Features Director, TechCabal

Features Director, TechCabal

TechCabal is one of the most important publications covering technology and the startup ecosystem in Africa over the last decade. From reporting on the most important happenings to providing insight and analysis, and seminal events and hosting conversations with major players, we’ve played an essential role in understanding tech in Africa.

We are in the middle of a pivotal transformation. Moving beyond just breaking the news to tech insiders, our broader mission now focuses on providing the context and insights necessary to help the industry contextualize developments and gain a deeper understanding of the tech landscape. We aim to become the most important publication covering the business and impact of technology in Africa, engaging not only insiders but everyone affected by and curious about technology on the continent.

About the Role
We are seeking a Features Director to drive our mission of delivering insightful and impactful features on the business and impact of technology in Africa. This role offers a unique opportunity to have significant autonomy and influence, shaping the narrative around technology’s impact on the continent. You will be instrumental in building and defining an era-defining publication that will grow into the global standard in business and human interest journalism about technology in Africa.

Reporting directly to the Editor-in-Chief, the Features Director will have the authority to shape the features editorial agenda, commission and develop compelling stories, and manage a network of contributors across the continent. This role requires providing strong editorial direction, mentoring reporters, and ensuring the highest quality of feature stories.

The successful candidate will also develop innovative storytelling formats, manage cross-departmental projects, and develop robust distribution strategies. This influential position is critical in establishing TechCabal as the premier source for African tech narratives, engaging a broad audience with high-quality, impactful content. It’s a chance to make a significant impact within TechCabal and the wider tech ecosystem.

Compensation for the role is competitive for senior editorial roles at major publications and includes the possibility of equity compensation in the parent company, Big Cabal Media.

About TechCabal
TechCabal’s portfolio of platforms includes a well-regarded daily newsletter, one of the most popular and respected technology websites on the continent, video and podcast creation capabilities, and a well-respected live series of interviews. Additionally, we’ve ambitious signature projects like Moonshot by TechCabal, Tech Women Lagos, our TC Townhall physical events, and Bullish On Africa, our first digital conference. Each of these properties is being reimagined and reshaped to serve our new mission and more ambitious and aggressive positioning for the publication.

TechCabal is published by Big Cabal Media (BCM), a media company on a mission to create the next generation of media brands, providing content for the digital African audiences, both on and off the continent.

Key Responsibilities
Define TechCabal’s features agenda – the major themes and topics to cover – ensuring these resonates with the publication’s vision and audience needs
Identify and develop feature story ideas that align with TC’s editorial agenda and resonate with our audience.
Commission at least two articles a week/eight a month
Own TechCabal’s Contributor strategy, ensuring a steady stream of features by smart ecosystem leaders across the continent on complex but important topics.
Provide guidance and editorial direction to feature writers ensuring the highest possible quality of all feature stories.
Review and edit feature stories to ensure they meet editorial standards, are factually accurate, and maintain the publication’s voice and style.
Provide mentorship and support to junior reporters, helping them develop their skills in feature writing and storytelling.
Analyze patterns and trends in daily news stories that warrant in-depth exploration.
Experiment with diverse feature formats, including interviews, profiles, and more.
Manage the workflow and timelines of feature projects, coordinating with various departments (e.g. tech and design) to ensure smooth production and timely publication.
Work closely with the newsroom, design, video and tech to create compelling and visually appealing feature stories.
Continuously seeks out new storytelling techniques and formats to enhance the audience’s experience and engagement with feature content.
Create a robust distribution strategy to aggressively disseminate stories, ensuring features reach the audience where they are and establish TC as the go-to source for compelling African tech feature stories.
Analyze audience feedback and performance metrics to refine feature content and better meet the needs and interests of the reader.
Ideal Candidate Profile:
The ideal candidate for the Features Director position at TechCabal will possess a blend of journalistic expertise, strategic vision, and leadership skills. Here are the key qualities and qualifications we are looking for:

Journalistic Expertise:

A minimum of 7-10 years of experience in journalism, with a significant portion spent in editorial roles.
Proven track record in feature writing and editing, with a portfolio that demonstrates high-quality, impactful storytelling.
Ability to identify interesting stories and determine the subjects that deserve extensive coverage. A deep understanding of what makes a feature story engaging and relevant.
Meticulous attention to detail, ensuring all feature stories are factually accurate and meet high editorial standards.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas clearly and compellingly.
An understanding of audience needs and interests, with the ability to create content that speaks to a diverse readership, including tech insiders and the general public.
A strong understanding of journalistic and media practices and ethics, with a commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in all editorial content.
Leadership and Management:

Ability to set a clear editorial agenda that aligns with TechCabal’s mission and resonates with our audience. An understanding of the broader tech landscape in Africa and how it intersects with various industries.
Experience leading a newsroom or editorial team, with the ability to mentor and support reporters. A commitment to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment.
Ability to manage and expand a network of contributors across the continent, ensuring a steady stream of high-quality features on complex but important topics.
Strong organizational skills to manage the workflow and timelines
Geographical Flexibility:

While a physical presence in Lagos, Nigeria (our home base) is preferred, being based somewhere on the African continent will be considered to ensure a deep connection with the region’s tech ecosystem.
Curiosity, Imagination, and Ambition:

Curiosity: An insatiable curiosity about the intersection of technology and society, always seeking to uncover new stories and perspectives.
Imagination: Creativity in storytelling and a vision for how to present stories in innovative ways.
Ambition: A drive to make TechCabal the most important publication covering the business and impact of technology in Africa, with a desire to leave a lasting impact on the media landscape.
Working at Big Cabal Media
You’ll be joining a group of focused, hard-working, creative people who are passionate

about doing work that’s challenging and telling stories that matter.

We’re a digital company with a hybrid work set up. We use Slack, Google Docs, Notion and other tools to keep on top of things.

We typically try to arrange work between 9am and 6pm WAT, but we don’t have a stick up

our butt about hours. We care about quality and results. Our people get things done fast

and well, and we ask them to take care of themselves. Burnout isn’t fun or useful.

While collaborative work will be the norm and is the requirement, people who want to work

at BCM must also demonstrate initiative and the ability to work independently.

Apply here