We’re looking for an Africa editor with a track record of doing impactful investigations, working collaboratively across borders and supporting junior colleagues to be the best journalists they can be. 

In this role, you’ll lead Africa work for our award-winning investigative journalism team that tracks organised opposition to women’s and LGBTIQ rights. You’ll oversee our Africa reporters and fellows, as well as our network of freelancers and partners and collaborate with other regional editors in Europe, Eurasia and Latin America on global coverage.  You’ll work with our Senior investigative editor and our Audience & Engagement team to continue building an Africa audience for our work which has been cited more than 1000 times across global media and been nominated for (and won!) multiple awards.

Location: Africa

Salary: £48,000 - £55,000 (dependent on experience)

Contract: 12 month full-time contract with possibility to extend

Reports to: Senior investigative editor

Manages: Africa reporters and fellows 

Purpose of the role & key responsibilities Editorial

Lead the 50:50 and openDemocracy’s reporting on Africa which will include: 

• Oversee investigative reporting projects focused on organised opposition to women’s and LGBTIQ rights in particular, and threats to human rights and democracy in general
• Mentor and manage openDemocracy’s network of regional reporters and freelancers 
• Commission freelance contributors to produce multiplatform content on newsworthy developments that intersect with or affect feminism, human rights and democracy on the continent
• Collaborate with other editors and reporters on global investigations and other coverage
• Contribute own reporting and writing on feminism, human rights and threatened democracy in Africa

Audience, Network and Impact 

• Strategize with senior openDemocracy editors to build an Africa audience strategy
• Increase the network of media partners that co-publish and republish openDemocracy content and manage these partnership relationships
• Build a diverse and active source and supporter network among NGOs, activists, academics and other groups
• Represent openDemocracy at conferences, in media interviews and other fora, as appropriate
• Where appropriate within the UK charity laws governing openDemocracy, coordinate with and support NGO and civil society organisations on actions and campaigns to realise impact from our work on the continent

Management of People and Other Resources 

• Recruit and manage openDemocracy staff in Africa 
• Recruit, manage and mentor at least one full-time fellow per year
• Manage the openDemocracy Africa budget to ensure work outcomes match or exceed goals set with our funding partners

Who you are

The ideal candidate has:

• At least 3 years’ experience as an English-language editor
• A proven track record of doing collaborative investigations, especially cross-border ones
• Strong storytelling skills, with the ability to turn complex investigations and/or draft stories from junior or non-professional journalists,  into accessible, enjoyable and informative copy
• Experience working reporters and contributor networks: managing and mentoring them
• Has in-depth understanding of intersectional feminism and is socially and politically astute with an good understanding of both local and continental threats to women’s and LGBTIQ rights

We strongly encourage women and LGBTIQ to apply for this position. Our ideal candidates will live and work in Africa.

About openDemocracy

openDemocracy is an independent international media platform. We produce high-quality journalism which challenges power, inspires change and builds leadership among groups underrepresented in the media. Headquartered in London, we have team members across four continents.

We are a mission-focused organisation, which means we always think about the impact our journalism can have. Our investigative journalism has triggered legal changes, parliamentary probes, lawsuits and criminal investigations and we also offer a rich diversity of stories and perspectives from across the world. We help voices otherwise excluded from the media to reach larger audiences, and we campaign on key stories, pushing for a more open, democratic and egalitarian world.

Our stories frequently get picked up across the global media, including The New York Times, CNN, France 24, El País, National Geographic, Sky News, ITV News, Newsnight, BBC Radio 4’s Today, The World This Weekend and File on Four, Daily Mail, Daily Express, Daily Mirror, Financial Times, The Times, Sunday Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Observer, The Independent, Channel 4 News, LBC and Private Eye in 2021 alone.

openDemocracy.net attracts more than 11 million visits per year, and we provide a vital space for analysis, comment, and debate on issues ranging from democracy, gender and human rights to economics and climate change. We have projects publishing in Russian, Spanish and Portuguese as well as English. In the past two years, we’ve been nominated for and won a number of prestigious journalism prizes, from the Gabo Award to the Paul Foot and British Journalism Awards.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please upload:

• An up-to-date copy of your CV
• A cover letter (no more than one page)
• Links to 2 examples of recent published - or edited - work, along with a file with maximum 300 words detailing your role in them

If you have any questions regarding the role, please send them to recruitment@opendemocracy.net. 

Application deadline: 

The deadline to apply for this role is Sunday, 23 April at 11.59pm GMT+1

openDemocracy is committed to being an equal opportunities employer that values and respects the people who work with us. We positively encourage applications from suitably experienced candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. Women, LGBTIQ candidates, and people from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the industry and who have demonstrable passion for independent media are particularly encouraged to apply.