A senior editorial role is up for grabs to oversee the Northcliffe group’s growing portfolio of weekly titles in the South East.

Two years ago, Northcliffe Newspapers was reorganised along regional lines with five editorial directors put in charge of the North-East, Midlands, West, South West Dailies and South West Weeklies divisions.

Now the group is looking to complete the line-up with the appointment of a regional editorial director for South East Weeklies, covering titles in Essex, Kent, Surrey and Sussex.

The move follows the decision of Essex Chronicle editor-in-chief Matt Holder to leave the company to join BT’s press operation.

Matt has been editor-in-chief of the Chronicle for the past two years, having initially moved from the role of managing editor on the Brentwood Gazette.

Regional managing director Richard Karn said: “I am taking the opportunity of his departure to look at the structure and see that we fall in line with the rest of the Northcliffe group.

“We need someone whose role is not just to look at the portfolio of titles but to connect things up and co-ordinate across the region.

“It can be difficult attracting candidates to the South East because of the cost of living but I am optimistic that we will get someone who has cut their teeth in a smaller editorial job and is looking for the next step,” he added.

Richard confirmed that the existing weekly editors in the South East region will report to the new editorial director, as already happens in other Northcliffe regions.

To find out more about the regional editorial director role, click here.