Jobs at The Citizen

The Citizen requires the services of a Telesales Team Leader

Reporting to:     Marketing Manager

Purpose of the role:

To ensure that sales targets are met and exceeded by robustly growing the Premium membership base. The successful applicant must be hands on and will be required to sell in an online telesales environment and simultaneously lead a team.

Accountabilities & Performance metrics:

  1. Revenue Generation
  • Achieve membership targets
  • Pro-actively identify user trends and implement acquisiton and retention solutions.
  1. Staff Management
  • Analyse sales team performance and make the necessary adjustments.
  1. Digital / Editorial
  • Close collaboration with the Digital/Editorial team to ensure the effective implementation of the paywall strategy
  1. CRM Management
  • Understand member’s requirements and optimise processes to meet those requirements.
  1. Financial
  • Ensure acurate calculations are done for target setting.
  • Ensure rates and discounts are managed correctly
  1. Competitor Analysis
    • Ensure that competitor activity is closely monitored and that we are one step ahead in terms of offerings and the level of service.
  1. Identify competition and partnership opporunities

Core Competencies Required

Qualifications / Knowledge / Experience

  • Matric
  • Minimum 3 years telesales experience and management of sales staff

Skills

  • Exposure to an online telesales environment
  • Proven experience in telesales
  • Ability to take data/information and apply it to increase sales
  • Strong customer service ability
  • Excellent cold canvassing skills
  • Strong communication skills
  • Strong admin and planning skills
  • Good computer literacy

Attitude

  • Innovative thinker
  • Target driven
  • Team player
  • Presentable and well spoken
  • Professional
  • Please send suitable applications with a full CV to cvs@citizen.co.za
  • Reference in subject line: Telesales Team Leader

VACANCY – ASSISTANT EDITOR: LIFESTYLE

Province: Gauteng
Type: Full-time
Location: Johannesburg, Industria West

The Citizen has a vacancy for an assistant editor/senior content manager specialising in lifestyle content for online and print in its Johannesburg editorial department. The position is ideal for an energetic, self-motivated person interested in working in a digital first environment.

This role would suit someone who has had at least 5 years of experience as a reporter or junior editor and is looking to make their next career move.

The ideal candidate would be a self-starter who comes with a great contact book who can secure exclusive stories, manage processes and has a good eye for lifestyle content.

This position is for someone who understands how to take a social media story forward, who understands the difference between a UB and a PV and what SEO means and why it’s important. The ideal candidate should be accustomed to working on various online communication tools.

The candidate must have the ability to assume ownership of his/her work while also being able to manage a team.

The successful candidate will report directly to the Head of Lifestyle

Main Responsibilities

Health, Entertainment and Wellness:

  • Build and maintain an extensive contacts list which include PRs in this space
  • Be on top of trends and viral content
  • Covering and attending events
  • Taking social media trends and commentary forward
  • Ensuring social media commentary and reactions are covered in the TV space

Travel, DIY, Décor, Food

  • Working on travel, décor, DIY, celeb, food and dining stories, fashion and beauty, as and when assigned
  • Occasionally working on news stories as and when required
  • Build and maintain an extensive contacts list which include PRs in this space
  • Be on top of trends and viral content
  • Develop a voice for the brand
  • Covering and attending events

People and process management

  • Assisting with managing a team, ideation and process management
  • Identifying gaps in the team for training and development
  • Working on social media content plans, newsletters and other marketing content
  • Please send suitable applications with a full CV to cvs@citizen.co.za
  • Reference in subject line: Assistant Editor: Lifestyle

SEO SPECIALIST

The Citizen has a vacancy in its Johannesburg (Industria West) office for an SEO Specialist to manage search engine optimization for our website.  You will be responsible for managing all SEO activities such as content strategy, link building and keyword strategy to increase rankings on all major search networks and reporting back on key performance indicators.

Main Responsibilities:

  • Devise and execute SEO optimisation strategies and projects that will improve on The Citizen’s organic rankings and search traffic
  • Execute tests, collect and analyse data and results, identify trends and insights in order to achieve maximum ROI
  • Track, report and analyse website analytics and campaigns and provide reports to all stakeholders.
  • Optimise copy, website content and landing pages for search engine marketing for every page before publishing on the website
  • Perform ongoing keyword research, discovery, expansion and optimisation to guide content teams
  • Research and implement search engine optimisation recommendations
  • Research and analyse competitor content and strategy
  • Develop and implement link building strategy
  • Work with the Development team to ensure SEO best practices are properly implemented on newly developed code
  • Work with Editorial and Marketing teams to drive SEO in content creation and content programming
  • Research and recommend changes to website architecture, content, linking and other factors to improve SEO positions for target keywords
  • Update content and website links for maximum optimization and search engine rankings
  • Analyse high volumes of data on a daily basis

Knowledge/Experience/Qualifications

  • Matric plus an appropriate Bachelor’s or higher degree in Marketing or Information Science.
  • Minimum 6 years’ proven SEO experience at middle – senior level, in competitive sectors, ideally in an agency or publishing
  • Business fluency in English
  • Experience in successfully developing and executing SEO campaigns
  • Experience working within a collaborative team environment
  • Solid understanding of performance marketing, conversion, and online customer acquisition
  • In-depth experience and expert knowledge of Google/SEO and all related elements, website analytics tools (e.g. Screaming Frog, Crazy Egg, SemRush, SEO Monitor, Search Console, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics,  GSC, , Majestic, Moz, Buzzstream, Tag Manager and Diib)
  • Knowledge of ranking factors and search engine algorithms
  • Experience working in CMS (WordPress)
  • Working knowledge of HTML, PHP, CSS and JavaScript development and constraints, link reclamation, schema markup and faceted navigation
  • Up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in SEO and SEM
  • Solid commercial awareness and the ability to translate analytics data and campaign performance into effective insights.
  • Demonstrated understanding of international SEO, including multi-language and multi-region websites, href-lang etc.

Skills

  • Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail
  • Excellent analytical and research skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • The ability to work quickly through tedious and monotonous tasks
  • Project management skills

Attitude

  • Ability to work under pressure and irregular hours
  • Deadline driven
  • Team player and excellent interpersonal skills
  • Analytical, process-driven and solutions-driven
  • Passionate about SEO
  • Digitally connected with an insatiable curiosity
  • Operates with honesty, integrity and respect

Other requirements:

  • Valid driver’s licence and own reliable vehicle
  • Solid references
  • No criminal record
  • Reference in subject line: SEO Specialist
  • Closing date for applications:  19 March 2021
  • Preference will be given to individuals who will add to the diversity of the organisation.
  • The Citizen reserves the right to not fill the position

Submit your CV and a cover letter to

cvs@citizen.co.za

DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR

An exciting opportunity for a go-getter with an excellent sense of news exists as a Digital News Editor in The Citizen’s editorial department.

The ideal candidate will have the opportunity to be at the forefront of daily digital newsgathering and production in South Africa.

This is a dynamic position that needs someone with a passion for breaking news.

Main Responsibilities:

  • Quickly identify, assign and publish news stories.
  • Work closely with content producers and journalists to develop stories.
  • Drive best digital and social media practices to create engaging content.
  • Monitor audience metrics and adapt content to increase users and maximize engagement.
  • Edit and rewrite reporters’ copy and also produce/write digital stories.
  • Gather news by monitoring the wires and other media to ensure that topical stories are being picked up on.
  • Generate story ideas.
  • Check accuracy of articles by reporters and content administrators.
  • Attend general news meetings and update news diary daily.
  • Coordinate news flow by ensuring relevant stories discussed during the morning meeting are covered and uploaded according to deadlines.
  • Ensure that news articles from the print and digital departments are shared effectively on social media.
  • Line edit stories in order to identify problems such as libel or inaccuracy and to ensure complete fairness.
  • Liaise with photographic department to ensure visual elements of stories.
  • Liaise with fellow editors, reporters, production desk, bureaus and senior editors.
  • Mentor and train content administrators and interns in order to produce outstanding copy.
  • Assist in hiring staff.
  • Drive the social media strategy.

Core Competencies:

Knowledge/Experience

  • An appropriate bachelor’s or higher degree in Journalism or appropriate work experience.
  • Minimum 8 years’ experience in mainstream journalism, with a proven track record in hard news gathering and digital newsroom experience.
  • Suitable experience managing a news desk / team of reporters
  • Good talent for writing and copy tasting abilities
  • Advanced awareness of the media law and current trends

Skills

  • Good news gathering skills
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Good computer skills
  • Excellent people management skills
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Good administrative skills

Attitude

  • Ability to work under pressure
  • News awareness
  • Self-motivated
  • Deadline driven
  • Team player

Other requirements:

  • Matric/Grade 12 qualification or SAQA Accredited Equivalent essential
  • Valid driver’s licence a must
  • Own vehicle a must
  • Ability to work irregular hours
  • Solid references
  • No criminal record
  • Reference in subject line: Digital News Editor
  • Closing date for applications:  19 March 2021
  • Preference will be given to individuals who will add to the diversity of the organisation.
  • The Citizen reserves the right to not fill the position.

Submit your CV and a cover letter to

cvs@citizen.co.za

 Online Sub-Editor

Remuneration: Market Related
Location: Johannesburg, Industria West

 The Citizen requires the services of a skilled copy sub-editor.

General:

  • Must be competent as a copy sub.
  • Must be able to work according to strict deadlines.
  • Must be passionate about online news and newspapers and have a strong news sense and interest in current affairs.
  • Must work shifts as per operational requirements.

Copyediting:

  • Writes or rewrites headlines that work well online, not relying on the headlines off the wires, from journalists or admins, or what was in the paper.
  • Able to correct common and more subtle errors of grammar, typos, etc.
  • Ability and application to rewrite and re-angle copy whenever necessary.
  • Give feedback to team members who commit the same errors repeatedly.
  • Should be able to prioritise stories .
  • Should have enough of a grounding in the facts of whatever stories are dominating the news cycle that he or she will be able to contextualise stories accurately where required or ask the journalist concerned to research and add required information.
  • Should be able to spot and rectify mistakes or have these re-checked if something does not seem right.
  • Should be aware of the laws that govern our industry so that we do not get into trouble legally or from a more general perspective.
  • Names need to be checked and their spelling needs to be consistent.

Core Competencies:

Knowledge/Experience

  • An appropriate bachelor’s or higher degree in Journalism/Linguistics or appropriate work experience.
  • Minimum 5 years’ experience in mainstream journalism.
  • Advanced awareness of media law and current trends.

Skills

  • Excellent communication skills
  • Good computer skills
  • Excellent organisational skills
  • Good administrative skills

Attitude

  • Ability to work under pressure
  • News awareness
  • Self-motivated
  • Deadline driven
  • Team player

Other requirements:

  • Matric/Grade 12 qualification or SAQA Accredited Equivalent a must
  • Valid driver’s licence a must
  • Own vehicle a must
  • Ability to work irregular hours
  • Solid references
  • No criminal record
  • Please send suitable applications with a full CV to cvs@citizen.co.za
  • Reference in subject line: Online Sub Editor
  • Closing date for applications:  19 March 2021
  • Preference will be given to individuals who will add to the diversity of the organisation.
  • The Citizen reserves the right to not fill the position.

Submit your CV and a cover letter to

cvs@citizen.co.za