Job Description and Person Specification
Please note this statement is for information only and does not form part of a contract. This
list is not exhaustive and you will be expected to undertake such duties as may be assigned
to you by ActionAid from time to time. Employees are expected to be flexible in their work in
order to deliver the objectives of the organisation.
Job title
Contract type
Grade/starting salary
Reporting to
Team and Department
Direct reports
Date JD reviewed
Editorial & Stories Officer
Full-time, Permanent
Band 4: £33,664 - £34,682
Senior Editorial and Stories Manager
Communications
No
Context
Are you passionate about making a real difference?
ActionAid is a leading international charity working in over 45 countries. We work with the
poorest women and children in the world and we don’t walk away until we’ve achieved
lasting change. Join us as ActionAid UK’s Editorial & Stories Officer and help us make this
change for good.
In the UK our role is to raise funds to reduce poverty in the communities and countries where
we work, to take action for long term change and to act in solidarity with people fighting
poverty and injustice in poor countries. We aim to make a global differenceby working
closely with ActionAid International and our country programmes around the world. We want
to achieve a way of communicating that creates a powerful emotional, intellectual and
practical connection between people here and in developing countries, to motivate and
engage our supporters. We are a value driven, forward thinking organisation, focused on
achieving long-term and sustainable change in the lives of the poorest people in our world.
Purpose of the Role
The Editorial and Stories Officer will help ensure consistency and quality in our
communications, giving our audiences a clear understanding of who we are and what we do,
as well as gathering compelling stories for use across all ActionAid departments and
channels. It will bring dynamism, creativity and a strong eye for storytelling to the heart of
ActionAid’s Editorial and Stories team.
The role will deliver high qualityresearch, copy writing and editing services guided by our
brand identity for a wide range of ActionAid materials and audiences, including fundraising,
media, digital and campaigns.
It will support the Senior Editorial and Stories Manager in story research, coordination and
training and work in close collaboration with the wider ActionAid federation, occasionally
travelling overseas at short notice.
Key tasks and responsibilities
Story research and gathering
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Raise brand profile, reach and support by researching and gathering compelling,
stories for use across all AA departments.
Bring journalism or story telling expertise to the Editorial, Stories and Education team
to increase the flow of stories around our five key areas of work – education,
women’s rights, ending hunger, emergencies & conflicts and unjust tax & economic
systems
Proactively source new story leads with country programmes, other departments and
external sources.
Work closely with AA staff and freelance journalists/writers across the globe,
including writing story briefs, brainstorming ideas and (occasionally) travelling
overseas.
Build and maintain excellent working relationships with ActionAid’s country
programmes.
Editorial
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Provide copy writing support forpublic facing communications includingActionAid’s
supporter magazine, letters, reports, DM mailers and campaigns materials.
With the support of the Creative and Brand Communications Manager edit content
provided by other teams and provide feedback on areas such as suitability of
content, tone of voice and messaging
Work with the Senior Editorial & Stories Manager and Production Manager to ensure
that copywriting and research services are planned and delivered on schedule,
outsourcing to freelancers where necessary
Regularly update and maintain ActionAid’s Communications Toolkit, providing
compelling stories and up to the minute facts and statistics about ActionAid’s work,
for use by all departments.
Support the Senior Editorial and Stories Manager in developing and implementing
partnerships with external news planners and journalists on long form news features
(not reactive news), in close collaboration with the News and PR teams.
Training and innovation
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Support the Senior Editorial and Stories Manager on developing and implementing
training for AAUK staff on effective story gathering and storytelling.
Support the Senior Editorial and Stories Manager to write guidelines on story
gathering and copywriting, proactively market these internally as well as making them
available on our intranet
Innovate, experiment and be on the cutting edge of creative storytelling, seeking new
audiences and placing AA’s story at the heart of communications trends.
Regularly share learnings, audience and sector insight so that we can continually
improve our communications.
Other responsibilities
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Undertake any other duties, appropriate to the post, as delegated by the Senior
Editorial and Stories Manager.
Work out-of-hours and at weekends as necessary to provide effective support when
needed.
Where appropriate, act as a spokesperson following international trips.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
Desirable
Editorial or journalistic experience, including
proven experience of carrying out interviews
and writing compelling stories
Direct and proven experience of
gathering high quality content (stories,
video, photography) in developing
countries
Experience working with colleagues
across multiple cultures and countries
Experience of compiling accurate and
compelling desk-based content from a wide
variety of sources
Strong understanding of what makes a
Experience of developing partnerships
compelling story and how to package that for
with external news planners and
maximum impact across multiple platforms
journalists
Experience of digital storytelling
Experience working in a busy communications
environment, with shifting priorities and needs.
Good understanding of international
development and communicating the issues to a
range of audiences.
Skills and Abilities
Excellent writing and editing skills, with a strong
eye for detail
Ability to multi-task, manage a varied workload
and work well under pressure, including proven
ability to work to tight deadlines
Team player with exceptional interpersonal
skills and behaviours
Creative, tenacious and innovative, able to
suggest new ideas and garner buy-in from
others
Proven research skills
Engages with and is committed to, AAUK's
mission, vision, values and strategic aims
Proof reading skills