diff --git a/shared/authentication/src/auth.definition.ts b/shared/authentication/src/auth.definition.ts
index 11f555c..cb97bbe 100644
--- a/shared/authentication/src/auth.definition.ts
+++ b/shared/authentication/src/auth.definition.ts
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ export const auth: Auth = betterAuth({
     jwt({
       // JWT plugin configuration
       // JWKS endpoint automatically exposed at /api/auth/jwks
-      // Custom payload to include organization member role
+      // Custom payload to include organization member role and capabilities
       jwt: {
         definePayload: async ({ user }) => {
           // Query organization membership to get member role
@@ -114,14 +114,26 @@ export const auth: Auth = betterAuth({
               .limit(1);
 
             if (memberRecord.length > 0) {
+              // Cast user to access capabilities field
+              const userWithCapabilities = user as typeof user & {
+                capabilities?: string[] | null;
+              };
               return {
                 ...user,
                 role: memberRecord[0].role, // Use organization member role instead of default user role
+                capabilities: userWithCapabilities.capabilities ?? [], // Include capabilities in JWT
               };
             }
           }
           // Fallback to default user data if no organization membership found
-          return user;
+          // Still include capabilities even without organization membership
+          const userWithCapabilities = user as typeof user & {
+            capabilities?: string[] | null;
+          };
+          return {
+            ...user,
+            capabilities: userWithCapabilities?.capabilities ?? [],
+          };
         },
       },
     }),
@@ -274,6 +286,8 @@ export const auth: Auth = betterAuth({
       djName: { type: 'string', required: false },
       appSkin: { type: 'string', required: true, defaultValue: 'modern-light' },
       isAnonymous: { type: 'boolean', required: false, defaultValue: false },
+      // Cross-cutting capabilities independent of role hierarchy (e.g., 'editor', 'webmaster')
+      capabilities: { type: 'string[]', required: false, defaultValue: [] },
     },
   },
 });
diff --git a/shared/database/src/migrations/0026_capabilities_column.sql b/shared/database/src/migrations/0026_capabilities_column.sql
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..335e081
--- /dev/null
+++ b/shared/database/src/migrations/0026_capabilities_column.sql
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+-- Add capabilities column to auth_user table
+-- Capabilities are cross-cutting permissions independent of role hierarchy (e.g., 'editor', 'webmaster')
+--> statement-breakpoint
+ALTER TABLE "auth_user" ADD COLUMN "capabilities" text[] DEFAULT '{}' NOT NULL;
diff --git a/shared/database/src/migrations/meta/_journal.json b/shared/database/src/migrations/meta/_journal.json
index 05d5c99..ff32e2b 100644
--- a/shared/database/src/migrations/meta/_journal.json
+++ b/shared/database/src/migrations/meta/_journal.json
@@ -162,6 +162,13 @@
       "when": 1768890229444,
       "tag": "0025_rate_limiting_tables",
       "breakpoints": true
+    },
+    {
+      "idx": 26,
+      "version": "7",
+      "when": 1769990400000,
+      "tag": "0026_capabilities_column",
+      "breakpoints": true
     }
   ]
 }
diff --git a/shared/database/src/schema.ts b/shared/database/src/schema.ts
index f17f2b3..b32a573 100644
--- a/shared/database/src/schema.ts
+++ b/shared/database/src/schema.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ export const user = pgTable(
     djName: varchar('dj_name', { length: 255 }),
     appSkin: varchar('app_skin', { length: 255 }).notNull().default('modern-light'),
     isAnonymous: boolean('is_anonymous').notNull().default(false),
+    // Cross-cutting capabilities independent of role hierarchy (e.g., 'editor', 'webmaster')
+    capabilities: text('capabilities').array().notNull().default([]),
   },
   (table) => [
     uniqueIndex('auth_user_email_key').on(table.email),
diff --git a/tests/mocks/database.mock.ts b/tests/mocks/database.mock.ts
index 64a7e21..db03858 100644
--- a/tests/mocks/database.mock.ts
+++ b/tests/mocks/database.mock.ts
@@ -88,7 +88,26 @@ export const flowsheet = {
 };
 export const shows = {};
 export const show_djs = {};
-export const user = {};
+export const user = {
+  id: 'id',
+  name: 'name',
+  email: 'email',
+  emailVerified: 'email_verified',
+  image: 'image',
+  createdAt: 'created_at',
+  updatedAt: 'updated_at',
+  role: 'role',
+  banned: 'banned',
+  banReason: 'ban_reason',
+  banExpires: 'ban_expires',
+  username: 'username',
+  displayUsername: 'display_username',
+  realName: 'real_name',
+  djName: 'dj_name',
+  appSkin: 'app_skin',
+  isAnonymous: 'is_anonymous',
+  capabilities: 'capabilities',
+};
 export const specialty_shows = {};
 
 // Mock enum
diff --git a/tests/unit/services/capabilities.test.ts b/tests/unit/services/capabilities.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e685085
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/services/capabilities.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from '@jest/globals';
+
+/**
+ * Capabilities system tests for Backend-Service
+ *
+ * These tests verify that:
+ * 1. The user schema includes capabilities field
+ * 2. Capabilities work with the expected data types
+ * 3. JWT payloads include capabilities
+ */
+
+// Define capabilities locally (mirrors @wxyc/shared/auth-client)
+const CAPABILITIES = ['editor', 'webmaster'] as const;
+type Capability = (typeof CAPABILITIES)[number];
+
+/**
+ * Check if a user has a specific capability.
+ */
+function hasCapability(
+  capabilities: Capability[] | null | undefined,
+  capability: Capability
+): boolean {
+  return capabilities?.includes(capability) ?? false;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Check if a user can edit website content.
+ */
+function canEditWebsite(capabilities: Capability[] | null | undefined): boolean {
+  return hasCapability(capabilities, 'editor');
+}
+
+describe('User capabilities storage', () => {
+  describe('capabilities column', () => {
+    it('should have capabilities field on user schema', async () => {
+      // Import the schema to verify capabilities field exists
+      const { user } = await import('@wxyc/database');
+
+      // The user table should have a capabilities field
+      expect(user).toHaveProperty('capabilities');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('capability values', () => {
+    it('capabilities should be an array type', () => {
+      // This tests that the capabilities field accepts array values
+      const validCapabilities = ['editor', 'webmaster'];
+      expect(Array.isArray(validCapabilities)).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('should accept valid capability values', () => {
+      const testCapability: Capability = 'editor';
+      expect(CAPABILITIES).toContain(testCapability);
+    });
+  });
+});
+
+describe('JWT payload with capabilities', () => {
+  it('should include capabilities in user payload structure', () => {
+    // Test the expected JWT payload structure
+    const expectedPayload = {
+      id: 'user-123',
+      email: 'test@wxyc.org',
+      role: 'dj',
+      capabilities: ['editor'],
+    };
+
+    expect(expectedPayload).toHaveProperty('capabilities');
+    expect(Array.isArray(expectedPayload.capabilities)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should handle empty capabilities array', () => {
+    const payload = {
+      id: 'user-123',
+      email: 'test@wxyc.org',
+      role: 'member',
+      capabilities: [],
+    };
+
+    expect(payload.capabilities).toEqual([]);
+  });
+
+  it('should handle null capabilities gracefully', () => {
+    const payload = {
+      id: 'user-123',
+      email: 'test@wxyc.org',
+      role: 'member',
+      capabilities: null as string[] | null,
+    };
+
+    // Capabilities should default to empty array if null
+    const capabilities = payload.capabilities ?? [];
+    expect(capabilities).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('Capability helper functions', () => {
+  describe('hasCapability', () => {
+    it('returns true when capability is present', () => {
+      expect(hasCapability(['editor'], 'editor')).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('returns true when capability is one of many', () => {
+      expect(hasCapability(['webmaster', 'editor'], 'editor')).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false when capability is absent', () => {
+      expect(hasCapability(['webmaster'], 'editor')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false for empty array', () => {
+      expect(hasCapability([], 'editor')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false for null', () => {
+      expect(hasCapability(null, 'editor')).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false for undefined', () => {
+      expect(hasCapability(undefined, 'editor')).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('canEditWebsite', () => {
+    it('returns true when user has editor capability', () => {
+      expect(canEditWebsite(['editor'])).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false when user only has webmaster capability', () => {
+      expect(canEditWebsite(['webmaster'])).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('returns true when user has both editor and webmaster', () => {
+      expect(canEditWebsite(['editor', 'webmaster'])).toBe(true);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false for empty capabilities', () => {
+      expect(canEditWebsite([])).toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    it('returns false for null capabilities', () => {
+      expect(canEditWebsite(null)).toBe(false);
+    });
+  });
+});