Publisher - Afrikaans Language

**Job Desciption**:
**Publisher - Afrikaans Language**:
**About Maskew Miller Learning**:
Maskew Miller Learning lends its name from the most trusted and recognizable publisher in South African history - Maskew Miller. At Maskew Miller Learning, we believe that learning allows people to move forward in life, enabling them to have brighter futures.

We are a B-BBEE - Level 1 contributor, providing education solutions ranging from early childhood learning to professional certification, curriculum-based print materials, e-learning content and tools, as well as teacher training. We publish in all 11 official languages and have the widest range of CAPS-approved content trusted by teachers. Our quality educational resources and materials are used in schools, TVET colleges, higher education institutions, and home and professional environments.

**Main purpose**:
The Publisher for the Languages: Afrikaans portfolio leads and manages the content creation for, Languages for all the Afrikaans products or services. Maskew Miller Learning publish and manage a large portfolio of Afrikaans text books across the CAPS curriculum approved catalogue,for the CAPS aligned as well as CAPS supplementary catalogue. The Publisher: Afrikaans will be responsible for creation, updating and managing of the full Afrikaans portfolio of Maskew Miller Learning school textbooks. This full-time position will operate as part of a project team and will report to the Lead Afrikaans Publisher.

**Key Duties and Responsibilities**:
**Contribution to Product strategy**:

- Research and understand market needs in collaboration with the research team.
- Maintain relationships with Curriculum officials and external stakeholders.
- Research and analyse curricula, policy documents/gap analysis and evaluation criteria relating to submission and tender requirements.
- Review and analyse competitor and alternative products/services.
- Generate product or service concept/vision for all components.

**Financial Management**:

- Prepare product budgets for sign-off (forecast costs).
- Manage product costs within approved budgets.
- Respond to budget queries and changes.
- Sign off and approvals of work as per schedule of authority.

**Content Development**:

- Develop detailed specific product/service plan.
- Develop design spec and cover briefs.
- Develop detailed instructional design/digital brief.
- Develop detailed author/Subject Matter Expert (SME) commissioning brief.
- Work closely with authors/freelancers to create products or services based on the relevant pedagogy.
- Commission content/service according to detailed product plan.
- Manage the development of print and digital content.
- Provide continuous support during the writing/content development process.
- Contribute to development of content for marketing material, including creating the product value proposition.
- Review quality and conformity and provide feedback until content is approved.

**Project Management**:

- Create project schedule (forecast time).
- Responsible for the overall deadline of projects. This means ensuring that projects are completed by the agreed due date.
- Remain up to date with all admin duties and foster best practice.

**Production Support**:

- Ensure that the vision for the product or service is carried through the entire production process.
- Support the Managing Editor/s during production phase by:

- addressing content/author queries
- approving final artwork and photo selection
- reviewing first draft and artwork pages
- Signoff and approving master set files.

**Testing/trialing/research**:

- Develop prototype/sections/full product for testing/trialing/research purposes.
- Validate prototypes/sections/full products.

**Maintenance - Business as Usual**:

- Backlist maintenance - reprint corrections, respond to customer queries.
- Constant review of current products for improvement and market relevance.

**Relationship with External stakeholders**:

- Develop relationships with relevant Ministry and DBE officials and external stakeholders.
- Brief external SMEs, consultants, freelancers as needed.

**Develop good practice**:

- Develop pool of excellent content developers/SMEs capable of responding to the needs as they arise.
- Develop skills of content developers/SMEs through training.

**Collaboration**:

- Collaborate closely with colleagues during all stages of the project within the matrix.
- Contribute to development of content for marketing material.

**Follow new trends and developments**:

- Stay abreast with new trends and developments in products/services, pedagogy, and market needs.
- Attend relevant workshops, conferences and other industry events to stay up to date.

**Project Lead responsibilities**:

- As required, to perform the role of the project lead.

**Digital**:

- Manage the development of digital content.
- Concrete understanding of the Afrikaans language Learning Design best practice and principles for digital learning.
- Good und