Senior Copy Editor at Code for Africa (CfA)

About the Role

The successful candidate will join CfA’s Knowledge team which spearheads data liberation or digitisation and analysis for internal programmes at CfA and projects at external partners, including media and universities, assisting with data-driven storytelling or infographics as part of our mission to improve citizen and civic watchdog access to actionable information.

You will be the team’s content champion, taking rough copy and shaping into concise, factual, easy-to-read content. You will work closely with a variety of experts and guide them to improve their writing skills to ensure better draft content. You will go beyond checking spelling and grammar, and ensure that content is factually correct, flows logically and is consistent with other content (such as previous reports). 

You should have solid news judgement and a thorough understanding of the different styles of writing and subject matter relevant to a leading civic technology organisation. 

You’ll pay close attention not only to the words on the page, but the document structure as well ensuring all products are consistent and neat. This includes paying attention to fonts (type, size and colours), tables (sizing, colour, formatting, borders etc), and the use of images (positioning, captions, size etc).

You must be comfortable with working alongside a number of other experts, including copywriters, researchers, data analysts, designers, and strategists.

Responsibilities

• Copy/sub-edit (i.e., correcting format, grammar, syntax, spelling, and style) all content
• Verify facts and statistics using standard references sources
• Proofread and revise content for logical flow, clarity, consistency and conciseness 
• Ensure that documents are well structured and neatly formatted  
• Guide other members of staff on how to improve their rough drafts in order to reduce editing further down the line
• Assist in the creation and maintenance of an inhouse style guide

Required: minimum requirements include

• Minimum of 5 years copy/sub-editing experience in a fast-paced newsroom or in digital journalism or non-governmental organisation.
• Exceptional command of the English language with impeccable grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
• Demonstrable ability to improve the meaning and clarity of copy through correct grammar, consistency of voice, tone and terminology, factual accuracy, logical sentence and document structure, and readability of the final product.
• Demonstrable experience in copy editing a range of content, such as grant proposals, donor reports, presentations, social media content, and blogs
• Proven ability to tailor content for a variety of audiences, channels, and formats, always avoiding a “one size fits all” editing mindset.
• The ability to work fast, creatively and accurately in a remote fast-paced deadline-driven environment to deliver content that is credible, consistent and always factually correct. 
• Strong organisational and decision-making skills.
• Digital-first workplace skill-sets, including proficiency in collaborative work solutions such as Google Workplace (Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc.), Slack (or equivalents such as Teams, etc), and project management tools like Trello (or equivalents such as AirTable, etc)

Preferred: characteristics that will give you a competitive advantage

• Experience working in an NGO/CSO environment
• Knowledge of fundraising strategies to help improve donor proposals.
• Previous experience developing style guides and training inhouse teams on how to apply it to their work
• The ability to communicate and work effectively with multicultural – and multilingual – writers, editors, and project team members who work remotely and in different time zones.

Language and Location Requirements:

• Location: Remote 
• Languages: English
• Preferred but not required: Arabic, French, Swahili, or other major African languages.