Associate Health Editor

Location: Office-based (London)

Hours: Full-time, Monday to Friday, with some weekend shifts on a rota basis

About the role

The Mail is seeking a versatile and proactive associate health editor to play a key role in delivering standout health journalism across MailOnline, Mail+, and The Mail on Sunday.

This is a hybrid role combining strong reporting with editorial support. You will produce everything from breaking news and splash-worthy exclusives to long-form features and investigations, while also deputising for both the UK health editor (MailOnline) and the Mail on Sunday health editor. That includes helping to commission stories, manage the health diary, edit copy, and ensure smooth daily output across platforms.

Main responsibilities

• Write and edit a wide range of health stories, including breaking news, medical breakthroughs, policy developments, and in-depth features.
• Deputise for senior health editors, helping to run the desk, commission content, manage workflow, and edit copy when needed.
• Build and nurture strong contacts across the NHS, government departments, public health bodies, academia, and industry.
• Ensure all content is accurate, balanced, well-sourced, and optimised for digital performance.
• Represent the Mail at press briefings, scientific conferences, and major health events.

Key skills and experience

• Experience in health, science, or news journalism, ideally at a national or fast-paced digital outlet.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to turn around clean, compelling copy to tight deadlines.
• Familiarity with scientific publishing cycles, medical journals, and health/science embargoes.
• Awareness of emerging social media trends and digital-first storytelling, with an understanding of SEO and audience engagement.
• A strong news sense, a packed contact book, and the confidence to chase exclusives and deliver agenda-setting content.
• A collaborative mindset with experience supporting or deputising within an editorial team.

This is a fantastic opportunity to step up into a leadership-track role while continuing to break big stories and shape the national conversation on health. If you have the passion, experience, and editorial instinct to thrive in a fast-paced, digital-first newsroom — we want to hear from you.

Our commitment

We are committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability.

We are Disability Confident Committed. Please let us know if you require any recruitment documentation in other formats or if you require reasonable adjustments to be made during the recruitment process. Please be assured that any such information will be held separately to your recruitment application and will not be considered as part of the selection process.