Editor-in-Chief (JR101069)

At Clarion, our people are at the absolute heart of what we do. We’re proud that our core values of PASSION, CARE, IMAGINATION, and TRUST define the way we carry out our work across all of our exhibitions and conferences.

If you share our values and want to be a part of a successful, dynamic, and creative global business then we want to hear from you.

The Opportunity:

Clarion Defence are launching a new membership product for Defence event audiences by May 2025, providing access to a series of exclusive content and events throughout the year. The content will include up-to-date analysis on global defence, military strategy, policy, technology and procurement of global pipelines and funding, leveraging our unique access to people. Our aim is to create high-quality editorial content pivotal to driving engagement.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced and visionary Editor-in-Chief with strong leadership skills who can build out an editorial strategy to support membership; hire a team of content writers; and create an editorial function. They will have a deep understanding of defence and military affairs, strong journalistic instincts and a strategic mindset to steer the editorial direction of our publication, ensuring it is insightful and relevant!

This role provides a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of driving membership growth and engagement within a leading organisation and to make meaningful impact on the success of the membership programme.

Key Responsibilities:

Editorial Leadership:

• Develop and implement editorial strategies that align with the membership vision and goals.
• Oversee all editorial content, ensuring accuracy, quality, and relevance.
• Lead and mentor a diverse team of journalists, editors, and contributors.

Content Management:

• Manage the editorial calendar, assigning topics and deadlines.
• Review and edit articles, ensuring they meet high standards of journalistic integrity and quality.
• Stay current with global defence news and trends to guide content creation.

Strategic Planning:

• Collaborate with senior management to set and achieve long-term goals for the publication.
• Identify and respond to emerging trends and issues in the defence sector.
• Drive innovation in digital journalism and explore new media formats.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including defence industry leaders, policymakers, and experts.
• Represent the publication at industry events, conferences, and media appearances.
• Work closely with the sales and marketing teams to enhance the publication’s reach and impact.

Operational Management:

• Oversee budget planning and resource allocation for the editorial team.
• Ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards in journalism.
• Utilise analytics to measure the success of content and inform editorial decisions.

Knowledge, Skills & Behaviours:

• Degree or master’s in journalism, communications, international relationships, or a related field is desirable.
• Proven experience in a senior editorial role is essential.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, ideally in defence journalism or related sectors.
• Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading abilities.
• In-depth knowledge of global defence issues military technology, and international relations.
• Strong network of industry contacts and sources.
• Proficiency in digital journalism, including SEO, social media, and multimedia content.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills. 

About Clarion Events

Clarion Events is one of the world’s leading event organisers, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events since 1947. (https://clarionevents.com/welcome)

Clarion Events embrace diversity and equal opportunities in all that we do. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Clarion is private equity backed and owned by Blackstone. Blackstone is one of the world’s leading global investment funds, investing capital for the long term to build successful, resilient businesses. (https://www.blackstone.com/) 

Our purpose is to deliver exceptional customer outcomes and experiences, by making every connection count.

Our vision is we want every one of our products to be a market leader in customer satisfaction and delight

Benefits

• 25 days’ holiday plus bank holidays
• End of year wellbeing shutdown (closed for the last week of the year)
• Celebration day off (e.g. birthday, Diwali, Eid, etc)
• Summer Hours in August (3pm finish on Fridays)
• Helping Our World (HOW) Days – one paid day per quarter to carry out charity work
• Pension Scheme
• Private Medical Insurance
• Health Cash Plan
• Wellbeing Library (MYNDUP)
• Mentoring Programme
• Subsidised Café
• Season Ticket Loan
• Cycle to Work Schemes
• Free on-site gym and shower facilities
• Free eyesight tests
• Free flu vaccination – offered on site once a year for all employees