AFRICA EDITOR – FRENCH

Africa Editor – French

Founded in 1999, Mongabay is an award-winning environmental science and conservation news organization, which publishes original news on a daily basis in an objective (does not advocate), accurate (relies on facts and scientific information) and timely manner to a global audience of conservation scientists, private-sector decision-makers, government policymakers, civil society organizations, journalists in other media outlets, and interested members of the public. Mongabay’s readership across its news sites averages roughly six million unique visitors each month, which positions the organization as one of the top sources of environmental news, analysis, information, and inspiration on the Internet.

Mongabay.com is now expanding its coverage of environmental and conservation news in Africa. This new editorial position is focused on publishing French-language reporting on issues relevant to the conservation of Africa’s wildlife and their habitats, development pressures and the activities of natural resource industries, and the impacts of climate change on both ecosystems and communities across the continent. Please see Mongabay’s existing coverage of Africa and on-going reporting projects for examples of relevant topics.

The Africa Editor – French will be responsible for the production of daily news and feature stories in French. The editor will help to grow our team of contributors focused on Africa’s environment, manage assignments, edit articles, and ensure adherence to grant guidelines and reporting expectations. This is a high-visibility, high-impact role with room for growth.

A qualified candidate for this position should have strong analytical skills and the ability to discern what stories are important and of interest to readers. Knowledge and familiarity with environmental issues and/or forest conservation are strong positives.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Writing, reporting, editing, and publishing (90% of time)

  • Commission, edit, and publish French-language content on topics related to the environment and conservation in Africa, with a special focus on wildlife and natural resource industries in West and Central Africa.
  • Work cooperatively with Mongabay’s editors and staff writers to develop story series, arrange field reporting, and publish multiple news and features articles per week, consistently of high quality;
  • Conduct interviews, phone calls, and/or meetings, and perform other research as needed, to gather background for the planning of stories and article series;
  • Generate pitch requests and assess story proposals from freelance reporters;
  • Work closely with freelance journalists to manage assignments and edit contributor submissions;
  • Research, fact-check, and review articles prior to publication;
  • Source and/or produce visual content including charts, maps, photos, and videos, as needed, for each article produced;
  • Occasional aggregation of breaking news from third-party sources;
  • Provide other support as needed to ensure content meets Mongabay’s high standards of professionalism, consistency, authenticity, and reliability;
  • Develop and manage ongoing editorial and co-publishing partnerships between Mongabay and other French-language media outlets throughout Africa.

Strategic planning and administration (10% of time)

  • Report regularly to Mongabay’s Global Program Director on progress toward meeting reporting objectives;
  • Support editorial planning to reach established goals in the set timeline;
  • Collect data on impacts of stories including examples of republication for use in grant reports;
  • Must be able to work within tight deadlines and be responsive to Mongabay.com headquarters and to other Mongabay staffers via email, skype, phone and text.

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS

  • Three or more years of experience working in journalism / editorial / writing is required.
  • Exceptional fluency (writing and speaking) in French and English is required.
  • Knowledge and familiarity with conservation and environmental issues is required, and an understanding of agribusiness and extractive industry impacts on deforestation, biodiversity, rural communities, and climate change is preferred.
  • Professional experience working with media outlets in Africa is preferred.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills vital.
  • Demonstrated editorial ability to work with a variety of content, including formatting of feature articles, graphics, photo captions, and HTML.
  • Familiarity with Microsoft Office, WordPress (or similar), Google Drive, Social Media (Twitter / Facebook), and project management software.
  • Reliable access to high-speed Internet is required.
  • Must be willing to commit to full-time role (40 hours per week) and available during regular business hours.
  • Full-time residents of an African country are strongly preferred.

PROFESSIONAL QUALITIES

This position will play a critical role in the scale-up of Mongabay’s environmental reporting efforts in Africa. Due to our culture and global at-home staff, the most successful staffs at Mongabay are adept at working independently and produce consistent high-quality journalistic work by taking initiative and thinking creatively about solutions to problems. In this context, an editor:

  • Is required to demonstrate talent in writing/editing;
  • functions independently and produces high-quality work with tight deadlines;
  • makes timely decisions and demonstrates good judgment;
  • maintains a strong sense of professionalism and reliability;
  • integrates cross-cultural dynamics into their thinking;
  • considers risks carefully and takes actions to mitigate them;
  • contributes to the Mongabay team by communicating and working cooperatively with staff, while following through on tasks and delivering results;
  • fosters positive relationships with journalists and co-partnership media outlets;
  • adjusts approaches according to feedback;
  • demonstrates personal integrity and ability to maintain confidentiality.

COMPENSATION & LOCATION

Full-time residents of an African country are strongly preferred. Mongabay aims to offer competitive pay rates that will attract, retain, and motivate our full-time staff. Please submit a pay range when applying.

TO APPLY

We are no longer accepting applications. The deadline for applications is Thursday, March 11 at 11:59pm Pacific Standard Time. On the application, you will be asked to fill out basic contact information, pay rate expectations, reference information (2), and to upload the following two documents:

  1. Cover letter – please provide specific examples of your experience related to this position, as well as specific examples of your ability to work effectively from home and meet deadlines (1-2 pages)
  2. Resume – (1-2 pages)
  3. Two references

Applications must be submitted in English and interviews for the role will be conducted in English. Please note that you do not need to provide letters of recommendation and we will not reach out to references before getting your permission to do so.

 

* The above statements are intended to provide a general framework for what this position requires. There may be other functions and qualifications that emerge in time, and the chosen candidate may be asked to perform other duties that are not listed here.