Associate – Editorial & Publications Role at Savannah Global Health Institute

 About the role

• SGHI is looking for an Associate, Editorial & Publications to own the written record of our work: the policy briefs, case studies, technical papers, and flagship reports that carry our evidence to governments, funders, and partners.You will commission, edit, and publish this work with SGHI’s technical staff, programme teams, and leadership, building a body of work that grows steadily over the years rather than in bursts. You will hold everything SGHI publishes to one editorial standard: every figure carries a denominator, a date, and a source.This role suits a writer and editor with strong judgment, who can make complex technical material simple without losing rigour, and who checks every claim before it goes out.

Key responsibilities

• Editorial leadership and content development
• Commission pieces from technical staff, researchers, and leadership, and keep every commission on schedule against the editorial calendar.
• Write and edit SGHI’s publications, including policy briefs, synthesis notes, case studies, technical papers, donor and partner reports, and the flagship annual report.
• Write and edit plain-language content across the website’s six focus areas. Each page works in three layers: a plain summary, a short explainer, and links to technical detail, so a policymaker, a funder, and a first-time visitor can each find what they need.
• Lead the production of executive summaries, launch materials, and other products that help SGHI’s work reach its audiences.

Publishing standards and sourcing

• Edit to a documented standard, not personal taste: every figure carries a denominator, a date, and a source before publication.
• Check every claim with the people and institutions it describes before publication, not after.
• Keep formats consistent across briefs, papers, case studies, and data explorers, so readers always know what kind of document they are reading.
• Work with designers to turn final drafts into finished publications that match SGHI’s formats and brand.
• Own the editorial calendar, rotating content each quarter across SGHI’s six focus areas so that no single area dominates.

Newsletters and leadership support

• Write and edit the quarterly external newsletter and the monthly internal newsletter, using the same voice and sourcing standard for both.
• Support the preparation of speeches, talking points, and briefings for senior leadership.
• Advise colleagues on adapting messages and formats for different audiences, from technical funders to first-time website visitors.

Brand and voice

• Keep the homepage and focus-area pages in the voice set out in SGHI’s brand guidelines: clear, human, grounded, and progressive.
• Replace generic phrases such as “world-class,” “capacity building,” and “stakeholders” wherever they appear.
• Maintain the publishing workflows that keep SGHI’s voice consistent across every channel.

Skills and experience Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Public Policy, or a related field.
• At least 3 years’ experience in editorial writing, publications, or policy communications, in a newsroom, research institute, or similar setting.
• Excellent writing and line-editing skills, including the ability to explain complex technical material to a general audience without losing accuracy.
• Experience fact-checking and sourcing published work.
• Sound judgment and discretion, and confidence managing commissions from senior technical staff and leadership.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Experience in global health, development, or public-sector reform.
• Experience running an editorial calendar and publishing to a fixed schedule.
• Comfort working with data and editing charts, tables, and other data visuals.
• Familiarity with donor, government, or multilateral reporting requirements.
• Experience with a website content management system, such as Wix, and with Google Workspace for shared drafting and review.

Along with your CV and cover letter, please include two or three samples of your writing or editing, ideally including at least one policy or technical piece. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to complete a short editing exercise.