Senior Editor, Accounting Lists

About the role

Forbes is seeking an enterprising, talented journalist who is comfortable with data collection to focus on creating lists and rankings of top CPAs and engaging that community. For over 40 years, Forbes has set the gold standard for lists, including the Forbes 400 and 30 Under 30. This position will sit within the editorial team and will collaborate with stakeholders across the company, including growth, marketing, revenue, and SEO teams.

Responsibilities

• Build high-quality, revenue-generating lists by designing quantitative and qualitative methodologies and gathering data to identify top-tier accounting firms and practitioners.
• Manage the editorial process of these lists from creation to publication, including analysis, reporting, writing and/or assigning, editing, and collaborating with the wider newsroom to create clear, robust, and compelling editorial content.
• Potential to build a community and host and program events around CPAs.
• Serve as a core member of the editorial team, partnering with Marketing, Growth, Revenue, and SEO stakeholders to align content strategy with business objectives.
• Spearhead the creation of new, revenue-generating "best-of" lists and accounting industry rankings.
• Establish rigorous quantitative and qualitative methodologies to evaluate industry excellence, including the development of internal datasets and the synthesis of external data.
• Oversee the full editorial lifecycle—from gathering nominations and securing external partners to data analysis and final reporting.
• Write, assign, and edit high-impact articles and profiles, collaborating with video, photography, and social media teams to ensure a robust multi-channel presence.
• Potential to act as the primary "voice and face" of editorial lists, representing the brand to industry leaders, external partners, and general audiences.

Requirements

• At least 7-10 years of writing and editing in a digital newsroom. Experience working in business journalism is preferred.
• Knowledge, experience, and deep sourcing in the accounting field.
• Working knowledge of SEO best practices.
• Readiness to work quickly on multiple projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Commitment to detail and deadlines with high-level time management and organizational skills, including maintaining an editorial calendar.
• Ability to confidently take complicated or large quantities of data and turn it into a clean and compelling consumer storyline that includes a list and full editorial package for on- and off-platform use (articles, videos, photography, social campaigns, and more).
• Familiarity with analytics and facility in using a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, formulas, survey design, and statistical analysis.
• Highly skilled in working with spreadsheets as well as common business data sources such as Hoovers and Dun & Bradstreet.
• An ability to tackle design and analytical challenges as they arise plus quality control checks.
• Engaging interpersonal communication skills, with some people leadership experience and demonstrated ability in managing writers, both staff and freelance.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Pay

The annual base salary range for this role is $120,000 - $175,000.

Schedule

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. 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.