Manuscript Operations Specialist II (Hybrid)

American Medical Association•Chicago, IL

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manuscript Operations Specialist II reviews, critiques, and processes scientific articles edited by freelance manuscript editors for JAMA. The role evaluates freelance copyeditors and copyreaders, helps ensure manuscripts meet standards for published scientific research, and improves the quality, clarity, accuracy, readability, and integrity of content. It edits technical medical articles, abstracts, and features—including tables, equations, graphs, and citations—using an XML-based electronic publishing system while maintaining AMA style, editorial policies, and publication deadlines. The specialist also addresses author questions, resolves conflicts between author requests and editorial policies or technical production capabilities, and communicates editorial policies to authors. This is a hybrid role based at the Chicago office, requiring three days per week in the office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required; preferably in English, journalism, communications, biological or physical sciences, or mathematics.
At least 3 years of related experience as a copyeditor for a medical, scientific, or technical publication.
Excellent communication and negotiation skills for interacting with freelance copyeditors, copyreaders, authors, and staff to meet editorial and publication deadlines.
Ability to coordinate, prioritize, review others’ work, and remain flexible in a fast-paced, detail- and deadline-oriented unit.
Ability to work independently and withstand the pressures of meeting publication deadlines.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with the AMA Manual of Style.
Familiarity with electronic editing software, web-based content management systems, and an email-intensive environment.
Experience using Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
Prior experience communicating and negotiating with freelance copyeditors, copyreaders, authors, and staff.

Responsibilities

Review scientific manuscripts edited by freelance manuscript editors and evaluate the proficiency of each copyeditor and copyreader.
Ensure manuscripts comply with standards for published scientific research.
Assist freelance manuscript editors in improving reporting quality and ensuring clarity, precision, readability, technical and structural accuracy, and content integrity.
Maintain attention to AMA style, editorial policies, publication deadlines, and new or changed guidance for editors.
Follow up on queries and problems noted by copyreaders, proofreaders, and managing editors.
Move content through editing and production within deadlines and update the content management system at each stage.
Alert managing editors to major editorial problems, including issues that could change publication dates.
Investigate errors in published articles and ensure they are corrected.
Edit technical medical articles, abstracts, and features—including tables, equations, graphs, and citations—using an XML-based electronic publishing system.
Address author questions and resolve conflicts between author requests and editorial policies or technical production capabilities.
Communicate editorial policies correctly to authors.
Perform other responsibilities as assigned.