Job Type: Full Time
Job Sector: Editor-in-Chief
Deadline: August 31, 2023
Zamaneh Media is a Persian-English language online media organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. We provide independent journalism, citizen reporting, and analytical information to readers in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Persian-speaking communities worldwide. Our primary news website is RadioZamaneh.com. Other platforms under the Zamaneh Media umbrella are TribuneZamaneh.com for citizen journalism, en.Radiozamaneh.com for news in English, and Daadkhast.org, Iran’s first independent Persian language petitioning platform.
Supported by various donors, our mission is to contribute towards promoting democratic principles and human rights through independent journalism and other activities aimed at the Middle East. We are an independent foundation under Dutch law and are strictly non-party, non-ideological, and non-accountable to any external entity for editorial content or opinions.
We have an open, informal, flexible, and enthusiastic working environment. Management is based on a result-oriented approach; tangible results measure performance. We are a small and flexible organization and expect versatility and excellent multi-tasking capabilities from all our colleagues, including the new Chief Editor.
Position Overview
We are currently seeking an Editor-in-Chief who is passionate and enthusiastic to join our dynamic team. The ideal candidate places a high priority on quality, safety and team spirit in the execution of their own work and that of others. They can assess responsibility, compliance with regulations, adapt to new methods quickly and effectively, and can manage priorities well. The Editor-in-Chief should guard the editorial independence of Zamaneh while maintaining critical distance from political powers and ensure targeted content production.
The Editor-in-Chief of Zamaneh is responsible for any content produced by the organization and its platforms and should uphold Zamaneh’s high standards for levels of proof, fairness, accuracy, and newsworthiness. The Editor-in-Chief coordinates closely with management on overall targets, team management and editorial budget allocations.
Job Description
Your duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Oversee creation and management of writing Persian and English language content on all platforms of Zamaneh media, including copy editing of scripts, as determined in the editorial statutes and the mission of Zamaneh Media.
- Provide editorial leadership: manage a team of editors and writers, providing guidance and feedback to ensure high-quality content production, a healthy work environment and team spirit.
- Coordinate the work of writers, reporters, and editors on all platforms and check content for substance, accuracy, objectivity, balance, and clear style.
- Prepare and hold review meetings with editorial staff members, together with the executive director, for the annual appraisal.
- Work under challenging conditions and handle deadlines with journalists from various journalistic traditions, cultures, backgrounds, levels of experience, and language proficiencies.
- Be a mentor by sharing tips, techniques, and best practices with journalists.
- Enable an inclusive approach and address discrimination against any person or group because of nepotism, cronyism, favoritism, race, religion, sexual orientation or ideological alignment.
- Lead and encourage investigative reporting of high quality
- Provide a vision and strategy for the future of Zamaneh in compliance with changes in society and technology
- Stay up-to-date with current events, cultural nuances, and industry trends in the Persian-speaking regions to ensure the relevance and accuracy of our content.
- Be responsible for certifying (overtime) hours of staff and freelancers and editorial purchases after pre-approval by management.
Requirements:
- Good communication skills
- Native-level proficiency in Persian with exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills
- Fluency in the English language in writing and speaking
- At least ten years of work experience in media
- Experience in editorial roles, preferably in digital publishing or a media organization
- University graduate
- Should not be a member of any political party
- Experience in leading teams and management in a media environment
- Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and meet deadlines
- Flexibility and adaptability to work in a fast-paced, multicultural environment
- Knowledge and experience in investigative journalism
- Excellent knowledge of culture, politics, and the sphere of Iran and the Middle East
- Knowledge of world affairs, science, and technology
- Knowledge of trends and technologies related to journalism
- Comfortable working under pressure and able to meet tight deadlines
- This position requires a high degree of flexibility and candidates may be required to work nights, weekends and holidays.
- Netherlands-based, a willingness to relocate to the Netherlands, or the ability to regularly be physically present in the office
What we offer:
- We use market-based salary scales based on knowledge and experience that is negotiable.
- The organization offers a pension fund for staff.
- Full compensation for commuting in the Netherlands for staff
- 25 vacation days for full-time staff per year
- This initially is a 1-year position (with a 1-month probation under Dutch law), to be extended to a permanent position upon mutual agreement.
To apply, please email your resume, a motivation letter, and any writing or editing samples showcasing your Persian and English skills. All applications must be submitted in English. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
If you are interested, please send your CV and motivation letter, and writing/editing samples to:
vacancies@radiozamaneh.com
Kindly reference the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email
