Short-Form Video Editor

Remote | Ongoing, independent contractor (~20-25 hrs/week) | Turns briefs and footage into platform-native cutsPlease read the whole post thoroughly to ensure you follow the correct instructions.About Premed CatalystPremed Catalyst helps students maximize their chances of getting accepted to medical school through advising, application strategy, and educational content. Our YouTube channel is the center of our content ecosystem, and we're expanding our short-form presence across TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts to reach more students and grow our audience.We're looking for a Short-Form Video Editor who can turn approved briefs and footage into platform-native short-form content that earns attention, holds it, and ultimately drives leads.The RoleThis is the editing-execution seat in our short-form pipeline. You take an approved content brief plus footage — fresh footage filmed by our on-camera talent for native pieces, or clip references into existing long-form for repurposed ones — and turn it into finished, platform-native cuts for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. This is an ongoing contractor position, not a short-term placement.This is not a traditional editing role. You should have a social-first mindset and think in terms of hooks, retention, pacing, and emotional resonance — not just cuts and transitions. You'll work from briefs handed off by our Content Director, and you own the craft of the cut: the spine, the hook, on-screen captions, platform adaptation, and export.You won't set strategy, choose platforms, write the post captions, or publish. Those decisions arrive pre-made in the brief or sit with the channel manager. Your job is to make the cut land. You'll report to the Content Director, who briefs you and approves cuts, take native footage from our on-camera talent, and deliver finished pieces to the channel manager for captioning and publishing.ResponsibilitiesCut platform-native short-form contentAssemble finished cuts from native footage or clip references for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.Find the spine: each piece says one thing clearly, with no dead air.Build the hook in the first 1–2 seconds — the single biggest driver of whether a piece gets watched.Edit for retention: tight pacing, pattern interrupts before drop-off points, and the payoff delivered before viewers leave.Cut and deliver ~15-20 pieces of short-form content per weekElevate clarity and polishBurn in accurate, mobile-readable on-screen captions (most viewing is sound-off).Adapt each piece to its platform — raw and native on TikTok, cleaner and identity-forward on Instagram, structured and educational on YouTube Shorts — with correct 9:16 framing, safe zones, and audio.Close the loop and stay organizedLand the brief's exact CTA, native to the platform and mapped to a tracked link or keyword.Self-QC every piece against the team's performance bar before exporting.Export to spec, follow naming conventions, and maintain clean file organization (digital asset management is part of the job).Deliver the finished file to the channel manager.What We're Looking ForRequiredProven experience editing short-form content for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, with a strong portfolio of high-performing work.Experience repurposing long-form content into platform-native short-form assets.Deep, demonstrable understanding of the mechanics behind successful short-form: hooks, retention, pacing, storytelling, emotional resonance, and audience psychology.Proficiency in Premiere Pro, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, or equivalent.Strong file management and organizational practices.Ability to receive and implement feedback quickly, and to manage deadlines independently.PreferredExperience working with educational creators, coaches, experts, or personal brands.Familiarity with creator analytics and performance metrics.Understanding of how short-form expectations differ across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts.Traits That MatterHighly pattern-awareCurious about why content performsFast and iterative; comfortable experimentingOrganized and disciplined with assets and deadlinesAttuned to audience psychology and watch behaviorThe ideal candidate has opinions about what makes a cut work and can explain why.What Great Candidates UnderstandWhy some videos get watched and others get skippedHow the first 1–2 seconds determine performanceHow retention influences distributionThe difference between content that gets views and content that builds trustHow platform expectations differ between TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube ShortsCompensationOngoing contractor position — not a short-term placementPart-time, approximately 20-25 hours per week$20–$25/hour depending on experiencePaid test project included as part of the hiring processTo ApplyPlease send:ResumePortfolioThree short-form videos you're most proud of, and whyThree TikTok/Reels/Shorts from any creator that you believe are exceptionally well-edited — explain why they work, what the editor did well, and what platform-specific lessons can be drawn from themShortlisted candidates will complete a paid test edit: a set of raw footage and a brief, cut for more than one platform, so we can see your instinct for hooks, pacing, retention, and platform-native differentiation.If interested, please reply with your application materials from above and a link to your LinkedIn profile to kyle@premedcatalyst.comThe Assessment (Paid Test Edit)Candidates who advance will complete a paid test edit that mirrors the actual job. We'll send you a link to raw footage; your task is to pull platform-native short-form content from it, as you would in the role.Deliverable: 8 short-form videos4 built for Instagram Reels4 built for TikTokAll of them can come from the same source — part of what we're testing is your ability to find multiple standalone moments in one piece of footage and cut each into something that holds up on its own.Build each one natively for its platform. We're not looking for one video resized and posted twice. A TikTok cut and an Instagram cut should look and feel different: TikTok leans raw, fast, and native (trending-audio-friendly, lower polish); Instagram leans cleaner and more identity-forward, with a higher visual-quality floor. Show us the difference through the choices you make.What we're evaluatingHook — does the first 1–2 seconds stop the scroll?Spine — does each cut say one thing clearly, with the payoff before the drop-off?Retention — pacing, momentum, and pattern interrupts.Captions — accurate, mobile-readable on-screen textPlatform differentiation — the TikTok cuts feel native to TikTok and the Instagram cuts feel native to Instagram, not interchangeable.Technical — 9:16, vertical safe zones respected, clean export.CTA — each ends with a clear next step (we'll give you one to use).Include a short note (a few sentences) explaining the platform-specific choices you made and why — we care about your reasoning as much as the cuts themselves.Pull inspiration from our creator and co-founder, Michael Minh Le MD’s YouTube channel and TikTokThe test is paid; we'll agree on a flat rate and a turnaround window before you start.Hiring ProcessApplication reviewPaid test editInterviewOfferWe hire on a rolling basis with an immediate start available.Premed Catalyst is an equal-opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and evaluate candidates on skill, judgment, and fit — not credentials, pedigree, or enrollment status.