Specialist Editor, Asia-Pacific

Specialist Editor - Asia-Pacific

Job Title: Specialist Editor

Department: Programs, Asia-Pacific

Job Band: Researcher & Associate II

Compensation: $78,000.00 (for candidates based in New York City). Compensation for this position will be based on experience, skills, and location. While this range reflects the expected salary for New York City-based candidates, compensation may be adjusted for candidates in other locations to align with local market conditions and cost of living.

Office Location: New York or remote (please note time zone requirements)

Reports to Title: Regional Director, Asia-Pacific (Dotted Line to the Director of Research & Analysis)

FLSA Status: Exempt

Union Status: Union-represented if based in the U.S.

Application Deadline: May 26, 2025

Application and Recruitment Process: Please submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is hiring three Regional Specialist Editors to join our global Programs team and support our work in Europe and Central Asia, MENA, and Asia-Pacific.

We’re running a single recruitment for all three roles to streamline the process—same strong job, three distinct regions. This allows us to identify the best candidates efficiently while giving applicants a chance to express their regional strengths.

NB. Candidates do not have to be based in the region, but must be able to work a schedule broadly aligned with the region’s time zone.

This is the application for the Specialist Editor, Asia-Pacific. If you are also interested in our Specialist Editor positions for MENA or Europe and Central Asia, please apply separately using the links below:

✅ Apply for the position of Specialist Editor, MENA

✅ Apply for the position of  Specialist Editor, Europe and Central Asia

Organization Overview:

Founded in 1981, the Committee to Protect Journalists (“CPJ”) is an independent, non-profit organization defending journalists worldwide without regard to their political ideology. Through its work to safeguard journalists, CPJ protects the rights of all people to have access to diverse and independent sources of information. For nearly four decades, CPJ has helped win the early release of imprisoned journalists, secure convictions in journalist murders, and enable positive legal reform in countries where the climate for free expression has deteriorated. Learn more about CPJ’s fight to defend freedom of the press here: http://cpj.org/

At CPJ, we are dedicated to upholding values of equity and free expression in both our internal operations and external endeavors. As an organization headquartered in the United States, we aspire to build a diverse workplace and foster an inclusive and welcoming environment. As an international organization, we strive for our people to be representative of the global community on which we report and to equip them with the opportunities and resources they need to learn and succeed.

If hired in the United States, this position is part of a collective bargaining unit represented by the Writers Guild of America, East.  

About the Role

The Specialist Editor is responsible for writing, editing, and publishing a range of content—including news alerts, statements, reports, and social media posts—aligned with CPJ’s press freedom mission and regional priorities.

Each editor will be embedded within a regional program and play a critical role in shaping and executing editorial strategy in close collaboration with the Regional Director and CPJ’s Research & Analysis team.

Each editor will:

• Commission, edit, and publish daily content on CPJ’s various publishing platforms in a timely manner;
• Focus on one of the three regions: Europe and Central Asia,
  MENA, or  Asia-Pacific;
• Work in a time zone within approximately 2–3 hours of the region’s core working hours;
• Ideally have proficiency in at least one major language relevant to the region;
• Collaborate closely with regional researchers and analysts to ensure accuracy, relevance, and impact of CPJ regional content.

Job Summary:

The Regional Specialist Editor is responsible for executing CPJ’s regional editorial strategy. This includes commissioning, writing, editing, and publishing stories, statements, reports, and other editorial products as needed for CPJ’s various publishing platforms, including the CPJ website and social media. 

The Specialist Editor will be embedded within a regional program, reporting directly to the Regional Director with a dotted line to the Director of Research & Analysis. This role is designed to bring editorial expertise closer to the regional subject matter and departmental needs, ensuring that editorial output aligns with local priorities and effectively supports CPJ’s mission. 

The Specialist Editor will be expected to use CPJ’s internal knowledge management system (Carta) for research and editing. 

Essential Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Commission, write, edit and publish daily content, including news alerts, statements, letters, reports, and other materials that align with regional needs and priorities
• Ensure content production and publication align with regional time zones and audience requirements
• Publish content on CPJ’s website, including selecting photos and writing captions
• Manage and publish regional social media content in real-time, ensuring timely, accurate, and engaging posts that adhere to CPJ’s communications strategy
• Disseminate regional content via email or other communication channels according to the regional editorial and communications strategy
• Edit research on journalists who have been killed, imprisoned, or attacked for their work, ensuring accuracy and adherence to CPJ’s editorial standards
• Utilize CPJ’s internal knowledge management system (Carta) for research purposes
• Identify thematic issues and integrate them into the research and analysis strategy
• Maintain and update CPJ’s internal databases with relevant regional information, ensuring that data on journalists who have been killed, imprisoned, or attacked is accurate and ready for publication
• Collaborate with the Regional Director and the Research & Analysis team to execute the regional editorial and communications strategy
• Collaborate with researchers and program staff to ensure that editorial content is accurate, compelling, and impactful
• Edit for content, structure, grammar, and style while adhering to CPJ’s editorial standards
• Manage multiple editorial projects under tight deadlines and prioritize tasks effectively
• Work with writers of varying experience levels and English-language skills
• Provide training and mentorship to regional staff on editorial best practices
• Perform all other duties, as requested, based on department and/or organizational needs

Education/Qualifications & Work Experience: 

Required:

• At least three years of experience as an editor for a news agency, website, newspaper, or broadcast outlet
• The ability to recognize sensitive or potentially libelous issues and raise them for discussion
• Experience in web publishing, including using content management systems such as WordPress
• Proficient in Google Workspace
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, stressful environment
• The initiative to identify tasks and to work independently
• Commitment to CPJ’s mission

Preferred:

• Background in international news
• Experience working with writers whose first language is not English
• Familiarity with the AP style
• Language relevant to the region

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to successfully perform the essential functions of this classification and are reflective of work in a typical office setting.  Absent undue hardship, reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job. 

• Remain in a stationary position for prolonged periods
• Occasionally move about in the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc. (applicable to employees who work in the NYC office)
• Operate a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine and printer
• Communicate information and ideas so others will understand - must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations
• Observe details at close range
• Carry objects weighing up to 20 pounds
• Work in an office setting where the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate (applicable to employees who work in the NYC office)
• Occasional evening or weekend work, including one on-call weekend approximately every 6-8 weeks 
• Travel requirements - None

Vaccination Requirement:

Employees who work in the NYC office must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless they qualify for reasonable accommodation for medical or religious reasons. Accordingly, new employees must submit proof of vaccination before the commencement of employment unless a reasonable accommodation is granted.

Location:

We promote a flexible working environment with hybrid and flexible work schedule opportunities. Our NYC office, located in midtown Manhattan, was designed to be a place where we can work effectively and collaboratively, bringing energy, inspiration, commitment, and deep learning to our mission. The NYC office is currently working on a schedule of two days in-office (Wednesday and one other day of the employee’s/manager’s agreement), with the option of working up to three days remotely, subject to adjustment based on business needs. 

Benefits (US only):

• Health Care Plans (100% employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision plans for employee coverage)
• Health Reimbursement Account (employer-funded HRA of $5,000 annually) 
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (employer contribution of 4%. Additional employer dollar-for-dollar match of elective employee contribution up to 3%)
• Life Insurance and AD&D Plans (100% employer-sponsored with the option to elect additional voluntary plans)
• Paid Time Off (vacation, sick, and paid holidays)  
• Short Term & Long Term Disability (employer-sponsored with the option to elect additional voluntary plans)
• Employee Assistance Program
• Pre-Tax Flexible Spending Accounts (medical, dependent care, and commuter expenses)
• Voluntary benefits plans (life, accident, hospitalization, critical Illness, pet, identity theft protection, and legal insurance)
• Extended remote work flexibility, allowing up to 60 days of remote work annually

Equal Employment Opportunity:

CPJ provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.