Newspaper Planner / Graphic Artist at Dexterity Group

Location: Ibadan, Oyo

Job Purpose

• The Dexterity Group is looking for creative and multitalented Newspaper Planner/Graphic Artist with years of experience working on all aspects of newspaper design, planning, editing and writing.
• Must be proficient in the use of traditional and digital editing tools and will create visual concepts by hand or using computer software, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, or captivate consumers.
• He/She will develop the overall layout and production design for newspaper, advertisements, brochures and newsletters, magazines, logos and posters etc.

Job Descriptions

• Read, evaluate and edit manuscripts or other materials submitted for publication and confer with reporters, authors of feature writers regarding changes in content, style, organization, or publication.
• Rewriting material so that it flows or reads better and adheres to the house style of a particular publication
• Ensuring that a story fits a particular word count by cutting or expanding material as necessary
• Writing headlines that capture the essence of the story or are clever or amusing
• Writing standfirsts or 'sells' (brief introductions, which sum up the story underneath the headline)
• Liaising with reporters, journalists and editors
• Cropping photos and deciding where to use them for best effect and writing picture captions
• Working to a page plan to ensure that the right stories appear in the correct place on each page
• Laying out pages and, depending on the nature of the role, playing a part in page design
• Manipulating on-screen copy using appropriate desktop publishing software, such as Corel Draw, Photoshop etc.
• Keeping up to date with sector issues, e.g. by reading related publications
• Adapting all these skills for publication's website.

Job Requirements

• As a Newspaper Planner/Graphic Artist, you will need to be flexible; working late to meet deadlines is a necessary part of the job.
• Work will involve unsocial hours, some early or late shifts, with hours varying according to workload and work cycles may also build up to a frenetic peak. Applicants must reside in Ibadan.

Experience and Qualification

• Creative Experience: Must be able to think of new approaches to communicating ideas and develop unique designs that convey a recognizable meaning.
• Communication Skills: Must have good verbal and writing skills and effectively express information
• Artistic Ability: Must be able to create designs that are artistically interesting and appealing
• Computer Skills. Must be able to use specialized graphic design software in the discharge of the duties that comes with the role.
• Time Management Skills: Must be able to work on multiple projects at the same time, each with a different deadline.