The successful applicant must work well independently, demonstrate follow through on agreed upon work plans, remain abreast of the international affairs discourse, and be meticulous in the quality of agreed upon outputs. The Journal Editor is based in Cape Town, but the Assistant Editor may work remotely.
Position Description: The Assistant Editor (AE) will work an average of 12 hours per week on their own computer, completing a series of supportive roles under the supervision of the Editor. These include managing the online manuscript management site (Scholar One), maintaining the Journal’s presence on social media platforms, liaising with peer reviewers and authors in the publication process, and responding to requests for specific assistance from the Editor as noted below. The work of the AE will require a thorough knowledge of how to conduct research online as well as a working knowledge of Word, Adobe Acrobat, Excel, Twitter and LinkedIn. In addition, an excellent command of the English language and good communication skills are required. The AE will become familiar with the SAJIA style guide, and will be offered training in social media practices by the SAIIA Communications Team. Training in the Scholar One and Central Article Tracking websites will be provided by the Editor over the first month following appointment.
The AE will assist the Journal Editor in various tasks, including:
- Managing the Journal’s social media strategy, via Twitter and LinkedIn and any other platforms that seem suited for broad dissemination of SAJIA issues/articles;
- Vetting submitted manuscripts to check for suitability to SAJIA from a house style, word count, topic and currency perspective, and outlining points for Editor consideration where an immediate reject decision is recommended;
- Creating, updating and storing (on Teams) Excel status reports showing the progress of the full set of journal submissions under consideration for each issue.
- Identifying potential peer reviewers by locating experts that would be suited to the content of received manuscripts and loading names and contact information onto the SAJIA Scholar One site for invitation purposes (a database of potential PRs is available);
- Inviting peer reviewers once approved by the Editor, and following up where needed;
- Forwarding peer review comments to the authors, in consultation with the Editor;
- Liaising with guest editors regarding peer review, author communications and revision deadlines, in the case of special issues;
- Assisting the Editor with checking article revisions against peer reviewer recommendations;
- Occasionally assisting with language editing and with proofreading of typeset articles on the SAJIA Central Article Tracking page; and
- Organising webinars or other events to launch a special issue or set of articles for the Institute.
Applicants should have a strong knowledge of the field of African international affairs, having completed a Master’s degree or other equivalent postgraduate study in this or a related field.
The successful applicant will be expected to be responsive to editor email or phone/WhatsApp communications during weekdays. Weekly virtual meetings with the Editor will be held to provide guidance and oversight, as well as identify the tasks for the week ahead. Hours are flexible, so long as tasks are completed. Independent internet access is required.
Application procedure: Interested individuals may submit their CV including their current employment or studies, their past work experience and contactable references, with a cover letter motivating why they are suitable for the post, to sajia.editor@saiia.org.za with a cc to journal@saiia.org.za. The applicant should be available to work for at least one year from the date of appointment, preferably from around 15 March 2023. A three-month probationary period will apply. Remuneration is on a commissioning contract basis, and will be commensurate with entry level research work.
Application deadline: 6 Feb 2023. Receipt of your application will be confirmed, but only suitable candidates will be contacted for an interview. SAIIA reserves the right not to fill this post.