Job Description
Context
The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance – International IDEA – is an Inter-Governmental Organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide. Its objective is to strengthen democratic institutions and processes. The Institute acts as a catalyst for democracy building by providing global comparative knowledge resources and tools, policy proposals and supporting democratic reforms in response to specific national requests, specifically in electoral processes, constitution building processes, political participation and representation, democracy and climate change, and democracy and digitalization.
International IDEA’s publications are a core part of the Institute’s public identity and a key way of communicating its comparative knowledge on democracy and democratic processes. The Institute produces a variety of print and digital publications—including handbooks, reports, policy papers, policy briefs, discussion papers, and conference reports — each aimed at achieving specific objectives and reaching targeted audiences.
The Publications Unit plays a vital role in coordinating and supervising the production process for the Institute’s knowledge products in digital and print formats. The Publications Manager is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the Unit and supervises two Publications Officers.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Manages the production process for International IDEA’s print and electronic knowledge products in line with the institutes strategy and the annual programme and budget;
- Leads publication policy and procedures development, implementation and promotions; and participates in Institute general planning activities.
- Continuously reviews, evaluates and improves production processes, workflows and publication formats;
- Leads digital innovation development of the publication process using artificial intelligence or other technologies;
- Manages intellectual property at the Institute and oversees external copyright requests;
- Oversees the maintenance and development of International IDEA’s online catalogue as the primary vehicle for the publication of the Institute’s knowledge products;
- Manages relationships external providers including editors, designers, translators, printers and distributors in line with the Institute’s procurement policy;
- Manages relationships with different teams and regional offices of International IDEA and coordinates a yearly publication plan;
- Oversees the translation of International IDEA’s knowledge products in cooperation with the Publications Officers;
- Supports the Communications Manager and contribute to the marketing and promotion of International IDEA’s knowledge products, including outreach activities;
- Manages the budget and associated planning and reporting activities for the Publications Unit, in liaison with the Head of Communications and Knowledge Management;
- Oversees the distribution of International IDEA’s publications with support from the Communications and Publications Officer.
General Profile
- Combines in-depth knowledge, acquired through academic achievements or trough practical experience, excellent skills including managerial skills and relevant experience in their field;
- Manages assigned projects throughout the project life cycle, i.e. from strategic planning and project design, funding and budgeting to project assessment and accountability; leads meetings and discussions, supervises publications and input from external providers;
- Has the intellectual leadership to integrate innovation into their field of expertise;
- Directly manages a team of contributors to the project, including staff members and possibly consultants;
- Fosters team-based activities in their unit; collaborates with other entities of the Institute;
- Acts as a model and mentor for colleagues;
- May be expected to travel globally to any geographical area involved in their projects;
- Follows internal procedures to ensure high standards of performance and compliance with Institutional guidelines;
- Acts in accordance with International IDEA’s Core Values; Respect, Integrity and Professionalism;
- Integrates a gender and diversity perspective in all activities.
Reporting line
- Head of Communications and Knowledge Management
Education and Experience
- A university/postgraduate degree in publishing, communications, political science or a related subject;
- A minimum of six (6) years of relevant experience within publishing and editorial systems, preferably in the IGO field;
- Excellent understanding of the technical aspects of producing and printing publications, including design and layout skills and good knowledge of publishing software, as well as how to best use artificial intelligence in the production process;
- Advanced user of Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop and other relevant publishing tools;
- Proven experience in leading a team, providing strategic direction, and supervising staff to deliver high-quality outputs;
- Advanced knowledge of Editorial Standards and referencing systems;
- Advanced understanding of HTML and digital editing tools;
- Excellent understanding of copyright for publishing.
- Excellent communication (written and spoken) in English; knowledge of Spanish, French, Arabic or Swedish an asset;
Terms of Contract:
- International Post
- Two (2) year fixed term appointment
- Remuneration - EUR 6 018 NET per month + benefits
Applying for this position:
- Applications should be submitted no later than 23:59 (CET) 01 March 2026.Please note that all applications must be made in English.
Selection Process:
- Evaluation of qualified candidates will include a written test assessment and up to two (2) interviews.
- Candidates selected to proceed to the next stage of the process will be contacted once all applications have been carefully reviewed.
- All candidates will be notified of the status of their application via email once the process has been finalized
