Editor in Chief, gal-dem

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Location: UK
Salary details: £30,000pa (Starting Salary)
  • Full-Time

Job Role: Editor-in-Chief

Reporting to: Mariel Richards (CEO)

Starting salary: £30,000

Job description: Full-time, initial 1-year contract

Start date: May 2021

Benefits

32 days annual holiday (including bank holidays)

Enhanced sick leave policy

Monthly wellness sessions

Enrollment into gal-dem’s EMI scheme

About gal-dem

gal-dem is an award-winning media company committed to sharing the perspectives of people of colour from marginalised genders. We have proven that our journalism and creative work can shape debates, shift discussions, create new ways of thinking and contribute to social movements.

gal-dem is celebrated for content which supports and gives voice to our varied communities – and brings joy to them too. Alongside this, as a platform our aim is to become widely known for original and ambitious investigative reporting and original analysis. Our focus is on the stories of marginalised communities and incorporates anything from social justice and institutional corruption to cultural touchpoints and wellbeing.

As an organisation committed to diversifying the media and creative industries, we are looking for a candidate who shares our values and ambitions. Candidates must be able to empathise with, represent, and authentically speak to gal-dem’s core audience

As an editorial platform:

  • People come to us for stories and perspectives that they cannot find elsewhere.
  • We tell people-focused stories which represent the diversity of the human experience and seek out unheard voices.
  • We always seek the truth and apply journalistic rigour throughout our publishing processes.
  • We always put quality content over clickbait.
  • We continue to learn from others in the industry.
  • We refuse to tolerate discrimination of any kind.
  • We are not afraid to have fun!

We are looking for a motivated person to join our team as the Editor-in-Chief. You must have an understanding of the lived experiences of people of colour of marginalised genders and be committed to journalism which represents the diversity of the human experience.

Below is a list of expectations, skills and requirements for the job. Please note that we welcome applications from candidates who believe they could do this role without hitting every required element, as long as they can make an incredibly strong case as to why.

The Editor-in-Chief will:

  • Be responsible for gal-dem’s overall innovative editorial strategy and output.
  • Work closely with the CEO and Head of Strategy and branded content on business strategy.
  • Work closely with each editor to motivate and support them in their goals and ambitions, including training opportunities.
  • Oversee and have final eyes on most editorial content on the site.
  • Be responsible for allocating and managing budgets as well as applying for journalism-specific funding.
  • Identify the key voices gal-dem should be seeking to platform.
  • Generate and seek out original stories and content ideas not seen elsewhere.
  • Keep a close eye on breaking news and the conversations happening within our communities on social media, in the news and in offline spaces.
  • Acquire and nurture contacts with writers and organisations who may want to partner with us.
  • Use analytics and SEO to inform and improve the content we publish.
  • Manage and contribute to the annual gal-dem print edition.
  • Forward plan content, formats, columns and features or ‘featurettes’.

Key skills:

  • Ability to think strategically about the future of the business.
  • Ability to manage a small to medium-sized team of young editors.
  • Ability to commission, write and edit work with flair, precision and speed.
  • Ability to manage long-form investigative work.
  • Ability to read and amend contracts.
  • Ability to use InDesign, plan and produce print magazines.
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills with writers, colleagues and managers.
  • Ability to generate fresh ideas that will keep the team on their toes.
  • Ability to manage and produce events (virtual and IRL).
  • Understanding of SEO and content management systems and processes.
  • Adherence to commissioning processes and use of spreadsheets.

Requirements/Qualifications:

A minimum of five years working within journalism in an editing role (not including student magazines or newspapers): The Editor-in-Chief will need to have fully developed editorial skills. They will ultimately be the figure responsible for the output on site, and must be capable of determining editorial guidelines and tone of voice for gal-dem, alongside a myriad of other responsibilities that can only be learnt by having worked in previous editorial capacities.

A minimum of two years working in a management position in journalism: As Editor-in-Chief part of the role is supporting and developing the work and careers of our five section editors.

Media law training (via extensive in-house experience, an NCTJ or a Masters): At present gal-dem works with external counsel to ensure content is fit for publication. However, these hours are limited and our new Editor-in-Chief must be able to prioritise and flag content for legal review, and work with our legal team to make required edits.

A lived experiences of people of colour of marginalised genders: gal-dem’s is committed to diversifying the creative and media industries, and platforming the experiences of people of colour of marginalised genders. The Editor-in-Chief must have a clear understanding of these experiences and be able to sensitively edit and commission content from writers, as well as support our current staff.

Eligible to work within the UK: gal-dem does not yet have a license to sponsor visas.

We believe that our role in media is to give a voice to the people of colour we serve as a platform and respect the diversity within this — including members of the LGBTQI+ community, people from working class backgrounds and disabled people. We strongly encourage applications from people with these identities.

To apply:

Please fill out this typeform to apply for the Editor-in-Chief roleApplications close 7 May. Please mention Journo Resources when you apply, it really helps us out.

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