If you have worked in the civil sector for any length of time, you likely have opinions about how it needs to change. The ability to curate such ideas, with a special focus on justice and democracy, and on nonprofits as vehicles for that justice and democracy, is at the heart of the position of NPQ’s editor in chief.
This position is both editorial and curatorial; it focuses on advancing knowledge and practice, and it does not shy away from the critiques nonprofits and philanthropy need to disrupt the structured course of political, racial, and economic inequality in the United States. The editor in chief works alongside the publisher to guide the operation of the whole endeavor; it’s a co-leadership position that combines strategy, management, and fundraising.
NPQ’s editorial staff is highly accomplished, steeped in the work and operating context of the community, movement, service, cultural, and philanthropic organizations that populate this important sector. NPQ’s business staff, led by the publisher, complements it with a strong earned income program designed to keep our work fiercely independent. NPQ’s board is steady and attentive, and the whole of NPQ is surrounded by a large network of content contributors who keep the conversation moving.
In many ways, this is a classic editor’s position in that you would be responsible for helping others to state their ideas in clear and compelling ways and for mixing contributions so that they create an ever growing and always current collection of ideas and knowledge that helps move the thinking of NPQ’s activist readers forward.
But as with any editor of a collection, the selection processes are critical. In general, we are looking for an individual who can act as a trusted—but, at the same time challenging—voice. Someone who knows how to make sense of the complex situations that are familiar to those who work in this sector but obscure to others. A person with a constant appetite to explore new horizons with others who also has an up-to-date understanding of journalistic practices and ethics and an interest in the mixing and matching of venues. That understanding must also encompass the centering of racial justice concerns in our coverage, with all that focus entails.
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Taking on a definitional role in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector’s most well read publication means this position is highly leveraged. There must be a willingness to take up editorial positions that sometimes go against the status quo but are always well thought through and based in solid research and principle. The job also calls for someone who enjoys thinking with others every single day, because NPQ follows a model of engaged journalism.
Other duties that fall to the editor in chief mostly have to do with co-leading the operation with the publisher and managing NPQ’s fundraising. This position answers to the board of directors, and the pay and benefits are competitive.
Applications
The policy and intent of NPQ is to provide equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, affectional orientation or gender identity, status with regard to public assistance, disability, sex, or age. Relevant experience or demonstrated capacity to perform needed tasks will be considered in lieu of formal educational requirements.
Please submit a résumé and cover letter to [email protected].