This position has been filled. Thank you for your interest.
CGD seeks an experienced Editor and Publications Manager to join our communications and policy outreach team. We are looking for someone with both editorial sophistication and excellent project management skills. Reporting to the Vice President, Communications and Policy Outreach you will be responsible for working with authors on drafts and manuscripts ahead of production, to coordinating the entire production process, to final publication. This role focuses mainly on printed publications but you will also liaise closely with our web team on digital publications.
The Center for Global Development (CGD) works to reduce global poverty and inequality through rigorous research, creative communications and active engagement with the policy community. A nimble, independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit think tank, our world-class researchers focus on a wide range of policy areas that affect development. Our aim is to turn ideas into action.
In 2015 we put out 96 publications, including 22 policy papers, 20 briefs, 5 reports and 1 book. 2016 is gearing up to be similar. The ideal candidate for Editor and Publications Manager will enjoy being busy and be able to juggle overlapping projects and shifting priorities.
In pre-production, your job will be to work with authors to make sure the substance of each report/manuscript is tight and engaging, that key messages are honed and highlighted, and that policy recommendations are clear and relevant. Skilled substantive editing is essential, as well as a developed understanding of the issues CGD works on and the ability to express complex ideas in plain language without losing nuance. The successful candidate will possess the substantive authority and natural charm to constructively critique the work of world-class experts in development economics, to motivate them, keep them on deadline and help them develop better practices for the future.
You will coordinate the entire production process for each major printed publication, with responsibility for quality control and for managing relationships with external vendors, and you will help design and deliver shorter communications products based on major work. You will work with the web and wider communications team on how best to promote our work.
If you have first-rate communications and project management skills, work well in a team but also with little supervision, and have a good sense of humor, this could be an excellent opportunity to play a central role in helping to present CGD’s cutting edge policy research in ways that are clear, engaging and impactful.
As Editor and Publications Manager you will:
- Use excellent writing and editing skills to help authors express their ideas clearly, concisely and creatively, and help design a suitable narrative for their work
- Be responsible for the coordination and administration of the entire publication process for reports/books, including sourcing and managing relationships with external vendors (copy-editors, designers, translators, printers, ISBN numbers, Library of Congress, etc).
- Manage multiple projects simultaneously, efficiently and on-time.
- Help produce diverse communications products to complement major work, e.g. briefs, one-pagers, tear sheets, even infographics
- Work with several program teams/authors but also independently with limited supervision
- Contribute ideas for digital publications, including what visuals/charts/interactives might help to promote a report
The successful candidate will have the following qualifications/skills:
- Minimum five years of publications coordination/management and editing
- First rate writing and editing skills, proficient in Chicago style
- Excellent organizational and project management skills
- Good understanding of the issues CGD works on
- Experience of think tanks, international development, policy and finance communities preferred
- Good sense of humor, enthusiastic team player and fun to work with
- Established network of external service providers, including copy-editors, designers, etc
- Experience with design software (InDesign, Photoshop, etc) preferred
- Familiarity with web design and content management systems a plus
Interested candidates should email their cover letter and CV to jobs@cgdev.org. Please indicate "Editor" in the subject line of all e-mail correspondences. No phone calls please.
CGD is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age or sexual orientation shall have equal access to positions, limited only by their ability to do the job. Finalist(s) for this position may be subject to a pre-employment background check as a condition of employment.