Editorial Manager

AAAS•Washington, DC

5d•Onsite

About The Position

In AAAS’s gold open access journal Science Advances (SA), Editorial Managers (EMs) work closely with the Assistant Managing Editor (AME) to oversee the day-to-day operations and personnel of the team. EMs help to ensure the rapid, high-quality processing of manuscripts by supervising a team of Editorial Coordinators, Senior Editorial Coordinators, and Editorial Associates whose core responsibilities are to process manuscripts from submission through publication, with a focus on the production process. EMs are responsible for the management of 4-8 people on the Science Advances team, supporting staff as they process manuscripts and support editors, providing editorial direction and quality control, and investing in personnel growth of their direct reports. EMs work closely with the AME, ME, and Editor as the core management team, continuously looking for ways to improve efficiencies, improve team culture, and add value to the journal experience for editors, authors, and reviewers. The EM - Production will play a key role in managing the process of accepted manuscripts in the stages prior to publication as well as post-publication by collaborating with their peer EMs who are editorially focused and bringing the two processes into a more collaborative effort. The EM - Production will be the lead for all production system-related matters. Help us ignite the next era of science.

Requirements

A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in English, Communications, or a science-related discipline
A minimum of 5-7 years of experience working in a professional setting.
Prior personnel management experience
Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
Strong skills in identifying, communicating, and addressing problems
Willingness to adapt to new tasks, workflows, and tools in changing organizational environment
Strong organization, multitasking, and time management skills, and ability to meet tight deadlines
Proven excellent skills in editing technical or scientific texts under tight deadlines with expert knowledge of English grammar
An understanding of researchers and research environments and a high comfort level when dealing with them
Strong ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and independently when appropriate
Strong knowledge of issues and trends in STM publishing, including Open Access issues
Eagerness for developing new knowledge and skills related to job duties
Strong working knowledge of MS Office and Adobe software

Nice To Haves

Masters preferred.
Management experience is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage and develop a team of Editorial Coordinators, Senior Editorial Coordinators, and Editorial Associates, including delegating work, providing day-to-day guidance, conducting regular check-ins, supporting professional development, and completing quarterly and annual performance reviews.
Oversee team administration, including approving timesheets and time-off requests, and proactively escalate team relations, management, editorial board, or operational concerns to the Associate Managing Editor (AME).
Collaborate closely with Editorial Management peers and the AME to identify process improvements, address operational challenges, improve team efficiencies, and provide support across the department as needed.
Lead process-related changes and continuously review procedures for manuscript processing from submission through publication and post-publication to ensure quality, consistency, and compliance with established requirements.
Train new production staff and provide ongoing training and coaching to strengthen staff knowledge of editorial and production processes, including conducting regular reviews to identify knowledge gaps and establish learning plans.
Oversee the timely processing and publication of accepted manuscripts, including author corrections, revised figures and supplementary files, final proofreading, galley review, and post-publication matters such as eLetters, corrections, and retractions.
Maintain production schedules, trackers, galley folders, holds lists, licensing information, and other documentation necessary to support accurate and timely publication, including maintaining approximately six weeks of advance publication scheduling.
Oversee and support the corrections team to ensure post-publication corrections are processed accurately and on schedule.
Guide staff in responding to author, reviewer, and editor inquiries received through the General Editorial Inbox, Help Desk, and individual inboxes in a timely and professional manner.
Maintain and update production procedures, manuals, tracking documents, and related resources to reflect current processes and requirements.
Serve as a liaison between staff and external production vendors, including Straive and KriyaDocs, communicating journal requirements, resolving production issues, monitoring quality, and ensuring deadlines are met.
Partner with management and technical teams to troubleshoot CTS issues and support system enhancements and projects that improve the experience of editors, reviewers, authors, and staff.
Coordinate with VancePak on upcoming publication lineups, schedule changes, delayed or accelerated papers, and press ream requests.
Collaborate with Online Operations to resolve technical and display issues, address underlying code concerns, and finalize issues ahead of publication.
Attend and actively participate in relevant staff, Editorial Management, team, and production meetings.