Volunteer Managing Editor & Editorial Operations Coordinator — The Voice of the African Diaspora®

Location: Remote

Commitment: Approximately 5–8 hours per week

Initial Term: 12 months, renewable by mutual agreement

Status: Unpaid Volunteer Position

Work Stream/Publication: The Voice of the African Diaspora®

About ADUD

African Diaspora United, Inc. doing Business as African Diaspora United for Development (ADUD) is a U.S.-based, non-partisan, nonprofit organization working to strengthen African and African diaspora communities through education, leadership, social and community development, philanthropy, partnerships, and international engagement.

ADUD works with individuals, communities, businesses, institutions, government entities, and development partners to strengthen African and African diaspora communities, expand opportunity, support sustainable development, and advance meaningful engagement among the United States, Africa, and the global African diaspora.

ADUD's work is guided by its H.E.L.P. values and action framework, which describes how the organization acts:

• Helping through practical, moral, in-kind, and community-based assistance;
• Educating, Encouraging & Empowering individuals and communities;
• Leading Impactful Initiatives that respond to needs, opportunities, and shared priorities; and
• Promoting Philanthropy and Unity across African and African diaspora communities.

Through these actions, ADUD seeks to contribute to its U.P.L.I.F.T. outcomes: Unity, Preeminence, Leadership, Impact, Fellowship, and Transformation.

Together, H.E.L.P. and U.P.L.I.F.T. connect ADUD's values and actions with the broader community and institutional outcomes the organization seeks to advance.

About The Voice of the African Diaspora®

The Voice of the African Diaspora® is ADUD's organization-wide media and strategic communications platform.

Originally published during 2018–2019, the platform is being relaunched to inform, educate, connect, and amplify African diaspora communities while strengthening constructive engagement between the United States, Africa, and the wider global diaspora.

The platform may include a flagship digital publication, digital newsroom content, email digests, interviews, program reporting, leadership profiles, cultural coverage, policy and economic analysis, business and investment opportunities, commercial-diplomacy content, thought leadership, podcasts, videos, webinars, and special publications.

The Opportunity

ADUD is seeking a dependable and highly organized Volunteer Managing Editor & Editorial Operations Coordinator to help relaunch The Voice of the African Diaspora® and establish a reliable editorial-production system for its ongoing publication.

This is not simply a writing or copyediting role.

The Managing Editor will coordinate the editorial calendar, contributors, story assignments, deadlines, first-level editing, fact-checking workflows, production tracking, and publication preparation. The role is particularly well suited for someone who enjoys building structure around editorial work and keeping multiple contributors and content projects moving toward publication.

The Managing Editor will work under ADUD's organizational and editorial direction. Final editorial authority and approval of official ADUD content will remain with authorized ADUD leadership.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the editorial calendar for The Voice of the African Diaspora®.
• Maintain story, contributor, assignment, and production trackers.
• Identify upcoming themes, departments, stories, interviews, and content needs.
• Solicit story ideas, article proposals, interviews, and program updates.
• Help identify and recruit volunteer writers, interviewers, photographers, subject-matter contributors, and other content partners.
• Match approved assignments with appropriate contributors.
• Prepare clear contributor briefs covering topic, purpose, audience, length, deadline, sourcing requirements, and deliverables.
• Track assignments and follow up on overdue drafts, revisions, photographs, biographies, permissions, and releases.
• Conduct first-level editing for structure, clarity, grammar, consistency, readability, and tone.
• Review citations, links, sources, and factual assertions and flag information requiring additional verification.
• Identify potential copyright, attribution, conflict-of-interest, sponsored-content, or permissions concerns.
• Route sensitive, substantive, policy-related, legal, or organizationally significant content for appropriate review.
• Coordinate approved content with publication production, design, communications, and program personnel.
• Review digital drafts and page proofs prior to final publication approval.
• Maintain organized editorial records and archives for pitches, assignments, drafts, permissions, contributor information, and published content.
• Help establish an editorial process capable of continuing consistently without depending on a single individual.
• Support and mentor volunteer contributors as appropriate.

Initial Priorities and Deliverables

During the initial phase of the assignment, the Managing Editor will help ADUD develop:

• A six-month editorial calendar.
• A standardized contributor assignment brief.
• A pitch, assignment, deadline, and production tracker.
• A preliminary contributor directory.
• A documented workflow covering the process from story idea through publication.
• A contributor deadline and follow-up system.
• A first-level editorial review checklist.
• A proposed content plan for the first relaunched flagship edition.
• Monthly digital digest or interim content packages, subject to ADUD approval.
• A production schedule for the first quarterly digital edition.

Editorial Coverage

Potential editorial areas include:

• African diaspora news and community developments.
• ADUD programs, initiatives, partnerships, and impact.
• Leadership, professional, entrepreneur, and community profiles.
• Interviews and community voices.
• U.S.–Africa relations and diaspora engagement.
• Business, investment, entrepreneurship, trade, and commercial diplomacy.
• Health, education, leadership, youth, families, and community development.
• Arts, culture, heritage, and identity.
• Policy analysis and thought leadership.
• Philanthropy, nonprofit development, partnerships, and organizational opportunities.

Qualifications

We are looking for candidates who bring strong editorial judgment, organization, and follow-through.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Approximately three or more years of relevant experience in journalism, publishing, editorial coordination, communications, nonprofit media, association communications, or a related field.
• Strong editing, proofreading, writing, and written-communication skills.
• Experience coordinating writers, contributors, content projects, or publication deadlines.
• Familiarity with editorial calendars, assignment tracking, and digital publishing workflows.
• Strong organizational and project-management skills, particularly when coordinating multiple contributors and deadlines.
• Ability to follow up consistently, respectfully, and diplomatically with volunteer contributors.
• Sound judgment regarding sourcing, attribution, corrections, permissions, conflicts of interest, and content requiring additional review.
• Ability to distinguish editorial content from sponsored, promotional, or organizational communications.
• Excellent attention to detail and commitment to accuracy and consistency.
• Ability to work independently in a remote environment while collaborating with ADUD leadership, program teams, communications personnel, and volunteers.
• Ability to work respectfully across cultures, countries, communities, and professional backgrounds.
• Demonstrated interest in Africa, the African diaspora, international affairs, community development, nonprofit communications, or social impact.

Experience with magazines, newsletters, digital newsrooms, nonprofit publications, policy publications, membership organizations, or association communications is strongly preferred.

A relevant academic background in journalism, communications, publishing, international affairs, African or diaspora studies, international development, or a related discipline is helpful but is not required where equivalent professional experience exists.

Editorial Standards

The Managing Editor will be expected to:

• Follow ADUD's editorial standards, workflows, and approval procedures.
• Maintain appropriate separation between editorial and sponsored content.
• Disclose actual or potential conflicts of interest.
• Help ensure appropriate attribution, citations, permissions, and contributor releases.
• Protect confidential, embargoed, sensitive, and unpublished information.
• Flag potentially defamatory, unverified, partisan, legally sensitive, or organizationally sensitive material for review.
• Respect ADUD's ownership of its publications, trademarks, templates, commissioned materials, and other intellectual property.

The Managing Editor does not independently establish official ADUD positions or publish material on behalf of the organization without required approval.

Why Volunteer With ADUD?

This opportunity provides an experienced or emerging editorial professional with the ability to help relaunch and shape a mission-driven diaspora publication, build an editorial operation from the ground up, collaborate with contributors across different professional and geographic backgrounds, and develop a substantial body of publication-management experience.

The position can also provide meaningful portfolio experience in nonprofit media, international engagement, diaspora affairs, editorial operations, and strategic communications.

To Apply

Please submit:

• Your resume or LinkedIn profile.
• A short statement explaining your interest in The Voice of the African Diaspora®.
• Two writing, editing, journalism, communications, or publication samples.
• A brief description of any experience coordinating contributors, editorial calendars, or production deadlines.
• Your approximate weekly availability.
• Confirmation that you are able to commit to the initial 12-month volunteer term.

Applications may be submitted to hr@adud.org.

This is an unpaid volunteer opportunity.