Open Position: SIHA Editing Coordinator Women in Islam Journal

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA Network) is looking for an Editing Coordinator for the Women in Islam Journal

  • Working Hours: Part time; 25 hours a week
  • Starting Date: Immediately- 3 months with possibility for extension
  • Location: Kampala

Background:

The SIHA Women in Islam is a newly born publication, with the first issue having been published in July 2014. The journal provides space for reflection on the narratives of men and women writers living in the Horn of Africa and their day to day perception and response to militant ideologies and the varying agenda of politicized Islam. It reflects on the humanity and tolerance of Islam and the moderate interpretations of Islam which encourage women’s activism on human rights and social justice. The journal seeks contributions from Muslim scholars and activists from around the world and has as a central goal the presentation of complex ideas in an accessible format. The journal is published in both Arabic and English. For this particular post, it is essential that the candidate bears in mind the fact that the journal is to reflect the voices and concerns of SIHA as a coalition of women and men and communities from across the Horn of Africa sub region and thus, must primarily represent their voices and appeal to their interests.

The Editing Coordinator profile:

Candidates should have a background in journalism, editing or publishing; they must be extremely organized and detailed with some experience in promotional writing. He or she should have basic knowledge of graphic designing and an understanding of the printing process. The ideal candidates should also have training in software used to format and publish materials. The candidate is expected to be a talented and creative writer with strong communication skills necessary to collaborate with the journal team and external contributors. Photography skills and knowledge of image quality is important. Finally, the candidate for this post is expected to maintain awareness of the drivers of militancy and women repression around the region and actively contribute to the collection of articles and the editing of submitted pieces.

Key Objectives of the Appointment:

  • Coordinating the collection of articles, editing of submitted material, publishing, organization and final editing and printing of the SIHA Journal: Women in Islam;
  • Increase the quality of the journal editing process, ‘writing style and formatting and work very closely with designers and the publishing house
  • Increase the quality and readability of the SIHA journal

Key Tasks and Responsibilities:

  • Liaising and regularly communicate with head of editorial and the journal team Organizing and managing the submission, assessment, review and editorial and translation processes
  • To coordinate, collect and organize journal pieces and ensure that final versions reflect high- standards and ready for publishing
  • To lead the communication with the journal contributors To organize the journal pieces and oversee the artwork
  • To communicate regularly with the SIHA editorial staff on the progress made with editing of pieces and the quality and likely placement of the pieces submitted for publication in the journal;
  • To strictly maintain deadlines for submission of edited pieces to SIHA editorial staff;
  • To respond to SIHA editorial staff inquiries and calls for additional editing as necessary on particular pieces.
  • To seek the views of the writers/and or the translators where appropriate and necessary, particularly in maintaining the original voice of the piece at hand
  • Overseeing and ensuring standards of selection, review and editing that are relevant to the journal specialty, as approved by the editorial head. Such standards include submission assessment, peer- review, copyright compliance, editorial review (layout, style, grammar, punctuation) and publication quality.
  • Analyzing publication performance, data and feedback and liaising with SIHA team to improve systems and content delivery, and increase the readership and impact of the journal.
  • To communicate and facilitate the process of designing and printing

Note: Remuneration will be based on candidate’s qualifications and experience. Native language skills in English may be an advantage.

HOW TO APPLY: Please send your CV and cover letter to journal@sihanet.org and CC johanna@sihanet.org and hala@sihanet.org Deadline: 18th July 2016 Please note, that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.