Performance Video Editor - High-Retention Ads + AI Video

We are hiring a performance video editor for DTC ecommerce paid-social ads.

This is not a general editing role. We need someone who can do two things exceptionally well:

1. Edit ads that stop the scroll and hold attention. You understand first-frame clarity, hooks, pacing, curiosity, proof, open loops, pattern changes, and how to use retention data to improve the next version.
2. Create usable video with AI. This means generating or substantially transforming video scenes, iterating when outputs fail, repairing weak generations, and integrating AI footage into a finished ad. Using ChatGPT only for scripts, captions, or ideas does not count as AI-video experience.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Edit 15-60 second ads for Meta, Instagram, TikTok, and similar platforms
• Turn UGC, product footage, images, scripts, reviews, and raw assets into direct-response ads
• Create genuinely different hook, opening, pacing, and creative-angle variations
• Generate or modify scenes, B-roll, motion, voice, and product visuals with AI
• Combine AI-generated and real footage so the finished ad feels coherent and believable
• Review performance data and identify where and why viewers stop watching
• Recommend the next creative test instead of waiting for exact editing instructions
• Produce 9:16, 4:5, and 1:1 versions when required

REQUIREMENTS

• A portfolio containing short-form paid-social or direct-response ads
• Strong understanding of hooks, hold rate, pacing, sales structure, proof, and calls to action
• Real experience creating AI-generated or AI-transformed video
• Ability to explain why an edit should improve viewer behavior
• Ability to turn one concept into meaningful test variations, not cosmetic changes
• Fast, proactive, organized, and comfortable solving unclear creative problems
• Reliable computer and internet connection

Premiere Pro, After Effects, DaVinci Resolve, or CapCut experience is useful. The exact software matters less than the quality and performance judgment visible in your work.

YOU ARE PROBABLY NOT A FIT IF

• Your portfolio is mainly long-form YouTube videos, podcasts, weddings, gaming montages, or cinematic reels with no paid-social work
• You choose edits because they look impressive but cannot connect them to the hook, message, or retention
• Your only AI experience is scripts, prompts, automatic captions, or static images
• You accept the first AI generation without iteration or cleanup
• You need detailed instructions for every cut and do not suggest stronger options
• You cannot identify exactly what you personally created in your portfolio

COMPENSATION

$800-$1,200/month depending on experience and paid-test performance, with performance bonuses available.

HOW TO APPLY

Do not send a generic cover letter and do not begin with a greeting.

Your first line must be exactly:

RETENTION | [First Name] | [Main AI Video Tool] | [Minutes Spent Applying]

Then answer all five sections below.

1. PERFORMANCE PROOF

Send links to your two strongest short-form paid-social ads. For each, state:

• Product and platform
• Exactly what you personally created
• The hook used
• One performance result you genuinely saw, such as hook rate, hold rate, watch time, CTR, CPA, or ROAS

Do not invent metrics. Saying you did not have access to performance data is acceptable.

2. OWNERSHIP AND SELF-CRITIQUE

Choose the weaker of your two examples. Give the exact timestamp where viewers are most likely to leave, explain why, and state the first change you would test.

3. AI-VIDEO PROOF

Send one example containing footage or motion you generated or substantially transformed with AI. Static AI images, scripts, and automatic captions alone do not qualify.

Explain:

• Which parts were AI-generated or AI-modified
• The tools used
• What the first output got wrong
• What you changed to make it usable
• How you integrated it into the finished edit

If possible, include both a failed output and the improved result. Do not include confidential client material.

4. RETENTION JUDGMENT

An ad has a strong first-three-second hook rate, but most viewers leave between seconds 4 and 6. People who reach the product demonstration usually watch to the end and click at a strong rate.

In six bullets or less:

• Give the three most likely structural causes
• State what you would inspect first in the timeline
• State the first test you would run
• State what information you would ask us for before deciding

Do not answer with faster cuts, more captions, or trending music.

5. LOGISTICS

State:

• Requested hourly rate or monthly salary
• Part-time or full-time preference
• Current availability and earliest start date
• Computer specifications and primary editing software
• Two time windows for a live screen-share interview

End your application with this exact sentence:

I understand that an AI-written script is not AI video.

Shortlisted candidates will receive a paid editing work sample using the same source-asset pack. The final stage includes a short screen-share review of the submitted project.

Applications that do not follow this format will not be considered.