Looking for a job

Seun Shokunbi

@seunshokunbi

Message

Experienced writer, researcher, and education professional specializing in grants, data, and policy communications.

Malta

Message

What I'm looking for

I seek a remote role where I can combine writing, research, and data skills to drive impact in education, development, or communications with collaborative, mission-driven teams.

I am an experienced writer and researcher with a strong background in education, international development, and journalism. I have produced investigative op-eds, commissioned papers, and content for outlets including Al Jazeera English, Fodor's Travel, and The Lancet Global Health.

My professional career blends communications and data: I have led successful fundraising and grant writing efforts, implemented an electronic grants management system, and served as a data analyst and assessments manager improving instructional outcomes.

As an education administrator and classroom teacher, I designed curricula, created data-driven remediation plans, and achieved significant student growth on state assessments. I have also developed and scaled content strategies that increased engagement and raised multimillion-dollar funding.

I bring fluency in English and French, experience conducting primary-source research and due diligence across African markets, and a commitment to gender equity, STEM pipeline development, and impactful storytelling to drive organizational goals.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Freelance Writer

Current

Multiple Companies

Oct 2020 - Present (5 years 4 months)

Covered a wide range of topics for articles, op-eds, marketing copy, and reports for B2C and business audiences using AP style; prepared travel and food content for Fodor’s and SEO-driven pieces for blogs, maintaining consistent publication cadence since 2020.

Content Writing AP Style SEO Copywriting Interviewing Substack Content Strategy

Principal Consultant

Karfi Foundation

Aug 2017 - Jul 2023 (5 years 11 months)

Led investigative op-eds and short-form content on Africa’s private sector and women-led businesses, produced webinars and podcasts, and built sector research informing investors and stakeholders from 2017–2023.

Investigative Writing Research Podcasting Stakeholder Engagement Content Strategy Editorial Management

Manager, Giving/Institutional Grants

Education Pioneers

Oct 2017 - Oct 2018 (1 year)

Implemented an electronic grants management system that reduced labor cost by 20% and served as primary author for grant proposals, email marketing, and donor communications across 13 metropolitan areas.

Grants Management Proposal Writing Change Management Fundraising Email Marketing Process Improvement

Staff Writer

Democracy Prep Public Schools

Jul 2016 - Aug 2017 (1 year 1 month)

Raised $5.19M in under a year through proposal and copywriting efforts; increased daily visitor engagement 42% and pageviews 200% by launching and managing the DPPS blog with data-driven content.

Content Strategy Analytics SEO Data Visualization

Data Analyst & Assessments Manager

DREAM

Dec 2014 - Jun 2016 (1 year 6 months)

Developed evidence-based assessments and systemized data cleaning, validation, and visualization for 900+ clients; supervised reporting for external accountability and longitudinal tracking.

Data Analysis Assessment Design Data Cleaning Data Visualization Reporting Benchmarking

Seventh Grade ELA Teacher

NYC Department of Education

Aug 2013 - Jun 2014 (10 months)

Analyzed Common Core-aligned assessments and developed personalized instructional plans and curriculum maps to improve student reading and writing performance.

Curriculum Development Assessments Classroom Management

Eighth Grade ELA Teacher

NYC Department of Education

Aug 2012 - Jun 2013 (10 months)

Achieved 96% student growth on the NY State Language Arts exam and coordinated Academic Intervention Services for below-grade-level readers and writers.

Curriculum Mapping Student Growth Analysis Classroom Instruction

Writing & Research Consultant

Huairou Commission

Dec 2012 - Mar 2013 (3 months)

Translated quantitative and qualitative surveys and produced presentations for the 57th UN Commission on the Status of Women, improving stakeholder understanding and engagement.

Translation Research Survey Analysis Presentation Design Stakeholder Engagement

Summer Associate

UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa

Jun 2010 - Sep 2010 (3 months)

Delivered summary notes, press releases, and fact sheets for ECOSOC 2010 and prepared concept notes and presentations for reports on Africa’s cooperation with emerging partners for senior UN leadership.

Policy Research Brief Writing event support Report Preparation

Education

Degrees, certifications, and relevant coursework

Teachers College, Columbia University

Master of Education, Economics & Education

2012 - 2016

Activities and societies: Covered topics for articles, op-eds, marketing copy, and reports; prepared travel and food-related content for Fodor's and nonprofit newsroom; worked on SEO and AP-style writing.

Master of Education with majors in Economics and Education completed at Teachers College, Columbia University between 2012 and 2016.

Fordham University

Bachelor of Arts, Journalism & English

Grade: Dean's List 2009

Activities and societies: Wrote a commissioned paper for the Global Network on Extremism & Technology; secured a publishing contract with Taylor & Francis/Routledge; authored book on journalism for teaching media literacy.

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and English completed at Fordham University, graduating in 2009.

SOAS, University of London

Master of Science, International Business

2011 -

Grade: Magna Cum Laude Honors

Activities and societies: Conducted interviews and primary source research for Al Jazeera English (MENA) and collaborated on a paper for The Lancet Global Health on STEM education and gender equity in Africa.

Master of Science in International Business studies undertaken at SOAS, University of London with research and collaborative publication work.