Open Position: Associate Editor

Dissent is seeking an Associate Editor to handle editorial and other responsibilities. The editor will edit, fact check, copy edit, and proof articles as needed; coordinate Dissent’s social media accounts, website, and newsletter; and solicit advertisements, among other tasks. We are looking for a creative and politically committed editor, with a strong sense of Dissent’s mission, who can participate in editorial discussions (and arguments), commission articles, and contribute to the success of the magazine. 

The role will entail working closely with other editors and a Development Director. The role will favor an organized, self-motivated junior editor with diverse skills, comfortable working with a small team and eager to learn, who has a desire to see the magazine grow and succeed. An eye for graphics, and experience using Adobe Photoshop and InDesign, are desirable.

This is a full-time position, with a salary range of $40K–$50K, depending on experience, and includes medical and dental insurance and four weeks of paid vacation. The position is based in New York City, and the staff works out of the office 2–3 days per week.

To apply, please email an application to jobs@dissentmagazine.org with “Associate editor” in the subject line. We will begin reviewing applications on September 29. The application should include:

1. Cover letter describing your interest (editorial, political, cultural) in the position
2. CV, including small portfolio of writing/editing with a list of links to clips

Note: An earlier version of this listing had additional requirements, which are no longer required for first-round applicants.

Job Description

Editorial

1. Commission and lead edit articles for print and online
2. Coordinate with other lead editors on drafts and copy edit articles for print and online
3. Coordinate fact checking with intern or freelance fact checkers
4. Participate in all editorial discussions
5. Contribute to event organizing
6. Contribute to editing copy for promotional material as needed
7. Draft titles and deks
8. Provide editorial assistance to editors of an anthology of labor articles from Dissent’s archive 

Other

1. Conduct image research for articles in print and online
2. Manage social media accounts and newsletter using Mailchimp, Hootsuite, etc.
3. Prepare articles and images for posting on WordPress CMS
4. Use Photoshop and InDesign to create graphics for promotion
5. Solicit and manage advertisements
6. Assist with fundraising drives as needed; track, package, and mail out thank you gifts 
7. Evaluate intern applications, conduct interviews, and assist with the hiring process
8. Train and manage interns in fact checking and other tasks
9. Organize special projects, such as completing the digitization of our archive and the emerging writers program

Dissent is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Dissent is a quarterly magazine of politics and ideas. Founded by Irving Howe and Lewis Coser in 1954, it quickly established itself as one of America’s leading intellectual journals and a mainstay of the democratic left. We publish the best in political argument, and take pride in cultivating the next generation of labor journalists, cultural critics, and political polemicists. The magazine has published articles by Hannah Arendt, Richard Wright, Norman Mailer, A. Philip Randolph, Michael Harrington, Dorothy Day, Bayard Rustin, Czesław Miłosz, Barbara Ehrenreich, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Chinua Achebe, Ellen Willis, Octavio Paz, Martha Nussbaum, Tressie McMillan Cottom, and many others.

Open Position: Development Director/Manager

Dissent magazine seeks a full-time development staff member to lead its fundraising efforts. The Development Director will apply for and seek out grants; propose and oversee the implementation of new fundraising projects; and cultivate new and existing donors, including individuals, trusts, and foundations. The Director will work closely with Dissent staff, the nonprofit Board of Directors, and the editorial board to track and achieve budgetary goals while sustaining and expanding revenue.

This is an ideal position for a mid-career fundraiser with experience soliciting financial support, or a junior fundraiser who has the aptitudes, creativity, and enthusiasm to move into a role with greater responsibilities. This is a one-person development “office” but the Development Director works in close consultation with the editorial staff on many initiatives and special projects. 

Qualifications

Successful fundraising relies heavily on certain aptitudes, including creativity, extroversion, a genuine alignment with the mission of the organization, and a certain fearlessness. An ideal candidate will need to be comfortable introducing themselves and the organization into new relationships and have the ability to articulate our mission and make a case for support. Strong written and verbal communication skills are a must; this is a role that requires writing a wide assortment of documents, including webcopy, donor letters, campaign copy, and proposals. Creativity and a willingness to try new approaches for cultivating donors, partners, and allies is essential. Financial literacy and familiarity with budgets and nonprofit management is desirable. Ideal previous experience, in addition to fundraising, might include canvassing for political campaigns, phone banking, grant writing, and sales.

We are open to candidates who possess the appropriate skills and aptitudes but who may need some training to become confident fundraisers. The new Development Director will be under the initial oversight of the current Development Director, with the new staff person assuming full responsibilities over the first several weeks.

This is a full-time position, with a salary range of $50K–$65K, depending on experience, and includes medical and dental insurance and four weeks of paid vacation. The position is based in New York City, and the staff works out of the office 2–3 days per week. 

Job Description

The ideal candidate will be familiar with Dissent and committed to its political project, with strong communication and interpersonal skills. They will be self-motivated, organized, detail-oriented, and able to create and stick to schedules in collaboration with others. 

Grants/Grant Writing [50%] 

1. Maintain a grant calendar and grow a list of institutional supporters. This includes providing regular updates to current funders.
2. Research new sources of institutional support and cultivate them with the assistance of people within the Dissent network who can broker these introductions, writing Letters of Introduction (LOIs), crafting proposals for support. 
3. Communicate regularly with funders to update them on current initiatives, events, and successes to keep them apprised of Dissent happenings.
4. Research into new funding opportunities will include identifying funders, engaging our network to broker introductions when necessary, and preparing Letters of Introduction. 

Fundraising Campaigns, Research, and Administration [50%]

1. In conjunction with editors, create an annual budget based on reasonable revenue projections.
2. Fundraising for the magazine is integrally connected to the editorial calendar, and the Development Director attends weekly editorial meetings to integrate the editorial calendar into the development cycle. This position serves to integrate and coordinate various parts of the organization, i.e., staff, the Board of Directors, and an advisory board on fundraising efforts.
3. Develop (in concert with the editorial staff) and execute the end-of-year fund drive.
4. Initiate various fundraising and cultivation events throughout the year, as the opportunities occur and in concert with issue launches.
5. Cultivate new and existing donors through direct outreach and creating opportunities for increased participation for high-capacity donors.
6. Update the donor database to record the timely receipt of gifts, and follow through with timely recognition to donors.

Dissent is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and do not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

To apply, please send a résumé and cover letter by September 29, 2023 to jobs@dissentmagazine.org

Dissent is a quarterly magazine of politics and ideas. Founded by Irving Howe and Lewis Coser in 1954, it quickly established itself as one of America’s leading intellectual journals and a mainstay of the democratic left. We publish the very best in political argument, and take pride in cultivating the next generation of labor journalists, cultural critics, and political polemicists. The magazine has published articles by Hannah Arendt, Richard Wright, Norman Mailer, A. Philip Randolph, Michael Harrington, Dorothy Day, Bayard Rustin, Czesław Miłosz, Barbara Ehrenreich, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Chinua Achebe, Ellen Willis, Octavio Paz, Martha Nussbaum, Tressie McMillan Cottom, and many others.

Internships 

Dissent’s office in Manhattan has three internship terms each year: Spring, Summer, and Fall. Editorial interns at Dissent work closely with the staff and assist with the entire range of magazine work—fact checking, researching, formatting articles, fundraising, producing events, participating in editorial meetings, and so on.

Our interns have gone on to work everywhere from human rights organizations to literary agencies to magazines. If you have a particular interest, we encourage you to let us know.

The internship is part-time (16 hours/week) from January–May (Spring), May–September (Summer), September–December (Fall), and is paid at $15/hour. To apply please email intern@dissentmagazine.org with a cover letter explaining why you would like to work at the magazine and why you would be a good fit, a résumé, and a one-page response to a Dissent article (online or in print) of your choice. The application deadlines are November 20 (Spring), April 1 (Summer), and August 1 (Fall).