<p><strong>Copywriter / Editor / Proofreader</strong></p> <p>Marketing &amp; Communications</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>About the School</strong></p> <p>We are a leading independent school in Sydney with a strong commitment to academic excellence, holistic student development, and a vibrant, connected community. Our Marketing &amp; Communications team is responsible for shaping and sharing the school’s story — producing content that informs, inspires, and engages students, families, staff, alumni, and prospective families across print, digital, and social channels.</p> <p>We are looking for a talented and versatile wordsmith to join our team: someone who can move fluidly between crafting original long-form content, sharpening the work of colleagues and contributors, and maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and consistency across all published materials.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Purpose of the Role</strong></p> <p>The Copywriter / Editor / Proofreader is the custodian of the written word across all relevant Cranbrook outputs. This role is responsible for producing compelling, audience-appropriate copy; editing and refining content contributed by staff, students, and external writers; and proofreading all materials prior to publication to ensure accuracy, consistency, and alignment with the school’s style guide and brand voice.</p> <p>Working across a rich and varied content programme — from flagship publications and web copy to parent communications and social media — this role has a significant impact on how the school is understood and experienced by its community.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></p> <p><strong>Copywriting</strong></p> <ul> <li>Produce original, high-quality copy across a broad range of formats and channels, from long-form feature writing to concise digital content and advertising copy</li> <li>Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the school’s brand voice, tone of voice guidelines, and key messaging frameworks, applying them consistently across all written outputs</li> <li>Interview staff, students, and community members to gather stories, insights, and perspectives for use in publications and communications</li> <li>Write for diverse audiences including current and prospective families, students, alumni, staff, and the broader community, adapting register and tone accordingly</li> <li>Contribute to the development of campaign messaging, taglines, and content strategies in collaboration with the Director of Marketing &amp; Communications</li> <li>Write and optimise website copy for clarity, engagement, and search engine performance (SEO)</li> </ul> <p><strong>Editing</strong></p> <ul> <li>Edit content submitted by staff, student contributors, and external writers to the school’s house style, ensuring clarity, accuracy, appropriate tone, and audience alignment</li> <li>Manage the editorial cycle for all major publications, including the school magazine, prospectus, and annual report — from content planning and contributor briefing through to final edit</li> <li>Provide constructive editorial feedback to contributors in a manner that respects their voice while upholding the school’s standards</li> <li>Maintain and develop the school’s style guide, house style, and terminology glossary, championing consistent usage across the team and the broader school</li> <li>Collaborate with designers and the Production Coordinator to ensure copy fits layouts and that any late changes are managed efficiently</li> <li>Edit video scripts, speeches, and address content as required, ensuring they are appropriate for the occasion and audience</li> </ul> <p><strong>Proofreading</strong></p> <ul> <li>Proofread all Marketing &amp; Communications materials prior to publication or distribution, checking for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax, formatting, and factual accuracy</li> <li>Apply the school’s style guide and brand guidelines rigorously, ensuring consistency in name usage, capitalisation, abbreviations, dates, and terminology</li> <li>Manage the proofreading sign-off process, ensuring all materials have been reviewed and approved before release</li> <li>Maintain proofreading checklists and version control records for all publications and major communications</li> <li>Liaise with the Production Coordinator and designers to ensure corrections are implemented accurately and within production timelines</li> </ul> <p><strong>Content Planning &amp; Strategy</strong></p> <ul> <li>Contribute to the development and maintenance of the team’s editorial and content calendar, planning copy requirements in alignment with the school calendar and enrolment cycle</li> <li>Proactively identify story opportunities across the school, building relationships with Heads of Department, teachers, and other staff to surface compelling content</li> <li>Stay current with best practice in educational copywriting, digital content, and school communications, bringing fresh thinking to the team</li> <li>Support the Director of Marketing &amp; Communications with content strategy development and periodic reviews of the school’s messaging and positioning</li> </ul> <p><strong>Digital &amp; Web Content</strong></p> <ul> <li>Write, edit, and update website content using the school’s CMS, ensuring pages are current, accurate, and optimised for user experience</li> <li>Apply basic SEO principles to web copy, including keyword integration, metadata, and structured content formatting</li> <li>Support the creation of email marketing content, ensuring copy is clear, engaging, and appropriately formatted for digital delivery</li> <li>Collaborate with the social media and digital team to ensure captions, posts, and short-form content are on brand and proofread before publishing</li> </ul> <p><strong>&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Selection Criteria</strong></p> <p><strong>Essential</strong></p> <ul> <li>Demonstrated experience as a copywriter, editor, or communications professional, with a strong portfolio of work across multiple content formats and channels</li> <li>Exceptional command of written English, including grammar, style, punctuation, and the ability to write with clarity and precision for diverse audiences</li> <li>Proven editing and proofreading skills with a meticulous eye for detail and the ability to maintain accuracy under deadline pressure</li> <li>Experience developing and applying a house style or brand voice consistently across an organisation’s communications</li> <li>Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritise effectively, and deliver to tight deadlines in a fast-paced team environment</li> <li>Experience managing editorial workflows for publications, from contributor briefing through to final sign-off</li> <li>Current Working With Children Check (WWCC) — NSW, or willingness to obtain prior to commencement</li> </ul> <p><strong>Desirable</strong></p> <ul> <li>Experience working in an independent school, education sector, or not-for-profit communications team</li> <li>Tertiary qualification in Communications, Journalism, English, Media, or a related discipline</li> <li>Experience with content management systems (e.g. WordPress, Finalsite, Squarespace) and email marketing platforms</li> <li>Working knowledge of SEO principles and their application to website and digital content</li> <li>Experience writing, editing, or producing a school or membership organisation magazine or annual publication</li> <li>Familiarity with Adobe InDesign or the ability to review layouts in PDF proof form</li> </ul> <p><strong>Personal Attributes</strong></p> <ul> <li>A genuine love of language and storytelling, with the ability to find the human moment in any subject</li> <li>Collaborative and generous — someone who elevates the work of others as naturally as their own</li> <li>Resilient and adaptable, comfortable receiving and acting on feedback from multiple stakeholders</li> <li>Curious and community-minded, with a genuine interest in school life and the stories within it</li> <li>Discreet and professional when handling sensitive communications and personal information</li> <li>Highly self-motivated with strong initiative and the discipline to manage a complex workload independently</li> </ul> <p><strong>Child Safety &amp; Safeguarding</strong></p> <p>The School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. All employees are required to:</p> <ul> <li>Hold a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) — NSW</li> <li>Complete mandatory child protection training as required by the School and NSW legislation</li> <li>Actively uphold the School’s Child Safety Policy in all aspects of their role, including in the creation and publication of content featuring students</li> <li>Ensure appropriate consents are in place before publishing any content that identifies or depicts students</li> <li>Report any concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child in accordance with school procedures</li> </ul> <p><br><strong>How to apply</strong></p> <p>Applications should include a resume and a cover letter addressing the selection criteria and reasons for your interest in the position. Applications should be submitted via email to <a href="mailto:<a href='mailto:recruitment@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au?subject=Copywriter%20%2F%20Editor%20%2F%20Proofreader%20position%20%28via%20Teachers%20On%20Net%29'>recruitment@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au</a>?subject=Copywriter%20%2F%20Editor%20%2F%20Proofreader%20position%20%28via%20Teachers%20On%20Net%29" rel="nofollow"><strong></strong></a><strong><a href="mailto:recruitment@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au?subject=Copywriter%20%2F%20Editor%20%2F%20Proofreader%20position%20%28via%20Teachers%20On%20Net%29">recruitment@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au</a></strong>. Details of at least three referees will be requested from the successful applicant.</p> <p>Before applying, please read the Candidate Information Pack for this position, which is available on our website at <strong>www.cranbrook.nsw.edu.au/employment</strong></p> <p><strong>CLOSING DATE: Monday, 29 June 2024</strong></p>