Editor

Position: Editor

Location: Baghdad, Iraq

Contract type: Consultant

Hours: Full time

Contract length: 10 months (1st June 2023- 31st March 2024)

Deadline for applications:  Monday 1st May 2023

About IWPR

The Institute for War & Peace Reporting (IWPR) is an international non-profit organisation founded in 1991, with charitable status in the US, UK and the Netherlands. We give voice to people at the frontlines of conflict, crisis and transition to help them drive change and build more stable, just and inclusive societies.

Drawing on three decades of experience in some of the world’s most challenging environments, we support media, civil society, democracy and governance, gender, and youth-focused projects in over 30 countries – promoting reliable information and responsible public debate and removing barriers to freedom of expression.

The Role:

IWPR is seeking an Editor to manage, oversee and mentor a team of journalists and other participants who seek to enhance their knowledge in journalism and are interested in collaborating with IWPR in generating content for Iraq that promotes fundamental freedoms. The successful candidate will be a native Arabic speaker with a strong track record of editorial and journalistic leadership, a confident communicator, and at ease with generating specific content for multimedia platforms.

The Editor will communicate with IWPR staff, field staff, partners media outlets and contributors on a daily basis, working closely with colleagues to commission, produce, edit and post stories, radio episodes as well as create innovative social media content and blog pieces with accompanying photographs, video material and other tailored content that promotes fundamental freedoms.

Additionally they will work with other staff members to disseminate project-specific content through social media outlets and newsletters, and monitor and report progress achieved in training work.

The Editor will also be responsible for the production of media output related to IWPR partners in Iraq as well as ensures training and mentorship for journalists and other participants who seek to enhance their knowledge in journalism and interested to collaborate with IWPR. The Editor will put all his/her efforts to ensure that IWPR stories achieve program/project objectives.

In this role you will:

• Work closely with IWPR project staff, field staff and support staff to develop a comprehensive commissioning brief and deliver a stream of specific radio stations and social media content in line with project work plans and other deliverables;
• Ensure that the project delivers the quality and quantity of stories/social media content required under various program streams;
• Liaise closely with IWPR project staff and translators to ensure timely delivery of content;
• Ensure that outputs are to the highest editorial standards;
• Participate in managing social media accounts;
• Actively promote and syndicate content generated by the project on social media;
• Work with administrators to keep an up-to-date record of published content;
• Apply monitoring and evaluation procedures to the highest standard to measure and report on the progress achieved by contributors;
• Ensure that project objectives are achieved within deadlines;
• Provide feedback for administrators, to be included in weekly and monthly reports and newsletters;
• Work with webmaster to optimize search engine results and improve website design;
• Ensure the IWPR’s project-specific editorial policies and procedures are followed by contributors and enforced by staff members;
• Discuss and commission story ideas with project editors and reporters;
• Be alert to libel and contempt-of-court issues, and ensure content avoids any legal action;
• Edit news features, analysis, comment and investigations to IWPR’s set standards for publication;
• Keep abreast of political and security developments in Iraq and entire MENA region.

The successful candidate will possess:

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in related field of study;
• Proven track record of editorial leadership;
• Strong commissioning and content-production ability;
• Familiarity with social media and their use as campaign tools;
• Editing and reporting in print or online journalism in Arabic;
• Proven video and social media production background;
• Ability to create campaigns;
• Proofreading, fact-checking and validating social media and written sources;
• Languages- English and Arabic.

Desirable experience:

• Media training, preferably in relation to Iraq or other parts of the Middle East/North Africa;
• Developing and utilizing content analysis tools to measure progress of reporters;
• Managing social media outlets;
• Work in photojournalism or broadcast journalism;
• Managing online forums. Knowledge/Skills Essential;
• Native fluency in written and spoken Arabic;
• Exceptional content and copyediting skills;
• Ability to provide professional mentoring in social media;
• Ability to work towards objectives and deadlines;
• Excellent planning, organizational and communication skills;
• IT literacy and experience of using IT to edit journalistic content and research information;
• Professional work ethic; Strong team player and team builder;
• Ability to work as part of an editorial and administrative team.

Travel:

• In-country travel will be required

Principals only. No calls please. Only those who have been considered for an interview will be contacted.

IWPR is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, veteran status or pregnancy and maternity. IWPR will never ask for payment for recruitment.