Editor of Open Canada

We are looking for an editor with a unique approach who can devise fresh, appealing content and a modern look to broaden interest beyond the traditional readership for articles about foreign affairs. The editor will report to the President of the CIC and work with an advisory board to provide guidance on the twin objectives of editorial excellence and integration with the rest of CIC’s activities. We want to engage Canadians in being active in worldwide affairs whether through the traditional avenues of government or through independent international actors.

About the Canadian International Council and Open Canada

The Canadian International Council’s strength is its 18 branches in major centres across Canada. From Halifax to Victoria, its 1400 members are passionate about Canada’s place and role in the world and the influence it can wield. It is now relaunching its online platforms to be at the forefront of debate. Its mandate is to involve Canadians from all walks of life in influencing foreign policy and shaping the world beyond our borders.

What the CIC needs

The CIC needs an editor who knows how to approach subjects in new ways with fresh perspectives that influence how people see the world and Canada’s place in it. Open Canada is a serious digital publication with an outlook which may challenge and be provocative but always within a strong and incisive intellectual framework.

The CIC needs a manager who can integrate the work of Open Canada within the broader set of CIC activities, creating additional value for readers and donors by expanding engagement beyond reading and listening to taking part in events and embracing opportunities for active citizenship.  This will require skill in reaching and interacting with targeted audiences in ways that can be measured and managed.

You will work with an advisory committee which will provide guidance to refine and enhance the designs of Open Canada’s online site and its newsletter. You will find and commission articles from the foreign policy community, academics, NGOs, writers and journalists and others for opinion, analysis and research.

You will look for non-traditional approaches and articles and briefs to expand Canadians’ knowledge of the world and the places where Canada has influence in a way that involves people of all ages, beliefs and ethnicities. You will take an inclusive approach to covering stories and engaging new Canadians – BIPOC communities and other racialized Canadians – in discourse on topical issues within Canada and globally.

You will edit for truth, accuracy, fairness and commission for balance between competing views. You will ensure a uniformity of style, look for and avoid conflicts of interest and work within the highest standards of journalistic principles with standards produced by the advisory board.

You will manage and make best use of a budget which will form the basis of a cost report to Open Canada’s funders. With success, Open Canada’s platforms will expand. We would like to launch podcasts, be able to respond to events with special publications and add video to illustrate argument and research.

Who are you?

You are an independent-minded and creative journalist with experience in feature and opinion pieces. You may be an editor or a writer or both. You probably have experience at a major news organization either online or in print and have worked with freelance contributors. You need to be passionate about international events and Canada’s place in the world although not necessarily in a traditional sense. You could also have a background in foreign policy or the study of foreign policy.

You need to know about digital and social media, how it works and how you can use its many channels to grow readership and audiences. Above all, you need to see being the editor of Open Canada as an opportunity to expand the value that the CIC offers to citizens to be active in international affairs and foreign policy.

We are determined to reach and to have contributions from as broad a spectrum of Canadian society as exists. Canada does not have the same demographics as it did a generation ago and we must reflect that in the articles we run, the people who write them and the readership they reach. Reaching out to all Canadians is an essential part of the position.

We would like you to have a degree in journalism and perhaps a qualification in global affairs but it’s the ability to do this challenging job that is most important rather than your credentials. We will publish French content and a knowledge of French is desirable.

You will need to work with academics and thinkers in an intellectual environment and be able to discuss foreign affairs at a high level. You might be steeped in this tradition or be a quick study. We do not have a preconceived notion of who the successful candidate will be. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates, and will encourage applications from racialized Canadians.

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How to Apply:

Please submit applications to: [email protected]

Deadline: Friday, November 26, midnight EST