Specialist, Copy Editor

Pearson•United States,

3d•$25 - $30

About The Position

This role focuses on implementing grammar, spelling, usage, punctuation, syntax, and style according to department, client, and industry standards. The Specialist, Copy Editor ensures uniformity and consistency across assessment components, maintaining focus and reliably identifying errors throughout the workday while minimizing mistakes. The position requires exercising good judgment when applying client style guidelines, querying when deviations from style would be appropriate for best outcomes, and potentially creating or modifying client style guidelines. The role involves understanding the copyeditor’s scope of responsibility, knowing what to do when requested to go beyond scope, and flagging concerns when needed. Additionally, the Specialist, Copy Editor proactively seeks learning opportunities to strengthen editorial expertise by refining skills, expanding knowledge of style guides, and integrating emerging best practices. The role also involves adhering to quality assurance and quality control steps and review guidelines, recognizing the impact of editorial errors on item/test validity and broader reputational and program risks. A strong understanding of the application of copyright law in assessment and knowing when to escalate concerns is also required. The Specialist, Copy Editor will understand educational assessment foundations (content standards, alignment, validity, item-level statistics), consider assessment design interactions (passage–item relationships, item types, metadata, accommodations) and the impact of editing cross-components, and demonstrate a strong understanding of assessment best practices (universal design, plain English, accessibility design). The role requires using Pearson-preferred applications and platforms (e.g., ABBI, eStyle, Oracle) and demonstrating a strong understanding of related publishing workflows (e.g., ABBI interactions with XPRT/TN8, XML issues, MathML), with the ability to suggest necessary enhancements. Identifying appropriate digital job aids and documentation and knowing when and whom to ask for help or training is also part of the role, with the possibility of developing job aids and creating training for colleagues. The Specialist, Copy Editor will assist with staff training, including mentoring, seminars, and one-on-one support, and engage proactively in Editorial and Assessment Trends channels. The role involves working collegially across Editorial, Asset Services, Content, CDS, and Pearson, sharing essential information across projects and understanding the editor’s span of influence. Working interdepartmentally, contributing to checklists, process documents, fact-checking, item writing, scoring checks, and cross-functional initiatives is also expected. When assigned, the Specialist, Copy Editor will serve as lead editor, ensuring Editorial obligations are met, coordinating with Content, Program Teams, and other departments, and influencing program decisions. This includes creating effective training/process documents and work logs, and reviewing/approving schedules (e.g., in Smartsheet). The role involves coordinating editors’ work, monitoring schedules, tracking assets through all phases, and communicating status, scope changes, risks, issues, defects, deadlines, resources, and overtime needs to the manager. As a lead editor, the Specialist will make final editorial decisions on behalf of Editorial, escalate issues to the manager in a timely manner, and take responsibility for editorial quality, while also providing lead editor guidance and support to other lead editors. The role also involves leveraging AI tools to develop, review, and enhance assessment content that meets quality and accessibility standards, integrating AI-generated assets with appropriate editorial oversight. Proficiency in AI-supported content development, including prompting, refining, and evaluating AI outputs, iterating with sound editorial judgment, and staying current with emerging AI technologies and adapting as they evolve, is required. Finally, the Specialist, Copy Editor will understand their role across CDS and Pearson, aligning with Asset Services, CDS, and Pearson goals and contributing to their fulfillment. This includes attending team/town-hall meetings and acting on disseminated information, completing administrative tasks on time (timesheets, goals, surveys, training modules), and supporting efficiency initiatives (standardization, resource sharing, time management and appropriate pace, productivity metrics, hours tracking), with the ability to provide training to vendors/contractors when appropriate. Identifying problems and escalating as appropriate, balancing cost, efficiency, schedule impact, and quality to set priorities, and championing new technology, tools, and processes to improve efficiency and efficacy are also key responsibilities. Maintaining appropriate business behaviors (responsive communications, scheduling time-off per protocol, arranging backup coverage) and collaborating effectively as a partner or team member are essential.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field (e.g., literature, language, journalism) or equivalent certification/on-job training.
Minimum of three years’ editorial experience.
Minimum of two years’ experience in educational assessment.
Strong end-to-end copyediting proficiency: spelling (interpreting dictionary entries, compounding/hyphenation), grammar and terminology, punctuation, syntax, diction, and usage.
Ability to interpret and apply major style and usage references with confidence (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style, Gregg Reference Manual, Garner’s Modern English Usage, and other industry standards).
Proficient with Adobe Acrobat and various Microsoft Office 365 apps: Word, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, and Excel.
Understanding of the basics of HTML/XML for web publishing and ability to adapt to evolving software and requirements.
Ability to communicate clearly and respectfully; listen, synthesize, and apply information effectively.
Ability to give and receive feedback constructively; accept direction and act on it.
Reliable and organized: meets deadlines with appropriate quality; manages time effectively.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and analytical decision-making; advocate/persuade when necessary and know when restraint/negotiation is more productive.
Self-managed, resilient, and adaptable to process and duration modifications; works independently when required.
Accountable for editorial proficiency and quality; uses systems correctly; owns errors and identifies root causes.
Demonstrates decency and professionalism: mentors or accepts mentoring; maintains confidentiality, openness, and truthfulness.
Displays curiosity about rules, processes, tools, perspectives, and the broader business context.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Pearson-preferred applications and platforms (e.g., ABBI, eStyle, Oracle) and related publishing workflows (e.g., ABBI interactions with XPRT/TN8, XML issues, MathML).
Experience developing job aids and creating training for colleagues.
Experience serving as lead editor, coordinating editors' work, monitoring schedules, tracking assets, and communicating status, scope changes, risks, issues, defects, deadlines, resources, and overtime needs to manager.
Experience making final editorial decisions and escalating issues to manager.
Experience providing lead editor guidance and support to other lead editors.
Proficiency in AI-supported content development, including prompting, refining, and evaluating AI outputs, and iterating with sound editorial judgment.
Ability to stay current with emerging AI technologies and adapt as they evolve.
Ability to provide training to vendors/contractors.

Responsibilities

Implements grammar, spelling, usage, punctuation, syntax, and style per department, client, and industry standards; applies rules consistently.
Ensures uniformity and consistency across assessment components; sustains focus and reliably identifies errors throughout the workday while minimizing mistakes.
Exercises good judgment when applying client style guidelines; queries when deviations from style would be appropriate for best outcomes; may create/modify client style guidelines.
Understands the copyeditor’s scope of responsibility, knows what to do when requested to go beyond scope, and flags concerns when needed.
Proactively seeks learning opportunities to strengthen editorial expertise by refining skills, expanding knowledge of style guides, and integrating emerging best practices.
Adheres to quality assurance and quality control steps and review guidelines; recognizes the impact of editorial errors on item/test validity and broader reputational and program risks.
Demonstrates a strong understanding of the application of copyright law in assessment and knows when to escalate concerns.
Understands educational assessment foundations (content standards, alignment, validity, item-level statistics).
Considers assessment design interactions (passage–item relationships, item types, metadata, accommodations) and the impact of editing cross-components.
Demonstrates a strong understanding of assessment best practices (universal design, plain English, accessibility design).
Uses Pearson-preferred applications and platforms (e.g., ABBI, eStyle, Oracle) and demonstrates strong understanding of related publishing workflows (e.g., ABBI interactions with XPRT/TN8, XML issues, MathML); suggests necessary enhancements.
Identifies appropriate digital job aids and documentation and knows when and whom to ask for help or training; may develop job aids and create training for colleagues.
Assists with staff training, including mentoring, seminars, and one-on-one support; engages proactively in Editorial and Assessment Trends channels.
Works collegially across Editorial, Asset Services, Content, CDS, and Pearson; shares essential information across projects and understands the editor’s span of influence.
Works interdepartmentally, contributing to checklists, process documents, fact-checking, item writing, scoring checks, and cross-functional initiatives.
Serves as lead editor when assigned: ensures Editorial obligations are met; coordinates with Content, Program Teams, and other departments and influences program decisions.
Creates effective training/process documents and work logs; reviews/approves schedules (e.g., in Smartsheet).
Coordinates editors’ work, monitors schedules, tracks assets through all phases; communicates status, scope changes, risks, issues, defects, deadlines, resources, and overtime needs to manager.
As a lead editor, makes final editorial decisions on behalf of Editorial and escalates issues to manager in a timely manner and takes responsibility for editorial quality.
Provides lead editor guidance and support to other lead editors.
Leverages AI tools to develop, review, and enhance assessment content that meets quality and accessibility standards; integrates AI-generated assets with appropriate editorial oversight.
Demonstrates proficiency in AI-supported content development; prompts, refines, and evaluates AI outputs; iterates with sound editorial judgment; stays current with emerging AI technologies and adapts as they evolve.
Understands role across CDS and Pearson; aligns with Asset Services, CDS, and Pearson goals and contributes to their fulfillment.
Attends team/town-hall meetings and acts on disseminated information; completes administrative tasks on time (timesheets, goals, surveys, training modules).
Supports efficiency initiatives (standardization, resource sharing, time management and appropriate pace, productivity metrics, hours tracking) and provides training to vendors/contractors when appropriate.
Identifies problems and escalates as appropriate; balances cost, efficiency, schedule impact, and quality to set priorities; champions new technology, tools, and processes to improve efficiency and efficacy.
Maintains appropriate business behaviors (responsive communications, scheduling time-off per protocol, arranging backup coverage); collaborates effectively as a partner or team member.