Developmental Editor for Islamic Scholarship & Manuscripts

Yaqeen Institute; Dallas (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Yaqeen Institute in Dallas is seeking a developmental editor to work with authors on sharpening structure, tone, and argument across manuscripts, while adding Islamic literacy to catch substantive errors and strengthen scholarship.

You will identify weaknesses, reorganize and rewrite passages, verify citations, coordinate with authors and peer-review, and align with Yaqeen's citation and transliteration standards. This is a full-time role based in Dallas, TX.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years experience editing long-form, non-fiction, research-based manuscripts (preferably in the field of religion, politics, or world affairs).
• Collaboratively working with authors and scholars through iterative revisions.
• Independently managing a defined scope of work against a project timeline.
• Audience awareness: ability to break sophisticated theological, philosophical, ethical, or legal arguments into manageable, engaging prose for diverse readers without diluting depth.
• Critical analysis and argument formation: identify assumptions, overclaims, inconsistencies, weak evidence, anticipated objections, and areas needing clarification.
• Voice: preserve the author’s voice while improving clarity, authority, accessibility, and reader engagement.
• Islamic sciences: grounding in Islamic sciences with ability to critically engage religious content and point to credible sources.

Responsibilities

• Identifying weaknesses in the manuscript’s overall argument and structure, including gaps in research, repetition, AI language over-use, weak transitions, and sections needing expansion or removal.
• Reorganizing, tightening, and rewriting passages to strengthen structure, clarity, tone, and argument while preserving the author’s distinctive voice.
• Suggesting or verifying citations from classical or contemporary scholarship where needed.
• Communicating directly with authors to suggest edits and collaboratively working through revisions.
• Incorporating peer-review feedback into subsequent drafts.
• Coordinating with the style/copyediting team to ensure manuscripts meet Yaqeen's citation and transliteration standards.

Skills

Developmental editing

Manuscript editing

Audience awareness

Critical analysis

Voice preservation

Job description

Yaqeen Institute in Dallas is seeking a developmental editor to work with authors on sharpening structure, tone, and argument across manuscripts, while adding Islamic literacy to catch substantive errors and strengthen scholarship.

You will identify weaknesses, reorganize and rewrite passages, verify citations, coordinate with authors and peer-review, and align with Yaqeen's citation and transliteration standards. This is a full-time role based in Dallas, TX.