Wasafiri, the UK’s leading literary magazine for international voices, has invited applications for the position of Assistant Editor. The job will be part-time, with the successful candidate working two and a half days per week and collecting “£25,000 pro-rata.”

Founded in 1984 by its current editor Susheila Nasta, professor of Modern Literature at Open University, UK, Wasafiri is funded by Arts Council England, published by Routledge, and located at Queen Mary College, University of London. The magazine has published work by Chinua Achebe, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Nadine Gordimer, Ben Okri, Michael Ondaatje, Vikram Seth, and Kiran Desai, among other notable names. 

Here is the announcement.

Working with a world renowned literary journal, the Assistant Editor will join a new and dynamic editorial team. You will be a key member of staff, working towards a strong and resilient future for the magazine, and towards the successful implementation and delivery of its new five-year programme of activity.

The prime responsibility of this new position is to grow the digital profile of the magazine: in terms of content, engagement points and its reach on social media. The Assistant Editor should have proven editorial skills and professional experience in commissioning, writing and marketing. First-class digital knowledge and a track record in a broad range of editorial tasks are pre-requisite for this role. The role holder will also offer support and cover for the Deputy Editor.

Responsibilities

  • Manages, commissions, edits and proofs content for www.wasafiri.org
  • Updates website using WordPress
  • Manages social media strategy to meet growth targets
  • Responsible for digital budget and delivery, with team’s support
  • Liaises with freelancers, publicists and writers, both nationally and internationally
  • Responsible for creating and sending monthly newsletter through MailChimp
  • Assists Reviews Editor to manage workflow – logging books received, updating the reviews page online, sending out review copies, liaising with publishers and writers
  • Assists Deputy Editor with management of online submissions

The Ideal Candidate

Essential:

  • Passion for the written word and international literature and arts
  • Previous editorial experience
  • Previous professional experience of editing digital copy and editing content
  • Excellent proofreading and copy editing skills
  • Knowledge of InDesign, WordPress, mailchimp
  • Knowledge of production processes from concept to publication
  • Ability to manage multiple projects, on schedule and to budget
  • Strong problem-solving and negotiation skills
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
  • Deadline oriented, with a demonstrated ability to work under pressure
  • Initiative to source new ideas and search out ground-breaking content
  • Energetic and can-do attitude
  • Thrives under pressure
  • Works well as part of a team

Desirable

  • Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and Photoshop
  • Online marketing, promotions and sales

Wasafiri is an equal opportunities employer.

To apply, please send a covering letter, your CV and the equal opportunities monitoring form (available to download here) to:[email protected]

Deadline for applications: 21 November 2017

Interviews will take place on: 8 December 2017

Find out more HERE.