Commissioning Editor

Position Description

Role: Commissioning Editor

Reports to: Business Editor, COS

Salary range: $90k (2 year fixed term)

Purpose of the Role:

The Conversation’s unique publishing model pairs professional editors with academics to better inform public discourse. The Commissioning Editor will work in the Business & Economy team and contribute to The Conversation’s breaking news coverage. The Commissioning Editor will have a focus on articles that cover the nexus between climate change, decarbonisation and business.

Commissioning Editors are responsible for working with academics and researchers to find out about the latest research and help translate their ideas into plain language so they can be shared with a wide audience. That means spending time with university partners and learning about what’s happening, especially new research.

The primary responsibility of a Commissioning Editor is to commission, edit and publish text-based articles that can analyse and explain key events in the news, with a particular focus on business and environment stories.

Commissioning Editors need to be voracious readers who are well informed about the news and developments in their field, and passionate about developing new ideas.

The Conversation is a trusted journalism brand, and editorial staff need to protect its hard-won credibility. They must be thoughtful, calm, methodical, rigorous and possess a deep commitment to professional impartiality and high ethical standards.

The Conversation values all forms of diversity. We encourage applicants to share information about what makes them unique and the ways in which they can bring something different to the team.

Key Selection Criteria:

• Journalism experience
• An appetite for knowledge in current affairs
• Creativity and the ability to generate compelling ideas
• Strong people skills and diplomacy
• The ability to build strong network of contacts
• Highly developed research and analytical skills
• Polished presentation
• Care and attention to detail
  
  

Email applications to [email protected]

No cover letter is required. Instead please send your CV and answers of no more than 200 words each to the following questions:

1. Tell us about your career and professional accomplishments.

2. Why have you applied for this role and why would you be a good fit for this position?

3. Tell us a little about yourself and the key factors that make you who you are. We particularly value all kinds of diversity and would like to hear anything about your background or experience that would enable you to bring something unique to our team.

4. Do you have the right to work in Australia?

Applications close on August 25 2023.