role), knowledge, skills, and abilities required to be had by a successful candidate as well as the budget and the company’s pay rates, generally. This said, we may have to make changes to our compensation estimates and job descriptions from time to time and we expressly reserve the right to do so.  Should we make any such changes, this advertisement will be revised to reflect such revisions.  We encourage you to occasionally re-visit this advertisement to ensure that you are abreast of any changes.  Thank you for your interest in joining Forbes!

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Forbes aims to offer employees the flexibility they need in order to be successful. Some positions may require candidates to be based in a specific location for consideration while some roles may be fully remote (within the U.S.) if it aligns with the needs of the position. This position is only open to candidates residing in California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, & Washington. Due to business operations and compliance requirements, we are unable to consider applicants based outside these states at this time.

Forbes is an equal opportunity employer.

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