Position Summary

The staff of the Wellesley College Alumnae Association, together with the organization’s Board of Directors, are charged with executing the WCAA’s mission: to support the institutional priorities of Wellesley College by connecting alumnae to the College and to each other. 

Wellesley magazine—which is published by the WCAA—is one of the major tools used to forge and maintain these connections in service to the College. The magazine showcases Wellesley College's mission in action by showing how alumnae, students, and faculty are making a difference in the world through their leadership, creativity, and service. 

The editor is a senior staff member of the WCAA and a close collaborator with the Communications and Public Affairs staff at the College. As such, she is responsible for translating the mission and strategic priorities of the College and WCAA into lively, engaging magazine copy for a diverse audience. She oversees the conceptualization, planning, writing, editing, production, and business affairs of the magazine—a general-interest publication that features news about the College, the lives and works of alumnae, and the societal and personal issues that matter to them. She sets all editorial policies. She is also responsible for overseeing the messaging on the magazine’s website and social media presences. 

The editor works to ensure that alumnae of all ages, ethnicities/races, identities, backgrounds, and geographies can find something of interest in the magazine. She is responsible for recruiting, training, and managing the magazine’s editorial staff of 2 and contracted creative team and for keeping the magazine on sound financial footing. She is also a representative of the Alumnae Association at a variety of Wellesley events and contributes as a member of the WCAA team to Alumnae Association core programs, including Reunion and Alumnae Achievement Awards, and is an ex officio member of the WCAA Board of Directors.

Primary Duties

• Work in partnership with communication partners across the College to translate mission and strategic priorities of the College and Alumnae Association into lively, engaging magazine copy for diverse audience.

• Leadership: Lead, train, and manage nationwide creative team of two associate editors, four designers, 10–15 freelance writers, 4-6 photographers and illustrators, a student editorial assistant, and 80 alumnae class correspondents. Oversee production work of vendors: prepress house, printer, mail house, web developer, web content importers.

• Magazine development: Set editorial policies. Conceptualize articles for all sections of magazine. Recruit and coach writers.

• Editing: Lead all editing, fact-checking, proofreading.

• Writing: Report and write articles.

• Project Management: Serve as project manager for all editorial and production deadlines.

• Technology Oversight: Oversee magazine’s website and social media presences (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).

• Financial Management: Administer magazine’s business operations (manage budget, select vendors and conduct competitive bidding, oversee advertising).

• On-Campus Presence: Participate in and monitor on-campus activities and issues to ensure that Wellesley magazine accurately communicates issues of current concern.

• WCAA Representative: Serve as a senior staff member for Wellesley College Alumnae Association, work WCAA events; serve as an ex officio member of the WCAA Board of Directors.

Supervisor Responsibilities

In house: 

• 2 senior associate editors, 1 student worker

Out of house:

• 4 designers (long-term contractors)
• 10-15 freelance writers, 4-6 photographers/illustrators (personnel may change with each issue)
• 80 class secretaries (writers of class notes, 1/5 of these volunteers change each year) 

Vendors: 

• Prepress house, printer, mail house, web developer, web content uploaders

Education Required

• Bachelor's degree required

• Graduate-level courses in journalism, including in journalistic ethics OR significant journalistic experience at a print publication that maintains high journalistic standards

Experience Required

• Significant experience (7+ years) in magazine, newspaper, or other journalism-related work

• Several years of workplace management experience

• Experience with online publications and social media, as well as print publications

• Experience in a work environment with multiple projects and deadlines running concurrently

Skills and Abilities Required

• Excellent reporting, writing, and editing skills

• Basic design skills, understanding of typography

• Basic knowledge of Drupal/websites and social media

• Basic knowledge of printing operations

• Time management skills

• Tact, diplomacy, and enthusiasm

• Management skills