Consultancy - Production and Copy Editor, Media and Communications Branch (MCB)

Scope of Work

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

The Production and Copy Editor position is located in the Media and Communications Branch (MCB) of the Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships and works under the direct supervision and overall guidance of the Senior Editor.

The incumbent will oversee, manage and coordinate production of organization’s flagship reports, the State of World Population report and UNFPA Annual Report including photo research, writing, curating and developing content and conceptualizing the design for both print and interactive web edition, as well as related content such as video(s). The incumbent will also: manage and coordinate the translation process among all five languages of the report; manage coordination between departments to gather all required data and assets to be published; and organize repositories for all documents related to the report. 

In addition, the incumbent will help manage the production of promotional materials to support the broader brand.

The incumbent will also support the team with other editorial projects and tasks, as needed. 

Major duties and responsibilities:

In particular, the selected candidate will be responsible for:

• Manage print and digital production schedules to meet tight deadlines, coordinating the work of authors, editors, artists, designers and translators 
• Assess and secure design, editorial, print vendors and other creative services, following UNFPA’s procurement protocol
• Work closely with production company and related vendors to oversee the accurate layouts of report drafts, feature stories, indicators and design implementation
• Supervise and coordinate timelines for editorial services, artwork, video content 
• Proofread/edit report materials for accuracy, rigor, accessibility, sensitivity, and adherence to UNFPA style, as well as adherence to design and brand guidelines
• Work closely with regional and country-level colleagues to facilitate/gather of feature story content and secure reviews of translated materials
• Work closely with various in-house departments including editorial, web team, multimedia team, social media team, technical division and the executive office to ensure all deadlines are met
• Collaborate with report authors and programme directors to revise manuscripts
• Brainstorm and problem-solve with research colleagues and fellow editors to create and improve text, tables and charts
• Obtain/manage files of original data sources from authors/researchers to be worked on by the designer; edit/reformat data lists and technical notes to provide to the designer and shepherd graphics through edits and revisions
• Work closely with the social media team to develop and create social media content 
• Help develop ideas for creatively promoting reports’ findings and policy proposals
• Communicating with designers/editors/production managers/art dept/managing editors/legal dept/authors as needed 
• Work within a collaborative environment to meet real-time publishing pace
• Support preparation for report launches, including the organization and translation of key messages, launch statements, pre-launch technical briefings, and other related products and events
• Manage production of promotional materials to support the organization’s brand, including design, procurement and dissemination, in consultation with Editorial Adviser.
• Assist the Senior Editor with other tasks, as needed

Requirements

Qualifications / Education:

• University degree in Communications or a similar field; advanced university degree in a relevant field is an asset
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in the English language
• 2+ years of production editing, copy editing, proofreading, digital publishing or equivalent experience and a proven ability to manage the production of complex publications and/or communication products
• Exceptional line-editing, proofreading and fact-checking skills, including mastery of spelling, grammar and punctuation errors
• Knowledge of graphic design software and applications and a strong sense of design desirable. 
• Exceptional organization and communication skills
• Ability to multi-task and manage multi-step assignments
• Ability to remain detail-oriented and focused when processing large amounts of text
• Ability  to collaborate with a creative team of writers, graphic designers, and others
• Strong computer processing skills, especially G Suite, Microsoft Office, InDesign 
• Basic knowledge of legal issues involved in publishing, such as libel and plagiarism

Duration of contract:

Contract Type: Full-time consultancy renewable (11 months)

How to Apply

Please send a motivational cover letter, CV and links to a sample of your work to mcb.office@unfpa.org with “Production and Copy Editor” in the subject line by 18 November 2022 at 5:00 PM EDT. Due to the volume of applications received, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.