Summary description: A managing editor combines the innovativeness of an expert with the practical focus of an operations manager. This person should be able to provide the editorial and managerial expertise and experience to contribute to building CABAR.asia as an effective analytical platform;
Background: Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an international media organization that supports local reporters, citizen journalists and civil society activists in three dozen countries in conflict, crisis and transition around the world. IWPR has been operating in Central Asia since 1999 with the regional head office in Bishkek.
Location: Almaty (Kazakhstan), Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tajikistan)
Tasks and responsibilities:
Content production
- Work in close cooperation with local and international experts, journalists and the IWPR CA team in order to ensure the production of high-quality content;
- Analyse recent critical issues relating to the Central Asian region and based on the needs of the website audience;
- Responsibility for Quality of Content. Ensuring that the content of the website is of high quality in terms of accuracy, validity, reliability, credibility, authority, readability, and relevance to the CABAR’s mission;
- Manage the flow, edit, and publish analytical and journalistic materials;
- Perform initial review of submitted analytical and journalistic materials to determine if publishable and if suitable for CABAR.asia policy and requirements;
- Make a final publication after agreement with Editorial Board;
- Manage revision process (if applicable);
- Propose the topics of analytical and journalistic materials and schedule them for publication;
- Correspond with authors submitting analytical and journalistic materials, new media content and, when applicable, social media content;
Management
- Manage day-to-day work of editorial staff in IWPR CA offices. Ensure that authors and editors follow deadlines, materials are published in all required languages and on required platforms;
- Manage the day-to-day dissemination of the websites information to partner media outlets, social media and among the partners;
- Monitor and report on the progress of the CABAR.asia analytical platform including qualitative and quantitative indicators.
- Provide information for internal and external reporting as required.
- Organize and moderate all CABAR.asia relevant events e.g. experts’ round-tables, online conferences, trainings, etc.
- Maintain an archive of analytical and journalistic materials and correspondence with the authors;
- Maintain an author database containing contact details and payment information, and ensure payment of fees through regional offices and other means.
Mentorship, networking and promotion
- Provide mentorship and support for young analytical experts and journalists, interns; organize trainings if applicable;
- Ensure involvement of the young experts and journalists as authors for the CABAR website;
- Work in close cooperation with local and international experts and journalists and the IWPR CA team to produce high-quality materials
- Establish an effective cooperation network among the acting and young experts and journalists in the Central Asian region;
- Establish strong partnerships with other analytical and media websites and think tanks interested in the CA region.
- Promote the CABAR.asia among the audience, partner organizations in the CA region and internationally.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
- Demonstrated knowledge of the international development sector, major actors and how the sector works through;
- Exceptional ability in copywriting and editing
- Advanced Russian and English-language writing and editing skills;
- Demonstrated keen attention to editorial detail and ability to ensure high editorial standards;
- Demonstrated abilities to manage editorial production and meet deadlines;
- Working knowledge of online platforms;
- Advanced knowledge of MS Office, data visualization and analysing tools;
- Abilities in planning and coordinating people and operations;
- Outstanding communication and people abilities;
- Must be able to work well in a fast-paced, multi-actor, multi-demand work environment with a minimum of supervision, by taking initiative and problem solving;
- Must be a team player who is committed to working together for common, as well as
- individual, goals;
- Ability to work well in a multi-cultural work environment spread over IWPR CA offices.
COMPETENCES
- Analytical Thinking – Able to simplify and distil the essence of complex problems, processes.
- Communication – able to get one’s message understood clearly by adopting a range of methods appropriate to each audience and the nature of the information.
- Concern for results – Shows concern to work effectively and strive for a standard of excellence.
- Decision making – ready and able to take the initiative, originate action and be responsible for the consequences of the decision made.
- Editorial Judgement – balanced and objective judgement based on a thorough understanding of CABAR editorial guidelines and objectives.
- Flexibility – adapts and works effectively with a variety of situations, individual groups. Able to understand and appreciate different and opposing perspectives on an issue, and to adopt an approach as the requirements of a situation change.
- Influencing others – able to present sound and reasoned arguments to persuade others.
- Initiative – demonstrates a preference for taking action. Does more than is required or expected in the job, improve or enhance job results or avoid problems.
- Leadership – Ability to create a vision and inspire others to realise it.
- Teamwork and Co-operation – able to work in a cooperative manner with others, to be part of a team, work together as opposed to working separately or competitively.
- Planning and Organization – able to think ahead in order to establish an efficient and appropriate course of action for self and others. Prioritises and plans activities taking into account all the relevant issues and factors such as deadlines, staffing and resources.
- Resilience – manages personal effectiveness by managing emotions in the face of pressure, setbacks or when dealing with provocative situations. Demonstrates an approach to work that is characterised by commitment, motivation and energy.
- Self Confidence – able to express confidence in dealing with increasingly challenging circumstances in reaching decisions or forming opinions, and in handling failures constructively.
- Self-control – able to keep emotions under control and to refrain from negative action when faced with opposition or hostility from others.
- Strategic Thinking – Can identify a vision along with the plans which need to be implemented to meet the end goal. Evaluate situations, decisions issues in the short, medium and long term.
EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:
- MA or MSc in a field relevant to international development or communication;
- Three or more years of work with direct editorial production responsibilities, including writing, editing, proofing, managing design and layout of reports and briefs;
- Record publication on Central Asia development issues;
- Previous experience in analytical and journalistic articles editing.
Interested candidates must fill out a special application form at the link:
https://iwpr.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=256
The deadline for submission is February 28, 2022.