Head of English Editorial

Confidential Careers; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Careers in Abu Dhabi is seeking a Head of English Editorial to lead the English editorial function, overseeing daily production, editing, quality control, and timely delivery of English-language content.

The role works closely with the Arabic Editorial team to ensure narrative consistency across languages; content may originate in either language, with translation and final editing handled to publication standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, English, Communications, Media, Translation or a related discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience in editorial, journalism, newsroom, media, or press communications.
• Demonstrated experience managing or supervising an editorial team.
• Strong hands-on experience editing and finalizing press releases, official statements, news content, and public-facing communications.
• Proven experience managing high-volume daily editorial workflows and multiple competing deadlines.
• Experience coordinating Arabic and English editorial content is essential.
• Experience working within a fast-paced newsroom, media organization, government communications environment, or major corporate communications function is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the English Editorial team and oversee all daily English-language output.
• Review, edit, and finalize press releases, statements, news stories, and digital content.
• Ensure content is accurate, clear, concise, and publication-ready.
• Coordinate with the Arabic Editorial team to maintain alignment across both languages.
• Oversee the translation/adaptation of Arabic-origin content into English and vice versa.
• Develop and enforce editorial standards, style guides, and terminology references.
• Manage daily workload, deadlines, and high-volume content traffic.

Skills

Editorial leadership

Team management

Editing

Quality control

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

The Head of English Editorial will lead and manage the English editorial function, overseeing the daily production, editing, quality control, and timely delivery of English-language press and editorial content.

The role is responsible for managing the English editorial team, overseeing daily content traffic and workload allocation, maintaining editorial quality and ensuring that urgent and planned content is delivered accurately and on time.

The role works closely with the Arabic Editorial team to ensure consistency of narrative, messaging, facts and terminology across both languages.

Content may originate in either Arabic or English. Where content originates in Arabic, the English Editorial team will translate, adapt and edit it into high-quality English while maintaining the intended narrative. Where content originates in English, the English team will finalize the content before sharing it with the Arabic team for translation and Arabic editorial review.

The ideal candidate will therefore combine exceptional English editorial capability with strong team leadership, newsroom or press operations experience, and fluency in both English and Arabic.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the English Editorial team and oversee all daily English-language editorial output.
• Review, edit, and finalize press releases, official statements, announcements, news stories, digital content, and other public-facing materials.
• Ensure all English content is accurate, clear, concise, professionally written, and publication-ready.
• Maintain consistency of tone, terminology, narrative, and editorial standards across all English-language content.
• Provide final editorial review for sensitive, urgent, or high-priority content.
• Ensure that the intended meaning and narrative are maintained when content is translated or adapted between Arabic and English.
• Maintain and continuously improve English editorial standards, style guides, and terminology references.

Daily Editorial Operations & Traffic Management

• Manage the day-to-day operation of the English Editorial team.
• Oversee incoming content requests and manage the editorial traffic and workflow.
• Prioritize assignments based on urgency, importance, and publication deadlines.
• Allocate work across editors and translators based on workload and capability.
• Track assignments from receipt through editing, review, approval, and final delivery.
• Monitor deadlines and proactively address potential delays or bottlenecks.
• Manage multiple simultaneous and urgent requests within a fast-paced press and editorial environment.
• Ensure appropriate team coverage during periods of high content volume, major announcements, and urgent press activity.
• Work closely with the Arabic Editorial team to maintain alignment across English and Arabic content.
• Coordinate daily editorial priorities, deadlines and content requirements between both teams.
• Review source material and ensure that translations accurately reflect the approved narrative and key messages.
• Resolve discrepancies in meaning, terminology, facts or messaging between Arabic and English versions.
• Where content originates in Arabic, oversee its translation, adaptation, and final editing into publication-ready English.
• Where content originates in English, finalize the English narrative before sharing it with the Arabic team for translation and adaptation.
• Ensure that both language versions remain aligned while allowing each version to read naturally and professionally in its respective language.

Press & Content Management

• Oversee the English-language editing of press releases, announcements, official statements, and news-related content.
• Ensure press materials meet professional journalistic and editorial standards.
• Support rapid turnaround of urgent and time-sensitive communications.
• Work closely with relevant content, communications, media and digital teams to manage publishing requirements.
• Verify facts, names, titles, terminology and other critical information prior to publication.
• Escalate sensitive editorial matters where additional review or approval is required.
• Lead, supervise, and develop the English Editorial team.
• Manage daily workload distribution and team priorities.
• Set clear editorial standards, responsibilities and expected turnaround times.
• Review team performance and provide continuous editorial guidance and feedback.
• Coach and develop editors to strengthen writing, editing, translation and editorial judgment.
• Build a collaborative working relationship between the English and Arabic editorial teams.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Journalism, English, Communications, Media, Translation or a related discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience in editorial, journalism, newsroom, media, or press communications.
• Demonstrated experience managing or supervising an editorial team.
• Strong hands-on experience editing and finalizing press releases, official statements, news content, and public-facing communications.
• Proven experience managing high-volume daily editorial workflows and multiple competing deadlines.
• Experience working within a fast-paced newsroom, media organization, government communications environment, or major corporate communications function is strongly preferred.
• Experience coordinating Arabic and English editorial content is essential.

Language Requirements

• Exceptional written and spoken English with advanced editing, proofreading, and editorial judgment.
• Professional fluency in Arabic and English is required.
• Strong ability to understand the nuances of Arabic source material and accurately adapt the intended narrative into natural English.