Antarctic Environments Portal seeks Editor

The Antarctic Environment Portal is seeking to appoint a new Portal Editor. 

Context

The Antarctic Environments Portal

The Antarctic Environments Portal (www.environments.aq) has been developed to support evidence-based management of Antarctica, by placing the best available science knowledge at the fingertips of Antarctic decision makers.

The Portal is an online resource of information on Antarctic environments that supports the work of the Antarctic Treaty System – in particular the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP). Information in the Portal is unbiased, a-political and presented in a synthesised, or “policy-ready” form.

Since 1961 the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR, www.scar.org), an independent non-governmental body, has been the principal provider of independent, sound, scientifically based advice to the Antarctic Treaty Parties. The Antarctic Environments Portal provides SCAR with a mechanism to ensure continuous availability of timely, topical and up-to-date scientific advice to the Parties.

The Portal presents content in the four official languages of the Antarctic Treaty.

The Portal is hosted and managed by SCAR with funding or in-kind support provided by several Antarctic Treaty Parties. A Portal Management Board oversees the management of the Portal.

The Editor Role

The Editor has lead responsibility for generating material for the Portal (mainly by commissioning from external authors) as well as managing the editing and review process.

An international Editorial Group, comprised of volunteers, assists the Editor with the review of content for the Portal.  The Editor is responsible for coordinating the Editorial Group and works with the Assistant Editor and the SCAR Secretariat to manage the material posted on the Portal website.

Main Duties

The main role of the Editor is to manage the development of content for publishing in the Portal and the regular updating of existing Portal content, working closely with the Assistant Editor and SCAR.

Main duties include:

• Initiating and overseeing the development of new articles for the Portal, including commissioning the translation of articles;
• Initiating and overseeing reviews of existing content published in the Portal;
• Facilitating and managing the editorial process and the Editorial Group;
• Reviewing the outcomes of Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM) to identify policy and management information needs in collaboration with the Chief Officer of SCAR’s Standing Committee on the Antarctic Treaty System;
• Supporting the Portal Manager by contributing to, or spearheading, the drafting of papers providing information on the Portal for ATCM/CEP/CCAMLR^[1] meetings (in consultation with the CO of SC-ATS) and a range of SCAR internal meetings;
• Ensuring effective information management, including maintaining databases of authors and other Portal metadata;
• Working with the Portal Management Board to develop the strategic direction of the Portal;
• Working to maintain diversity and balance in the authorship of Portal articles as far as possible;
• Support SCAR to expand the uptake of Portal material both within the ATCM/CEP and beyond, for example by promoting the Portal at relevant events; online promotional activities and expanding the content of the Portal. 

Key Criteria

• A PhD in science or an environmental discipline OR equivalent work experience.
• An excellent track record in scholarly research and scientific writing.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Experience in preparing and presenting science material for a non-specialist audience.
• Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
• Strong networking skills and ability to work constructively and collegially with a diverse range of people at all levels.

Desired Attributes 

• Experience in preparing and presenting scientific material to a policy audience.
• Awareness and understanding of current Antarctic research efforts and interests.
• Awareness and understanding of the Antarctic governance regimes and policy interests.
• Good networks within the Antarctic policy and/or research communities.
• Strong presentation skills with an eye for detail and a commitment to excellence.
• The ability to meet tight deadlines. 

How To Apply

Please submit the following documents to [email protected] by 7^th September 2021:

1. A curriculum vitae.
2. A covering letter.
3. Two examples of your writing (of which at least one should be an example of your communication to a non-specialist audience). We accept a range of material, such as blogs, opinion or editorial pieces. If in doubt, please contact us to check your material is admissible.
4. Contact details of at least two references.

Finalists will be interviewed remotely. Please direct any questions to [email protected].

The job description and person specification can also be found here.

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^[1] Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources