SignPost Senior Editorial Officer at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: SignPost Senior Editorial Officer

Requisition ID: req42614
Location: Damaturu, Yobe
Sector: Protection and rule of law
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Job Description

• The International Rescue Committee has been in Nigeria since October 2012 and came in response to a widespread flood disaster. IRC’s Emergency Response Team, with local partners, Civil Society Coalition for Poverty Eradication (CISCOPE), implemented projects to support food security, livelihoods, nutrition, and WASH in Kogi State.
• Beginning of January 2014, IRC shifted its geographical location to the Northeast, in Adamawa state to provide a humanitarian response to the conflict-affected populations. In the Northeast, IRC has operational offices: Yola and Mubi field offices in Adamawa State, Damaturu in Yobe State and Bama, Monguno, Gwoza and Maiduguri field offices in Borno State-with the latter office opened in October 2015. In both states, IRC is providing humanitarian support to internally displaced populations hosted in IDP camps, camp-like settings, host communities, and returnee populations. In 2023, the IRC began operations in Northwest Nigeria.
• The IRC Nigeria country program is implementing multi-sectoral interventions in the sectors of: Health and Nutrition; Environmental Health; Child Protection; Education; Women’s Protection and Empowerment; Economic Recovery and Development and Protection Rule of Law. Most of these programs are driven in partnership with strategic local NGOs.

About SignPost

• SignPost is an innovative, first-of-its-kind project within the Nigeria Country Program that harnesses social media and other digital tools to change the way the humanitarian community communicates with IDPs, Host community Members, returnees, and refugees.
• SignPost meets IDPs, Host community Members, returnees, and refugees in Northeast Nigeria where they are online to listen to their questions and concerns and to provide the information they need to make informed choices about their lives. We also provide the humanitarian community with a platform to reach IDPs, returnees, and host community members with accessible information in multiple languages.
• It meets communities on the digital platforms they already use and aims to deliver information that is contextualized to their specific needs and speaks to their lived realities.
• This approach draws on evidence that people are more likely to trust and act on information that is responsive to their needs, speaks to their lived realities, and that comes from “peers” rather than authority figures.
• Signpost very often incorporates face-to-face information services in order to reach people who have less access to the internet and social media. In Nigeria, we are anticipating face-to-face delivery modalities to be incorporated into the overall information strategy.

Position Summary

• The Senior Editorial Officer will be responsible for development, management, and dissemination of quality, verified, relevant information on Signpost.
• The position is integral within the Signpost team and will work closely with moderators in publishing content through digital and other diverse channels based on need and responding to clients’ information needs.
• The Senior editorial officer would work with the SignPosts manager to usher content from the first draft through editing and translation and ultimately to its final, published form.
• Additionally, S/he will write or co-write reports on SignPost content.
• The Senior Editorial Officer may also pitch and create content for SignPost.
• The Senior Editorial Officer will be line-managed by the SignPost manager and work closely with the entire SignPost editorial team as well as the Senior Advocacy manager.

Essential Responsibilities

• Edit written and multimedia content created by SignPost staff, including the Community Engagement, Protection and Service mapping officer, and Moderators.
• Use MS Word, MS Office Publisher, PowerPoint, Adobe IN-design, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Contentful CMS, Transifex translation-management software, and other tools to prepare content for publication.
• Publish relevant and appropriate content on Signpost
• Ensure Signpost content is accurate, complete, easy to understand, and engaging.
• Collaborate on, and edit written and multimedia content built by the Signpost team (Signpost Manager, Moderators, Service mapping officer)
• Monitor traffic and other feedback emanating from Signpost
• Use the Contentful CMS, Transifex translation-management software, and other tools to prepare content for publication.
• Coordinate, update, and handle the Signpost style guide.
• Ensure the Signpost photo database and calendar are up to date.
• Support moderators with publishing posts of relevant information for clients.
• Contribute to drafting reports on Signpost content.
• Work with the Information Technology team to resolve technical issues across platforms.
• Support the editorial team in maintaining a good working knowledge of available services from IRC and partners, and an ability to make appropriate referrals to those services during SignPost activities.
• Develop and maintain a good knowledge of the protection situation locally and the priority needs of the IDP population and host community.
• Support other protection programs as needed, including Child Protection and Women’s Protection and Empowerment.

Team Collaboration:

• Collaborate with the editorial team (Community Engagement, Protection, and Service mapping officer, and Moderators); translators; and Senior Advocacy Manager to manage content across all SignPost platforms.
• Work closely with individual Community Engagement, Protection and Service mapping officer, to edit content they have drafted.
• Coordinate with ICT focal point and MEAL Officer to ensure the smooth operation of the SignPost tools.
• Work with the editorial team to ensure content is aligned with the content strategy and appropriate for publication.
• Use online tools and other modes of communication to consistently share information with other members of the editorial team.
• Participate in all team meetings, workshops, strategy sessions, regular communications, etc., as established by the SignPost Manager.

Accountability:

• Reports Directly To: SignPost manager
• Directly Supervises: The Community Engagement, Protection and Service mapping officer.
• Works Directly With: SignPost editorial team (Community Engagement, Protection, and Service mapping officer, and Moderators); translators; and Senior Advocacy Manager

Qualifications
Knowledge and Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Communication, Journalism, Media, Public information, or another relevant field
• Approximately four to five years of meaningful experience in editing, sub-editing, copy editing
• Experience working with a humanitarian organization.
• Expert-level knowledge of English grammar and usage.
• Knowledge of MS Word, MS Office Publisher, PowerPoint, Adobe IN-design, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Contentful CMS, Transifex translation-management software is strongly desired.
• Experience using a CMS.
• Knowledge of online content best practices.
• Knowledge of social media strategy and content best practices.
• Experience in a humanitarian organization a plus.
• Knowledge of IDP issues in Northeast desired.

Skills and Interests:

• Very strong content editing skills required.
• Native-level oral and written English skills required.
• Ability to edit content drafted by non-native speakers into North American English.
• Ability to work effectively with a diverse team in a sensitive environment.
• Ability to work independently with remote management.
• Strong interpersonal skills and high emotional intelligence.
• Ability to handle pressure and ambiguity with grace and humor.
• Proven organizational skills.
• Healthy respect for deadlines.
• Strong interest in IDP/ refugee/humanitarian issues.
• Photo and video skills a plus.
• Experience in content editing
• Strong writing and proofreading skills
• Passion for writing
• Strong interpersonal and time-management skills; shown ability to prioritize and deliver on time
• Great attention to detail
• Strong analytic problem-solving skills
• Ability to work both independently and in a multifaceted, cross-functional team
• Native or near-native Hausa, Kanuri, Barbur, Margi, Waha, Shuwa Arab, Fulani/Fulfulde languages a plus.

Staff support:

•  Provide technical guidance, on the job mentoring and coaching for the moderators and Community Engagement, Protection and service mapping officer. 
• Ensure ongoing training and targeted capacity building of signpost staff.  
• Review performance of moderators in the field and provide encouraging approaches to address issues identified.

Standards of Professional Conduct:

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way - Code of Conduct. 
• These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons and several others.

Gender Equality:

• IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants based on merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.