Deputy Food & Wine Editor

Gulfshore Life Magazine • Full-time • Bonita Springs, FL, US • 2w ago

Gulfshore Life Magazine — Deputy Food & Wine Editor
(Deputy Editor, Food & Lifestyle)
Location: Bonita Springs, FL | Full-time, on-site
(Remote applicants will not be considered)

Who We Are
Gulfshore Life is Southwest Florida’s leading luxury lifestyle publication, covering the people, places and culture of Naples, Fort Myers, Sanibel Island and beyond for more than five decades. (Coverage area: Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties.)
We are a locally owned publication with stable, long-term ownership and a continued commitment to local journalism. In a media landscape where print is often contracting, the magazine remains our flagship, supported by thoughtful digital and event extensions.
We produce 12 monthly issues and multiple special editions each year, delivering reported, high-level lifestyle journalism for a discerning, engaged readership—with a strong emphasis on taste, context and visual authority. Creativity and editorial quality are our cornerstones.
Food is a central pillar of our publication and community. As the region’s dining landscape continues to grow and evolve, this role helps shape how people understand and engage with the food scene. The Deputy Food & Wine Editor leads the magazine’s coverage with authority, access and a clear editorial point of view. This editor is also a key collaborator across the magazine, contributing to structure, editorial quality and writer development beyond the food pages.
This is a full-time, in-office role based in Bonita Springs, Florida. Familiarity with the Southwest Florida market is strongly preferred.

The Role
Gulfshore Life’s Deputy Food & Wine Editor combines beat leadership with senior editorial responsibility.
You’ll lead and shape food and wine coverage across print and digital, while also serving as a trusted editor across the magazine. The work calls for judgment, taste and real-world experience: you know when to push for depth, when to pull back and how to package stories so they land with authority.
For an editor who cares about food journalism, visual storytelling and storytelling that’s rooted in its community, this is a chance to do meaningful, high-level work in a growing market.

Who You Are
You’re a seasoned food editor with strong editorial judgment, real access and a deep understanding of dining culture. You balance reporting instincts with the ability to shape, edit and package stories across platforms for an audience attuned to quality.
You:

Have established relationships in the food world and know how to cultivate sources that lead to genuine insight, not surface-level coverage
Bring strong knowledge of food beyond restaurants, including sourcing, technique, winemaking and the forces that shape the industry
Have senior-level editing experience and are comfortable guiding contributors, shaping structure and elevating drafts
Think strategically about story framing and development, with a clear sense of what feels fresh, relevant and worth readers’ time
Have experience shaping digital-forward editorial, including web stories, newsletters, social content and simple video concepts
Possess a strong visual sensibility and understand what makes food stories compelling on the page
Are comfortable working across long-lead print cycles and faster digital timelines, with sound judgment about what works best in each format
Either bring strong local knowledge of Southwest Florida or know how to build it quickly and thoughtfully

What Sets You Apart

You pay attention to the larger picture—trends, shifts and industry currents—and know how to translate them into editorial ideas.
You use access responsibly, building trust and turning it into deeper, more revealing stories.
You have range, from fine dining to neighborhood standouts, soulful foodways and unexpected finds.
You consistently surface strong angles and help shape the regional conversation around food.
You edit with authority and care, elevating work rather than overpowering it.

What You’ll DoGuide the Food & Wine vertical’s editorial vision

Shape the magazine’s food coverage with a clear, high-level editorial lens, ensuring stories are conceived for both print and digital pathways and reflect the magazine’s aspirational, design-conscious sensibility

Be a senior presence in the food community

Build and maintain relationships with chefs, restaurateurs, sommeliers and makers, staying deeply connected to what’s happening now and what’s next

Assign, edit and develop contributors

Brief freelancers thoughtfully, guide stories from pitch through RFL with clear, confident editing, and cultivate a strong bench of writers and photographers

Pitch, write and edit at a high level

Produce original reported features, service stories and insider moments that meet the magazine’s standards for authority and sophistication
Help assign and edit stories across sections, beyond food

Lead digital extensions of food coverage

Build original content for the food and wine vertical online, shape how print stories translate digitally, produce the biweekly Taste newsletter, and develop repeatable concepts for web, social and simple video formats

Oversee the Dining Guide

Manage the 150+ restaurant Dining Guide and related materials with consistency, accuracy and strong editorial oversight

Own major food-related initiatives

Take a leading role on food annuals and special publications, including Salut and the Naples Winter Wine Festival magazine

Collaborate cross-departmentally

Work closely with design, digital and events teams to extend food content across platforms

Requirements

7+ years of food journalism or high-level lifestyle journalism, with senior-level editing responsibility and significant food and wine experience
Demonstrated ability to shape structure, sharpen angles and elevate writers
Experience leading or anchoring a beat with original reporting
Strong organizational and time-management skills
Experience developing and managing junior editors and freelancers
Strong visual sense and experience working alongside art and photo teams
Digital fluency and comfort thinking across formats and platforms
A well-developed food network
Willingness to work on-site and attend evening/weekend events as needed
Comfort operating under a high editorial bar and engaging in thoughtful, collaborative editorial work

Why This Role

You’ll play a leading role in shaping food journalism in a fast-evolving luxury market.
You’ll work on ambitious, well-packaged stories that balance reporting, service and visual storytelling.
You’ll work closely with a committed creative team, producing ambitious lifestyle journalism.
You’ll contribute to a trusted regional brand with a long-standing editorial legacy.
You’ll work in a place where editorial judgment, visual storytelling and longform are central.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to sit or stand for extended periods and use hands for typing and editing.
Ability to lift up to 20 pounds occasionally.
Visual and auditory ability to review content and attend meetings.
Occasional travel may be required.

Benefits:
Full-time new hires: Eligible to participate in all Company benefit plans, including:

Health, Dental, Vision Insurance, and HSA
- 1^st of the month after 30 days of employment
- Subject to plan terms
Eligibility for company-paid benefits such as life insurance & EAP and employee-paid benefits such as short-term disability
PTO – Earned on Accrual Basis
Company-Paid Holidays
401(k)

How to Apply
Please submit a PDF resume, cover letter and 3–5 clips (or a portfolio link).

*Please no phone calls or emails regarding this position