Senior YouTube Long-Form Writer

Responsibilities

• Craft high-converting hooks for the first 30 seconds of videos
• Engineer retention curves using pacing, curiosity gaps, and payoff structures
• Build narrative architecture for long-form content (10–25 minutes) including act breaks and tension points
• Collaborate with editors, producers, and animators to refine scripts for visual pacing and algorithmic performance
• Participate in creative meetings to stress-test scripts, visuals, and graphics

Requirements

• Proven YouTube writing credentials with long-form scripts (10+ minutes)
• Demonstrated ability to drive engagement and manage retention curves at scale
• Deep structural understanding of the YouTube platform
• Exceptional storytelling instincts and ability to find narrative threads in any topic
• Ability to work quickly and iterate based on direct feedback
• A distinct, non-generic creative voice

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience writing for a channel with 500K+ subscribers
• Understanding of YouTube economics and algorithmic performance
• Experience making data-driven decisions based on retention curves
• Experience working with large-scale creative teams (editors, producers, cinematographers)

About the Company

Contrarian Thinking is an investment and advisory firm powered by media. Led by veterans of Wall Street and Private Equity, the firm helps owners buy, scale, and sell businesses through capital investment, community events, and a massive media ecosystem including podcasts, YouTube, and online education.