Job Vacancies at Code for Africa

Code for Africa is the continent’s largest federation of independent civic technology and data journalism laboratories, which build digital democracy solutions giving citizens unfettered access to actionable information that empowers them to make informed decisions and that strengthen civic engagement for improved public governance and accountability.

We are recruiting to fill the following positions below:

1.) Senior Copy Editor

Job Location: Remote
Employment Type: Full-time

About the Role

• The successful candidate will join CfA’s Knowledge team which spearheads data liberation or digitisation and analysis for internal programmes at CfA and projects at external partners, including media and universities, assisting with data-driven storytelling or infographics as part of our mission to improve citizen and civic watchdog access to actionable information.
• You will be the team’s content champion, taking rough copy and shaping into concise, factual, easy-to-read content. You will work closely with a variety of experts and guide them to improve their writing skills to ensure better draft content. You will go beyond checking spelling and grammar, and ensure that content is factually correct, flows logically and is consistent with other content (such as previous reports). 
• You should have solid news judgement and a thorough understanding of the different styles of writing and subject matter relevant to a leading civic technology organisation. 
• You’ll pay close attention not only to the words on the page, but the document structure as well ensuring all products are consistent and neat. This includes paying attention to fonts (type, size and colours), tables (sizing, colour, formatting, borders etc), and the use of images (positioning, captions, size etc).
• You must be comfortable with working alongside a number of other experts, including copywriters, researchers, data analysts, designers, and strategists.

Responsibilities

• Copy/sub-edit (i.e., correcting format, grammar, syntax, spelling, and style) all content
• Verify facts and statistics using standard references sources
• Proofread and revise content for logical flow, clarity, consistency and conciseness 
• Ensure that documents are well structured and neatly formatted  
• Guide other members of staff on how to improve their rough drafts in order to reduce editing further down the line
• Assist in the creation and maintenance of an inhouse style guide.

Requirements

• Minimum of 5 years of copy/sub-editing experience in a fast-paced newsroom or in digital journalism or non-governmental organisation.
• Exceptional command of the English language with impeccable grammar, spelling, punctuation, and syntax.
• Proven ability to tailor content for a variety of audiences, channels, and formats, always avoiding a “one size fits all” editing mindset.
• The ability to work fast, creatively and accurately in a remote fast-paced deadline-driven environment to deliver content that is credible, consistent and always factually correct. 
• Demonstrable ability to improve the meaning and clarity of copy through correct grammar, consistency of voice, tone and terminology, factual accuracy, logical sentence and document structure, and readability of the final product.
• Demonstrable experience in copy editing a range of content, such as grant proposals, donor reports, presentations, social media content, and blogs
• Strong organisational and decision-making skills.
• Digital-first workplace skill-sets, including proficiency in collaborative work solutions such as Google Workplace (Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc.), Slack (or equivalents such as Teams, etc), and project management tools like Trello (or equivalents such as AirTable, etc).

Application Closing Date: 12th July, 2024.

Click here to apply online

2.) Media Trainer

Job Location: Anywhere (Remote)
Job Type: Full time

About this Role

• The successful candidate will join CfA’s Knowledge team and play a vital role in promoting CfA’s capacity-building initiatives for media, government, universities, and civil society across Africa.
• This will involve developing curriculum and training materials, and providing training and mentorship to various stakeholders. 
• The primary responsibility of the role is to equip media professionals (journalists, newsroom managers, editors etc), social media influencers, researchers, activists and students across Africa with relevant skills.
• Specifically, you will design and deliver engaging training programmes, workshops, and seminars that enhance media literacy competencies, including, fact-checking, source verification, open source intelligence (OSINT), data visualisation, and other digital media literacy topics.
• You will collaborate with various CfA’s partners to identify training needs and tailor programmes accordingly. In addition, you will be responsible for providing one-on-one mentorship to trainees or partners.

Responsibilities

• Conduct assessments to identify the specific skills and knowledge gaps of the target audience, enabling the design of tailored training programs.
• Develop comprehensive training materials, for both online and offline use, including curriculum, lesson plans, and other necessary resources.
• Customise and deliver engaging training catering to various target audiences, including university students, media professionals, civic organisations, and think tank researchers.
• Assess the effectiveness of training programmes through participant feedback and performance evaluation.
• Provide technical support, guidance and mentorship support to participants, addressing their specific challenges and questions and ensuring the application of the skills acquired through the training in their work.
• Prepare detailed reports summarising training activities and outcomes, along with recommendations for improvement.
• Collaborate with other Academy team members and Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to identify, develop and incorporate case studies, examples, exercises, and relevant insights into the training curriculum. 
• Support CfA’s donor-funded projects by ensuring timely delivery of training projects activities and milestones. Strive for excellence by meeting or exceeding donor expectations. 
• Manage the promotion and marketing of training initiatives, utilising various channels such as social media, email marketing, and engagement with media partners.

Requirements
Required:

• 2+ years experience working in the media industry
• Proven proficiency with fact-checking, investigative journalism, data journalism or other methodologies that combine technology and media.
• An understanding of influence operations, including both disinformation and misinformation, as well as digital amplification and viral media techniques.
• 3+ years of experience as a media trainer/educator, or a related position.
• Possesses a growth mindset – always monitoring and proactively learning about new media techniques and technologies
• Empathetic communication and listening skills, plus a sensitivity to and ability to work with cross-cultural dynamics.
• Familiarity with media literacy frameworks, methodologies, ethics and best practices.
• Adaptability and flexibility to adjust training methods based on participants’ learning styles and needs.
• Excellent pedagogical expertise and the ability to design engaging and effective training curricula using adult learning principles and instructional design methodologies.
• Experience in delivering training across multiple platforms, including but not limited to, in-person and online training, as well as in individual mentorship.
• Excellent presentation and facilitation skills, with the ability to engage and inspire diverse audiences.
• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail in order to manage and drive multiple training initiatives simultaneously
• Excellent report writing skills, with an ability to get across complex details in an understandable and accurate way for a variety of audiences.
• Digital-first workplace skill-sets, including proficiency in collaborative work solutions such as Google Drive (Google Docs, Slides, Sheets, etc) and Slack (or equivalents such as Teams), as well as project management tools like Trello (or equivalents). 
• Proficient in English (spoken and written).

Preferred:

• A relevant Degree in Journalism, Communication or Media Studies.
• Familiarity with verification techniques and tools such as InVid, Google verification tools, TruthNest, Telegago, Botometer etc.
• Familiarity with social listening tools such as CrowdTangle, Meltwater, MediaCloud etc.
• Deep understanding of and experience in the education technology, and/or digital innovation space in Africa. 
• Experience with Learning Management Systems (LMS) such as WordPress’ LearnDash platform.
• Experience working with a variety of teams, such as journalists, data analysts, and subject matter experts from various fields.
• Proficient in French.

Application Closing Date: 31st July, 2024.

Click here to apply online

3.) AI Manager

Job Location: Remote
Job Type: Full time

About the Role

• The successful candidate will join CfA’s Technology team.
• The Tech team is distributed across East / West Africa and benchmarks itself on similar civic technology initiatives elsewhere in the world that build digital democracy solutions.
• As an AI Manager, you’ll be responsible for developing and implementing CfA’s AI strategy to drive positive social change.
• Reporting directly to the CTO, you will lead and collaborate with a diverse team of technologists, designers, and product managers in designing and deploying AI-driven solutions that align with CfA’s goals.
• You will also work closely with stakeholders to build trust, mitigate risks and increase accountability around the applications of AI.

Responsibilities

• Develop the vision and roadmap for impactful AI/Gen AI initiatives spanning areas such as civic engagement, public policy, journalism, and social impact.
• Build and lead a high-performing team of AI professionals capable of implementing this vision, fostering their professional growth, expertise, and collaboration.
• Uphold best practices across the AI lifecycle – unbiased data, transparent modelling, and ethical deployment.
• Collaborate across teams to identify high-impact, socially beneficial AI use cases and ensure seamless integration.
• Build trust by engaging all stakeholders, communities, government, and industry to align AI efforts.
• Spearhead robust governance for ethical AI that mitigates risks and increases accountability
• Lead AI literacy and capacity-building initiatives across stakeholder groups.
• Explore innovative practices like participatory AI for increased representation and inclusion.
• Represent the organisation’s AI thought leadership and build strategic AI partnerships.

Requirements
Required:

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science / Mathematics / Engineering or a related technical field
• 3+ years of driving successful AI/ML applications in engineering, research or product roles.
• Understanding of socio-cultural contexts related to AI use cases across Africa.
• Passion for applying ethical, human-centred AI design to create a positive societal impact.
• Expertise in modern AI techniques such as NLP, Multimodal LLMs (such as Meta’s LLaMA), and Python.
• Proven ability to build and manage high-performing AI teams that deliver cost-effective AI/ML solutions.
• Exceptional communication skills to build trust and AI understanding across stakeholders.

Preferred:

• Master’s Degree in Computer Science / Mathematics / Data Science or a related technical field.
• Experience with civic tech tools and platforms, particularly election and media monitoring, transparency and accountability, or data platforms.
• Experience working with government agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs) or community-based organisations (CBOs) in Africa.
• Experience with data analysis, visualisation, or storytelling to communicate complex AI/ML concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Knowledge of grant management processes and experience in working with international donors is a plus.

Application Closing Date: 30th June, 2024.

Click here to apply online