Editor Vacancy

The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies is seeking a full-time editor. The Center’s publications cover an ever-expanding spectrum of topics related to Yemen, including politics, diplomacy, the economy, military developments, security, society, gender, humanitarian issues, human rights and the environment.

As the successful candidate for the full-time editor position, you will play a central role in all aspects of the production cycle, while also collaborating with other members of the editorial, research and senior management teams. You will work immediately under the chief editor, editing articles, policy briefs and papers for publication, helping writers develop and structure ideas, and posting finished articles online.

We are a dynamic, highly mobile, multi-lingual team with diverse backgrounds and expertise. Our main office is in Yemen, while the majority of our team works remotely from locations across Yemen, around the Middle East and in western capitals. Among our core strengths are our versatility, initiative, access, networks, and audacity. We seek new team members who would complement this dynamic.

Duties and Responsibilities:

As editor you will be expected to perform all reasonable and appropriate tasks to assist the production cycle of the Sana’a Center’s editorial department, as per the direction of the chief editor and in close cooperation with fellow editors, senior management, researchers and writers. Specific tasks include, but are not limited to:

• Helping writers develop and structure ideas.
• Compiling research provided by the Sana’a Center’s analyst network and consulting with the center’s in-house experts.
• Rewriting material in line with in-house style; structural and stylistic editing for clarity of meaning and argument, adjusting language and eliminating jargon.
• Copyediting for grammar, usage, spelling and punctuation.
• Line-editing and proofreading.
• Posting articles online.

Qualification and Skills:

• Strong editorial experience.
• A command of English that goes well beyond grammar and vocabulary.
• An intuitive sense for how the arrangement of words impacts their reception and the ability to craft them appropriately for the audience at hand.
• In editing others, you are able to identify and strip away the language habits, confusion, bias and ego that can blur the message.
• The ability to properly structure a sound argument at 5,000 words or more.
• You are candid, poised and patient.
• The ability to work remotely.
• The ability to travel periodically for Sana’a Center events (pending the resumption of normal traveling conditions).
• Strong preference will be given to candidates fluent in spoken and written Arabic.
• Preference will be given to candidates with strong economic and financial literacy.
• Preference will be given to candidates with previous experience related to Yemen and/or the surrounding region.

Position Details:

• Reports to: Chief Editor
• Contract type: 12-month renewable
• Starting salary: To be determined based on experience
• Location: Remote
• Starting date: As soon as possible

The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies

Founded in 2014, the Sana’a Center is one of the few independent research centers that has continued to operate in Yemen throughout the ongoing conflict. While the Center maintains cordial relations with all key stakeholders, it has remained fiercely unaligned with any of the belligerent parties. The Sana’a Center has thus maintained a unique position and the ability to work throughout Yemen and beyond.

The Center maintains a strong network across Yemen with access to key political, military and security figures, tribal leaders, the financial sector, economists, journalists, humanitarian actors, civil society, and other important stakeholders. The Center has also established a broad network and presence within the international community, connecting it to international organizations, diplomatic circles, regional and international policymakers, research centers and global forums.

The Sana’a Center’s reports and researchers are widely quoted in local, regional, and international media outlets, while the analysis of the Center’s experts is regularly sought out by local and international stakeholders.