Editor-In-Chief, Citizen

Big Cabal Media (BCM) is an African digital media publication creating high-quality media brands and original content with global reach and impact.

Our publications, TechCabal and Zikoko, produce smart and sophisticated content in relatable and easily digestible ways, and currently serve hundreds of thousands of readers on and off the continent. Since launch, our young but immensely talented team has told cutting-edge stories across culture, tech, money, relationship and lifestyle that have changed and are changing the way Africans see themselves and the world sees Africa.

In 2020, as protests against police brutality rocked states across Nigeria, our policy-focused vertical, Citizen led the charge by accurately reporting on the situation on ground, driving citizens to action. Through the impact of this project, our newsletter “Game of Votes”, written series “Abroad Life” an array of educative videos which cover the personal impact of mass immigration (Japa), political scandals and government processes, we understand just how critical it is to raise the quality of conversations on Nigerian politics and governance. The Citizen team is looking to do this on an even wider scale, and we need your help.

About the role At Citizen, we‘re on a mission to inform, engage and drive positive action. The Citizen identity is irreverent and non-partisan — it does not care about the ruling or opposition party. Our north star is the citizen. In a few short months, we plan to launch Citizen as a standalone publication, with the long-term goal of becoming the first choice for irreverent political commentary in the country.

This is where you come in.

We’re hiring a superstar newsroom leader to expand the scope of Citizen’s current operations. As the Editor-in-chief, you will manage a team of insanely talented creators who produce policy and politics-related content in various formats. You will have smart ideas about what our audience needs and how they need it and will be ready to drive efficient execution. You will own and implement the mantra - the news doesn’t have to be boring - by ensuring the consistent publication of content that educates and drives positive action while delighting the audience.

To be considered an ideal candidate, you will have significant journalistic experience - either from running a personal publication or from being part of a larger media team - and will understand media practices and ethics. You will show an in-depth understanding of what it means to engage a young audience across multiple social media platforms. Across Big Cabal Media, we're constantly innovating, experimenting and implementing at a fast pace. As EIC, you must be ready to develop new formats, strategies and processes to achieve our growth and business goals.

This is a remote-friendly, full-time role, and so a physical presence in Lagos, Nigeria is not required. However, the successful candidate will ideally be present in the country and have a deep understanding of Nigerian history and current affairs.

Compensation for the role is competitive for senior editorial roles at leading publications across the continent and includes the possibility of equity compensation. By working with BCM you’ll have the opportunity to work with some of the smartest, kindest and most talented people in the world, and to take your career to the next level. Our culture deck speaks in detail about what matters to us as a company

What you’ll do:

• Build a political publication that caters to the growing youth populace, employing new methods of engagement, distribution and content creation.
• Set up an effective team of content creators to reach Citizen’s growth goals.
• Determine the editorial direction for the publication, including voice, mission, and point of view. -Represent Citizen’s interests and values internally with the executive team and externally with our audience and partners.
• Identify internal talent to cultivate and external talent to hire, while ensuring a diverse range of voices is represented through our work.
• Develop popular and influential new content products to drive audience growth and engagement.
• Oversee the development, successful launch and deployment of new categories for Citizen.
• Ensure commercial consideration and strategic alignment with Big Cabal’s mission.
• Conceptualise and execute special projects that drive impact and revenue.
• Work with Big Cabal’s leadership team to shape Citizen and Big Cabal Media as a whole.

You’ll excel in this role if:

• You are passionate about and have a deep understanding of Nigerian politics, policies, history and governance.
• You’re a talented leader, who is able to motivate and inspire a team to execute bold initiatives and deliver high-quality work consistently.
• You are a great writer with extensive journalism and newsroom experience. Editorial leadership experience would be particularly valuable.
• You care about how the media can shape culture and the business of media.
• You have strong analytical, communication and interpersonal skills, as well as a sense of humour.

Working at Big Cabal Media

You'll be joining a team of talented, hard-working and disciplined professionals who are passionate about telling stories that matter and solving complex problems for an African audience.

We're a digital company that’s currently working almost full-remote (there are occasional in-person strategy sessions and meet-ups, but we work well with colleagues who are not in Lagos or Nigeria). We use Slack, Google Docs, Notion and Airtable to keep on top of things.

We typically try to arrange work between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. WAT, but we don’t have a stick up our butt about hours. We care about quality and results. Our people get things done fast and well, and we ask them to take care of themselves. Burnout isn’t fun or useful. While collaborative work will be the norm and is the requirement, team members who want to work at BCM must also demonstrate initiative and the ability to work independently. Applicants for this role may come from a range of backgrounds, including consulting, the business world, literary background and beyond. We’re an equal-opportunity employer.

We encourage candidates of all experience levels to apply. If the above doesn't describe you perfectly, please get in touch anyway and tell us why you want to work with us.