Senior Writer Editorial

Johannesburg - South Africa

Monthly Salary: ZAR 5 - 10

Posted on: 03-11-2025

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

Edelman is a voice synonymous with trust reimagining a future where the currency of communication is action. Our culture thrives on three promises: boldness is possibility empathy is progress and curiosity is momentum.

At Edelman we understand diversity equity inclusion and belonging (DEIB) transform our colleagues our company our clients and our communities. We are in relentless pursuit of an equitable and inspiring workplace that is respectful of all reflects and represents the world in which we live and fosters trust collaboration and belonging.

Application deadline - 28/11/25

About Edelman Africa

Edelman Africa is a leading Pan-African communications consultancy that partners with businesses and organisations to evolve promote and protect their brands and reputations. For over 25 years weve been helping clients deliver meaningful results across more than 30 countries on the continent.

With offices in Johannesburg and Nairobi our culturally diverse team of strategists journalists designers and editorial experts bring together insight creativity and craft to tell stories that move at the speed of news - making an immediate impact transforming culture and sparking movements.

Edelman Africa is part of Edelman the worlds largest independent communications firm with 6000 people in over 60 offices worldwide.

The Role

Were looking for an experienced Senior Writer to join our Editorial team in Johannesburg. This role calls for a confident adaptable storyteller - ideally someone with a background in both journalism and PR - who can craft compelling long-form content thought leadership and opinion pieces that resonate across industries.

Youll work across a diverse client portfolio including financial services health technology and consumer brands collaborating closely with our client leads strategists and creatives. Youll have the confidence to take ownership of briefs end-to-end from information mining and interviewing through to delivery while providing editorial counsel and thought leadership to teams and clients alike.

Key Responsibilities:

Research write and edit high-quality long-form content including thought leadership articles op-eds speeches scripts reports and campaign copy.
Partner with client teams to develop narratives and editorial strategies that drive earned media impact.
Conduct interviews and content-mining sessions with senior stakeholders distilling complex information into accessible engaging stories.
Advise account teams and clients on content angles tone and placement opportunities in line with media trends and the current news agenda.
Support media training initiatives by bringing a journalists mindset and understanding of the newsroom environment.
Contribute to creative ideation sessions and integrated campaigns alongside strategy and creative colleagues.
Review and edit written materials produced by other team members maintaining the highest standards of quality accuracy and tone.

About you:

510 years experience in writing editing or journalism ideally within an agency newsroom or corporate communications environment.
A strong command of language and narrative structure with demonstrated experience in long-form writing.
Ability to write across multiple tones and formats (corporate creative brand storytelling advisory).
Comfortable working independently & able to take briefs extract insights and deliver content with minimal supervision.
Skilled interviewer and communicator; confident engaging with senior stakeholders and clients.
Curious agile and adaptable with the ability to pivot across sectors and subject matter.
Familiarity with AI-assisted writing tools and an understanding of how to use them smartly and ethically.
A collaborative team player who thrives in a fast-moving integrated environment.

Why Edelman

At Edelman we believe in the power of trust and were proud to partner with brands that are transforming industries and shaping culture. Youll join a team that values creativity curiosity and courage with the freedom to explore bold ideas and the support to turn them into reality.

We offer a collaborative inclusive and flexible work environment opportunities for professional development and the chance to be part of a global network thats redefining the future of communications.

We are dedicated to building a diverse inclusive and authentic workplace so if youre excited about this role but your experience doesnt perfectly align with every qualification we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Required Experience:

Senior IC