Options Consultancy Services Limited is a leading global health consultancy established in 1992 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Marie Stopes International. We manage health programmes that ensure vulnerable women and children can access the high quality health services they need. We work with partners to co-create and implement locally informed solutions to complex health problems. This includes governments, development partners, NGOs, civil society and health workers. Our programming is flexible, evidence-based and politically informed. This means we adapt to changing contexts, use data to inform our decisions and ensure our approach is appropriate. Our focus is always on building local skills and systems that last.

Options is seeking a pool of proactive and trusted freelance Copy-Editors to edit/proofread Options’ copy in line with the organisations (or programme specific) style guide and editor brief, ensuring the intellectual rigour and editorial quality of Options’ publications and increasing the impact of our work.

Proofreading:

Ensure the publication design is as intended (columns, spacing, branding)
Identify any typesetting/design errors

Both:

• Create a list of acronyms if there are a high number of acronyms in the text (if required)
• Check that document is written in British English
• Identify and query:
• Errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation, and in use and style
• Clarity, ambiguities, irrelevancies, repetition and sense
• The appropriate language level for the intended audience
• Factual accuracy, consistency and house style (n.b. highlight any data-dependant information that may need to be updated before publication and check data is complete and correct in tables and figures)
• Logical and consistent structure and style, including the hierarchy of headings (e.g. capitalisation, style etc)
• Consistency of labels, captions and legends for illustrations or graphics (where applicable)
• Presence and correspondence of cross-references, including names, references, tables, figures and footnotes (n.b. footnotes should not be used for citations; links should be written out, not embedded within text; and automatic footnotes within boxes, figures and tables should be re-added manually, immediately below the asset and indicated with a lowercase roman numeral)
• Copyright acknowledgement and permissions, making sure all assets have titles and sources/credits, and all photos have captions
• Libel, obscenity, blasphemy, incitement to racial hatred or plagiarism
• Look out for over-use of technical jargon/overcomplicated sentences
• Check that every table has a title, number and source (e.g. where it’s the authors’ own elaboration it could say: Source: authors’ own calculation based on primary research
• Ensure the relevant copy is accessible from a disability perspective (particularly for specific Options programmes)

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Professional qualification or degree in a relevant subject (e.g. writing, journalism, literature etc) or comparable relevant experience
• 4+ years of proven working experience as an Editor, Copy-Writer, Content Writer or Ghost-Writer
• Experience in editing technical document, making them more accessible, and in improving their readability and structure
• Strong administration and organisational skills including good time management
• Ability to work to strict deadlines and under pressure
• Sound interpersonal skills
• Ability to shape content for different audiences
• Meticulous attention to detail and initiative orientated, and ability to remain detailed-oriented and focused when processing large amounts of text/jargon/technical language
• Strong computer literacy: facility with MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Excellent communication skills and copy writing skills (strong ability to write clearly and with good logic, and ensure that content has correct punctuation, grammar, and syntax.)
• Proficiency with applying the principles of style guides, such as the Chicago Manual of Style, Harvard Style, to different types of writing and referencing

• Options is an equal opportunities employer
• Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment.
• We seek people who are pro-choice, energetic and enthusiastic about Options’ vision.