Washington D.C.

Job Title: Associate Editor for the  The Foreign Service Journal

Organization: The American Foreign Service Association 

Summary:

The American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), created in 1924, is the professional association for the U.S. Foreign Service. AFSA’s 16,800 members include active and retired Foreign Service officers and specialists primarily at the Department of State as well as at the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Foreign Agricultural Service, the Foreign Commercial Service, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media.

AFSA is also a labor union, serving as the exclusive representative of members of the Foreign Service. AFSA negotiates with the management of the principal U.S. Government foreign affairs agencies on personnel policies and practices affecting members’ working conditions, and represents members in formal grievance proceedings, office of security and inspector general investigations, disciplinary proceedings, and EEO cases.

The Associate Editor is a critical member of AFSA’s Publications Team, which publishes The Foreign Service Journal 10 times a year and manages AFSA’s book publishing arm, FS Books. The ideal candidate will possess solid, demonstrated writing, reporting and editing skills, experience in magazine production and a deep understanding of the Foreign Service. The incumbent must be locally based in the Washington, D.C., area.

Responsibilities:

• Exercising primary responsibility for the AFSA News section of The Foreign Service Journal, including reporting, writing and editing.
• Managing the editorial and production schedules for AFSA News, including planning, setting deadlines, soliciting articles and columns and working with authors.
• Attending AFSA (and other) events as a reporter and photographer.
• Covering current news of diplomacy and the Foreign Service to produce — research, write, compile, edit—the Talking Points section of the magazine.
• Coordinate and compile the In Memory section of the magazine.
• Researching, writing, editing and proofing, as assigned, for the Journal and other AFSA publications.

This position reports to the Publications Director/FSJ Editor-in-Chief. The incumbent must be highly dependable, proactive and well-organized; possess sound judgment, good humor and flexibility; have the ability to prioritize, multitask and follow through; and be able to work under pressure with all levels of personnel.

Job Requirements:

• Excellent, demonstrated writing, editing and proofreading skills.
• Extensive knowledge and understanding of the Foreign Service, diplomacy and development.
• Minimum three years of experience in writing and editing for a publication.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong analytical and technical skills and the ability to synthesize, interpret and report on complex issues.
• Ability to work with internal teams and external contributors.
• Experience with photography and willingness to cover events as both photographer and reporter.

Due to COVID-19 and AFSA’s soft re-opening on June 1, 2021, the incumbent is required to have proof of a full COVID-19 vaccination for employment and building entry due to frequent interaction with AFSA officials, members and outside visitors.

Salary:

The salary range for this position is $62,000-$66,000, depending on experience. All full-time employees have access to health, dental and vision insurance, vacation and sick leave, and a 401(k)-retirement account. AFSA is an equal-opportunity employer.

How to Apply:

Please send resume, cover letter and a writing sample to jobs@afsa.org by COB August 16. No calls, please.