This role co-ordinates the editorial and production processes for the high-quality anthologies of each school participating in the First Story programme
Role: Associate Editor
Reports to: National Director
Hours: Fixed five-month contract, full time
Compensation: £22,000 pro rata
THE POSITION
First Story is an innovative, fast-growing UK charity. This is a key role that offers the opportunity to take a lead on First Story’s spring publication schedule. We are looking for a highly motivated, highly organised and enthusiastic Associate Editor who is committed to First Story’s vision.
JOB PURPOSE
This role co-ordinates the editorial and production processes for the high-quality anthologies of each school participating in the First Story programme.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Key Accountabilities
Charting a publication plan for each anthology, including lining up a copy editor, designer,
illustrator and typesetter to set deadlines.
Liaising with key suppliers (printers, typesetters, designers and other contributors) regarding timelines and publication processes.
Copy-editing and proofreading to deadlines.
Supporting the National Director in updating creative writing resources for teachers and
writers, which will include updating the First Story Book for 2012-13.
Assisting the Fundraising Officer with copy-writing and editing for newsletters and press
releases and other publications as needed.
Assisting the Fundraising Officer in the preparation of copy for fundraising applications.
Liaising with the finance team and accountants with respect to anthology costs and stock for
the annual accounts.
Other duties relating to supporting the First Story project in schools.
Relationships
The Associate Editor will report to the National Director and will support the Programme Team. The post holder will interact on a regular basis with the following:
Writers, school teachers and students.
Executive Director, Programme Team, Fundraising Officer, Regional Director of the East
Midlands, part-time staff and volunteer copy-editors, designers and illustrators.
The Trustees of First Story
Company No: 6487410
Phone: 020 3117 2318/2317
Registered Charity No:1122939
4 More London Riverside, London SE1 2AU
Other charitable organisations with which First Story has developed links, and external agencies such as accountants, publishers, marketers and the media.
Personal characteristics and skills required
It will be essential for the successful candidate to demonstrate the following:
Strong organisation skills.
Comfort working in a dynamic, changing organisation
The ability to prioritise workload and manage your time independently.
Excellent people skills and relationship-building skills.
A keen eye for detail, strong copy-editing skills.
Strong communication skills, both written and oral.
Strong IT skills, including sound knowledge of Word, Excel and Outlook. Book design and
publishing skills desirable.
The successful candidate will have 2-3 years experience in publishing, good numeric skills, and project management experience.
LOCATION
4 More London Riverside, London SE1 2AU.
Benefits Include:
A fulfilling job, working on a range of challenging issues with a diverse team. Flexible working, 25 days annual leave per annum (pro rata) plus all public holidays and a defined contribution pension scheme for all employees.
Salary: From £22,000 pro rata for a fixed-term, five-month contract
ABOUT FIRST STORY
We arrange and pay for acclaimed authors to be writers-in-residence in challenging state schools across the country.
The programme operates in schools in which more than 50% of pupils are considered deprived according to the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) or in which GCSE results fall in the lowest third of the national distribution. We aim to celebrate and foster creativity and literacy in young people, teachers, writers and surrounding communities, and we strive to create new audiences for the written word. We're cheerleaders for books, stories, reading and writing. We've seen how creative writing can build students' self-esteem and self-confidence.
Company No: 6487410
Phone: 020 3117 2318/2317
Fostering creativity, literacy and talent
In each school, groups of up to twenty-one students (aged 14–18) attend weekly, extra-curricular creative writing workshops with an internationally renowned author. The sustained contact they have with the writer, who becomes a mentor figure, is unique and powerful. Each school publishes its own professionally produced book and holds a public reading and book launch, and we are piloting new projects and workshops around further supporting creativity in school communities.
This year, we are running thirty-four residencies at schools and community centres in London, Oxfordshire, and the East Midlands. We are looking to expand into new schools in September 2013 and to develop a model for scaling up into thirty-five to fifty schools in regions throughout England in the next five years.
To apply:
Please send a cover letter (with ref: Associate Editor in the subject line) and your CV to Mónica Parle:
info@firststory.org.uk . Interviews for suitable candidates will be held on a rolling basis at our offices in central London. The official closing date for the role will be on the 31st of January.
Please note:
Only those candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
First Story welcomes applicants regardless of race or colour, nationality or national or ethnic origin, religion or religious belief, sex or marital status, sexual orientation, disability or age.