Managing editor, Canberra

National Gallery of Australia

Location: National Gallery of Australia / remote working arrangements may be considered.
Salary range: NGA6
Work type: Full time
Application closing date: 14 January 2024
To apply for this role please forward your application to recruitment@nga.gov.au.

About the Gallery
The National Gallery is one of Australia’s leading visual arts institutions. The National Gallery is based in Canberra and is a vital part of the Australian cultural landscape. Our Purpose is to collect, preserve, promote and share the national collection of art. The Vision of the National Gallery is to be the international reference point for art in Australia, inspiring all people to explore, experience and learn. Our Values include excellence, creativity, courage, respect, and accountability.

Working at the Gallery
When you work at the National Gallery you will be exposed to some of the world’s leading Australian and international art and artists. We are located in the National triangle on the waterfront and your lunchtimes can be spent in our beautiful sculpture garden or around Lake Burley Griffin.

We support flexible working practices, including working from home, and you will have access to low-cost, onsite car parking.

The National Gallery is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our people and we expect our people to share this commitment and work safely at all times.

We value the contribution that a diverse workforce brings and encourage people from a diverse background to apply. This might include identifying as First Nations peoples, people with a disability, culturally and linguistically diverse people and LGBTQIA+ people.

Overview of the role
The National Gallery publishes a broad range of non-fiction, fully illustrated visual art books, including exhibition publications and artist monographs.

Combining new writing and perspectives on art and artists with high-quality production and design excellence, our publications are developed to be accessible to a wide national and international audience, sharing the national collection and elevating Australian voices.

Our publishing list supports the vision of the Gallery to be the international reference point for art, inspiring all people to explore, experience and learn.

Together with the Publishing Manager, and as part of the Publishing team, the Managing Editor is responsible for delivering key National Gallery publications.

Working to schedules and budgets set by the Publishing Manager, the Managing Editor works with multiple internal and external contributors to deliver publications from text submission to print, ensuring quality, clarity, creativity, authenticity, and consistency is achieved.

As well as overseeing publication deliverables, the position will assist in contributing to and enhancing Gallery texts to maintain consistent and effective presentation in all publications and exhibitions.

Remote working arrangements may be considered.

An order of merit may be established from this selection process and may be used to fill future identical vacancies over the next 12 months. Selection may be based on application and referee reports only.

If you do not wish to be added to an order of merit, please notify us in your application.

The role of Managing editor is a fixed-term, full-time role for a 2-year period, and sits within the Creative Studio team.

Our ideal candidate
Our ideal candidate is an experienced and motivated managing editor who is looking to become part of the small but ambitious Publishing team responsible for delivery the National Gallery’s publishing list.

With demonstrated experience co-ordinating multiple publishing projects, you will be experienced in shaping and delivering multiple titles. Your experience will show an exceptional understanding of editorial and publishing practice. A background in the arts and an awareness of publishing trends within the trade and cultural sector will be beneficial.

Our ideal candidate has strong organisational skills, proven ability to coordinate multiple projects simultaneously, and is resilient to change and shifts in strategic priorities.

You will be outcome oriented, with an understanding of interdependencies and issues that may impact assigned projects.

You can confidently coordinate project resourcing, including risk and contingency management, through each delivery stage of publication projects within time and cost parameters.

You should be a team player and a clear communicator, enjoy and excel at building and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders. You will bring a positive attitude and operate efficiently and with integrity.

What will you do?
In accordance with the APS 6 work level standards, and reporting to the Publishing Manager, you will need to demonstrate, or have the ability to develop, the following:

• Manage publications from text submission to print, maintaining project parameters set by the Publishing Manager, including scope, schedules and budgets.
• Brief, engage and manage project teams comprising internal and external contributors, maintaining effective oversight to deliver exceptional results which prioritise the Gallery’s strategic focus, collaboration and communication.
• Assist, as required, in editing Gallery texts and the maintenance of the Gallery’s Style Guide.
• Coordinate procurement and monitoring of risk and resources, reporting to the Publishing Manager and when required to the Publications Steering Committee.
• Advise departments across the Gallery on content development and provide suitable levels of editorial advice on projects.

Who are we looking for?
To be successful in this role you will need to demonstrate, or have the ability to develop the following:

Inspire a sense of purpose and direction by providing direction to others regarding the purpose and importance of their work. You will illustrate the relationship between operational tasks and the Gallery’s goals.

Be strategically focused by understanding the Gallery’s objectives and aligning your operational requirements accordingly. You can consider the ramifications of issues and longer-term impact of own work and work area.

Ensure closure and deliver on intended results by seeing projects through to completion. Monitor project progress and adjust plans as required. You are committed to achieving quality outcomes.

Nurture internal and external relationships by building and sustaining relationships and networks with key stakeholders. You will be proactive in your work and be responsive to internal and external client needs.

Demonstrate public service professionalism by adopting a principled approach and adhere to the National Gallery’s values and code of conduct in all that you do. You are professional and impartial and operate within the boundaries of National Gallery’s processes and legal obligations.

How to apply
You should provide a tailored CV (maximum of three pages) along with a statement of no more than two pages that outlines your skills, capabilities and experience, against the ‘Our ideal candidate’ information above.

In your statement response you should keep in mind the capabilities and behaviours required to be successful for this role, as identified in the ‘Who are we looking for?’ section.

Try not to duplicate information that can be found in your CV but do highlight any specific examples or achievements that demonstrate your ability to perform the role.

As part of your application process, we ask that you also complete the personal particulars form as well.

To apply for this role please forward your application to recruitment@nga.gov.au.

Eligibility:

Citizenship – To be eligible for employment with the Gallery, you must be an Australian citizen.

Police Check – To be eligible for this role you must complete a police check.

Work, Health & Safety Obligations
The National Gallery is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our people and we expect our people to share this commitment and work safely at all times.
This role is required to ensure that they meet duty of care obligations as required under WHS legislation. This is achieved by:

• being accountable and taking ownership of health and safety matters within their control or ability to promote a culture of health and safety within the National Gallery
• working with colleagues to enhance health and safety and ensure that it becomes a part of everyday National Gallery business.
• completing health and safety reporting in an accurate and timely manner.

Contact
Further information about the position may be obtained by contacting Penny Sanderson, Publishing Manager penny.sanderson@nga.gov.au.

Category: Jobs