Impact Editor
The New Humanitarian is hiring for its first-ever Impact Editor to play a pivotal role in ensuring our journalism drives meaningful change. We are looking for someone whose primary focus will be to proactively pursue impact and create content to that end. This is a hands-on role, creating and repackaging content with editorial judgment, both independently and collaboratively. Your role is to ensure that our journalism doesn't just report; it connects, resonates, and sparks meaningful conversations within our diverse communities.
Our reporting tackles many of the key issues of our time, from migration to climate change, to the millions going to sleep hungry each night around the globe. We are a watchdog over the multi-billion-dollar aid industry, and we chronicle emerging forms of solidarity to counter long-standing social and economic inequities.
Your role encompasses a range of responsibilities aimed at ensuring that our journalism reaches key stakeholders and contributes meaningfully to the communities we serve. You will be a strategic driver of initiatives, outreach, and content creation to connect our work to change-makers. You will cultivate networks and feedback loops to keep our content relevant and deliver it to those who can use it.
This is a unique opportunity to work with one of the few non-profit international newsrooms covering international affairs for a global audience: The New Humanitarian is the only independent non-profit media outfit dedicated to covering humanitarian crises and holding the aid sector to account. We are committed to amplifying diverse voices and to upending traditional Western narratives and journalistic tropes. Our work has altered legislation and government policies, exposed financial corruption and sex abuse scandals, and helped citizens understand how their tax monies are spent on humanitarian initiatives.
This is a desk-based role, during standard CET business hours. Your desk could be anywhere you have the correct and verifiable legal right to work. The successful candidate will join an organisation with many assets: a compelling mission; a strong reputation – built over more than 25 years – for journalistic integrity and credibility; a team deeply committed to its work; and a commitment to becoming a transformative newsroom that practises decolonised journalism, puts impact at the centre of its work, and adopts a progressive culture centred on wellbeing.
Help us achieve our vision of providing the world’s best journalism about the world’s toughest crises and setting the agenda in the interest of those most affected.
Job requirements
Who we're looking for
You are proactive and can take initiative. You are passionate about making connections within diverse communities and networks. You can see how to connect our journalism with levers of power and change-makers. We're looking for someone who can think analytically, aligning editorial strategies with our mission and impact goals. Knowledge of the humanitarian sector, governance issues, and public policy is essential. Your understanding of these domains will guide our newsroom in delivering insightful, informed, and impactful content.
We need someone with the hands-on writing and editing skills to deliver content that is not only accurate but also engaging. Whether it's a comprehensive briefing, a captivating newsletter, or any other editorial piece, your work should require minimal editing.
Like everyone on The New Humanitarian team, you’ll be flexible and open to meeting the evolving demands of this new role and eager to learn new skills quickly.
As part of our ongoing efforts to decolonise our journalism, we seek applications from candidates who represent the diverse communities our journalism serves and feel this role will be best filled by someone who has strong links to the communities we cover in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, or Latin America. Therefore, we will prioritise candidates who are deeply rooted or connected to the regions we report on.
As our Impact Editor, key responsibilities include:
Proactively seeking impact for The New Humanitarian’s journalism by repackaging and promoting our content to target audiences via diverse editorial formats, white papers, briefings, newsletters, and more as appropriate – seeing these projects through from ideation to execution.
Working with commissioning editors to ensure coverage is presented and promoted to audiences that can use it to improve the lives of communities in the midst of crises.
Conducting thorough assessments of our coverage to gauge their potential for impact.
Working closely with journalists, editors, and other stakeholders to integrate impact considerations into the editorial process.
Fostering a collaborative environment that emphasizes the importance of impactful storytelling.
Identifying narratives that align with our mission and resonate with our audience.
Developing strategies to engage with our audience and the communities we serve.
Facilitating dialogues around our content, encouraging conversations that contribute to awareness and change.
Cultivating partnerships with organisations, NGOs, media, lawyers, government officials, grassroot activists, academics, and community leaders to amplify the impact of our journalism.
Identifying and building networks with stakeholders who could use our work.
Identifying opportunities for collaborative projects that align with our mission.
Monitoring internal and external sources for evidence of impact.
Maintaining our impact tracker, reporting on our impact internally and externally.
Experience & Background:
Exceptional English-language written and verbal communication skills
Excellent news judgement and understanding of TNH’s content areas, with newsroom experience and comfort across platforms.
Ability to write and edit to publishable standards with little oversight.
Strong analytical skills to assess the potential impact of news stories and develop relevant tactics.
Community engagement: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to engage with diverse communities and build meaningful relationships.
Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and foster a culture of impact-driven journalism.
A strategic mindset to align editorial strategies with organizational goals and societal impact.
A deep commitment to the mission of our nonprofit newsroom and a passion for leveraging journalism for positive social change.
Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to the evolving landscape of news and media, keeping abreast of emerging trends and technologies.
Ability to deliver under pressure
High level of organisation; ability to multi-task and prioritise amid competing demands
At The New Humanitarian, our work is guided by our values of Courage, Accountability, Humility, and Solidarity. These values are woven into the fabric of our organisation and the impact we seek to make. As you consider a role with us, reflect on how these values resonate with your own beliefs and experiences. We are looking for individuals who share our commitment to these principles.
Desirables
Communications experience in a nonprofit setting
Experience reporting on or working in humanitarian or conflict environments
Proficiency in French, Arabic, Spanish or other languages
We have described the qualities we are seeking in this position, but we recognise that there will be strong candidates who do not meet all the requirements listed here but have other important qualities. So, if you’re interested but not sure you fit the profile, please apply anyway. Our newsroom is growing and we’re always open to exploring what’s possible for the future.
To apply
Please include a cover letter as part of your application explaining why this role is right for you, the skills you will bring, and in which direction you could see taking this new position.