Senior Writer at Gecko Five

Gecko Five is positioned to become the fastest growing modern sports media brand in Africa. We aim to create the largest reach and engagement of millennials and Gen Z audiences across Africa. Every month, African millennial audiences will turn to Gecko Five publications across multiple channels for impactful conversation around the interests and issues engaging sports today. Gecko Five was founded in 2020 and is headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Writer

Location: Lagos
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Descriptions

• This role reports to the Editorial Lead and works closely with our content editors, marketing team and sales team.
• Gecko Five is looking for a Senior Writer to be a strategic and creative lead for the site’s longform content. The Senior Writer will work closely with the Editorial Lead to help build the site’s authority as the primary destination for nuanced, thought-provoking, and entertaining essays, op-eds, and reported pieces that explore the experience of being a fan, player or key figure in the football theatre.
• The Senior Writer will be responsible for assigning, editing, and writing articles that elevate the conversation around football through strong writing, thoughtful angles, and an instinct for the things that delight, torment, and puzzle fans and the football-curious alike.
• The ideal candidate will be well-versed in football fan culture — from the conflicted emotions around “Liverpool's long-awaited title win” to the way fans are navigating the injury and covid-19 rollercoaster of 2020 — and be as comfortable coordinating celebrity interviews and securing exclusives as reaching out to influencers and writers to commission columns, personal essays, and op-eds. A dedication to service, humor, and inclusivity is key for this role, along with a solid network of freelancers from a diverse array of backgrounds.
• Please send a cover letter, resume, and link to relevant writing and editing samples.
• We would prefer a candidate based in the Lagos mainland area, however, are open to accepting qualified remote candidates.

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Editorial Lead and 'Chief Hustler' to further develop the brand’s content strategy, using analytics tools to monitor performance and adjust priorities as needed.
• Collaborate closely with the lifestyle and entertainment teams to ensure the brand’s coverage of trending and timely topics is fresh, thoughtful, and informed.
• Be reactive to the day’s football(sports) news and brainstorm creative second-hour or second-day angles, while also thinking about the stories that aren’t being told and how to bring new voices—and topics—to the site.
• Produce an average of between 10 and 25 stories per week.

Requirements

• Candidates should possess Bachelor's degree
• 5 years editing and writing experience in (ideally) digital media, with a proven interest in football(sports) topics
• Proven track record of producing articles that move the conversation
• Deep understanding of best practices for search and social
• Ability to write and edit quickly without compromising brand integrity, voice, or mission
• Strong display-writing and story-packaging skills
• Comfortable networking and attending events on behalf of the brand
• A sense of fun, urgency, and a commitment to being part of a tight-knit team
• A sense for what makes a Gecko story
• Excite and inspire with an infectious curiosity and optimistic approach.

Application Closing Date
14th February, 2021.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their Cover Letter, Resume, and link to relevant writing and editing samples to: [email protected] using the "Job title" as subject of the email.