Children's Book Editor for EdTech non-profit

We are an EdTech non-profit working for marginalised children – think start-up office atmosphere, with a big impact.

In 2019 our software onecourse was announced as co-winner of the Elon Musk-sponsored $15 million Global Learning XPRIZE, following a 15-month field trial with out-of-school children in Tanzania. During global school closures in 2020, our partners delivered onetabs (devices running onecourse) to over 15,000 children in Malawi and the USA to ensure they could continue learning at home. We’re now looking for the right person (rather than the right CV) to help expand our library of stories and maintain the high quality of the course as we localise into new languages, on the path to one billion children learning through onecourse.

onebillion

Our goal is for children to have the knowledge and passion that enables them to create, innovate and become problem solvers, whether that’s within their local communities, nationally or internationally. But first, they need the basics.

We are a non-profit based in London and Abuja, building software to transform the learning of children in reading, writing and numeracy. All in their own language, and at their own pace. We work with partners, communities, and ministries of education to find the best ways of bringing quality education to marginalised children, and to implement and scale technology-based learning initiatives that deliver results for children wherever they are.

onecourse

The aim of onecourse is to bring children from being unable to recognise a letter or number, to confidently literate and numerate. The ‘study zone’ takes children through lessons and stories at their level, before they are given time to explore the ‘play zone’, which includes our library of 160 illustrated stories. It is this library that we are looking to expand.

Role

We want to ensure that once children can read, they become readers and life-long learners. We need someone to join our team who will source and edit existing open source stories, poems and non-fiction books for children who can read, and on occasion to commission new books, both illustrated and text-only. The goal of the library is that through its range of stories, it gives children a window into other worlds, while also reflecting their own. These stories need to engage, inspire and educate children around the world, regardless of their background, and provide some welcome escapism. Reading opens up a world of opportunity – that opportunity should be reflected in this library.

We want to work with the very best talent who understands our values, and knows the importance of accessible and magical story-telling and inspiring non-fiction writing.

This means...

You will have excellent judgement about what makes a good children’s book, experience in editing children’s fiction and non-fiction at different reading levels, and an understanding of what it takes for a child to learn to read.

You will absorb our philosophy and approach to learning, and develop an understanding of the varied needs of our audience.

You will own the whole book creation and editing process, from initial brief to sign off.

Day-to-day tasks will include:

• Reviewing the existing library, sourcing open source titles and when appropriate, commissioning new ones.
• Liaising with our in-house editor and designer as well as external authors.
• Reviewing the stories that authors, freelance editors and designers deliver, and providing constructive feedback.
• Ensuring that text and images match our layout requirements and are error-free.
• Liaising with our in-house localisation manager and developers to ensure they have everything they need, when they need it.
• Keeping an eye on the workload and budget for all freelancers.

Skills, abilities and aptitudes

• strong editorial judgement
• keen eye for detail, in both text and illustrations
• excellent project management skills
• ability to work creatively and effectively with different freelancers
• ability to work both independently with excellent self-motivation, and collaboratively on a range of projects with the in-house team
• sensitivity for and understanding of cultural differences
• good understanding of graphic design and illustrations
• quick learner when it comes to IT tools
• basic understanding of software development, especially apps

Practical info

• part time or full-time
• normally office-based (New Kings Road, London SW6, nearest tube Parsons Green)
• salary negotiable, based on experience
• potential for travel to support work

Application

Send the following to jobs@onebillion.org no later than Monday 31st May:

• CV, 2 pages max.
• Instead of a cover letter, please answer the following questions, in 150 words max. per question. NOTE: we will not consider any candidate who has not answered these questions.

1a What’s your favourite children’s book, and why?

1b Do you think your favourite book would be engaging for children in a rural West African village? Explain.

2 What’s your view on girl characters in children’s literature?

3 What do you think are the challenges of localising a story into other languages?

4 What are the most important things to you as a project manager?

5a What do you think are the benefits of reading through EdTech?

5b Do you think there are any negative aspects of learning to read through EdTech?

6 Why are you interested in this particular position?