Managing Editor

Date Posted:
13 July 2022
Closing date for applications:
18 August 2022
Organisation:
Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Location:
Northumberland House, 303-306 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7JZ
Job type:
Full time (office-based). Pemanent.
Salary:
£36,000 - £40,000

Job title: Managing editor

Reports to: Chief Executive, RSTMH

Hours of work: Full time, office based 

Salary: £36k – 40k, depending on experience 

Job type: Permanent

Deadline: 13 August 2022
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Job summary 

The Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (RSTMH) is a society of over 1,500 members from more than 90 countries, who work in, or are interested in tropical medicine and global health.

RSTMH publishes two peer-reviewed scientific journals. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (Transactions) was launched in 1908, is published monthly and is a hybrid journal.  International Health was launched in 2009, is published every two months. International Health flipped to being fully open access in 2020. Both journals are published by Oxford University Press, and we currently work with an external editorial office to support the peer review process.

Both titles  have high profile Editors in Chief (EIC) - Professor Sir Brian Greenwood is EIC for Transactions, and Professor David Molyneux for International Health as well as excellent editorial boards of Associate Editors and Editorial Advisers who oversee  the peer review process. Following a restructure 3 years ago the journals have been steadily improving in terms of Impact Factor, submissions and special content.  Supported by the Editors in Chief and other partners, an exciting programme of special issues and supplements is in place and also being developed for the future.  

We’re looking for an experienced Managing Editor who will relish the opportunity to oversee these two growing journals, and help us achieve our ambitious goals. RSTMH is a small team so the ideal candidate needs to be happy to work independently and also be an effective team player. They should be equally comfortable writing a new strategy for the journals, networking to identify great researchers and professionals, and answering day to day queries from authors or reviewers. The candidate needs to be responsible for the budget for the journals and have excellent project management and relationship building skills. 

Summary of the role 

  • Taking ultimate responsibility for the quality and balance of content from the selection and commissioning of articles, special issues and supplements
  • Developing and overseeing Editorial Board networks of the highest calibre and managing/maximising their contributions through effective regular communications
  • Maintaining timeliness and a high impact for the journals in the international scientific and global health communities
  • Ensuring that the journals are an integral part of RSTMH, reflecting and complementing wider organisational activity and strategy, and working with the publisher to promote RSTMH and its journal content to a wider audience

Key external contacts 

  • Editors in chief
  • Editorial Board members
  • Authors and reviewers 
  • External peer review management suppliers
  • Publisher (publishing partner) 
  • Marketing Manager (publishing partner)
  • Production Editor (publishing partner)
  • Typesetters (with publishing partner)
  • Contact with others including for technical support, supplements and membership discussions (publishing partner)

Key tasks 

Journal development 

  • Finalise and implement a detailed 12-month strategic plan and work plan that cascades from and complements wider RSTMH strategy and goals
  • Work with the Editors in Chief, and editorial boards to develop, communicate and implement editorial policy, holding regular conference calls with individual members
  • Manage Editorial Board activity; to include annual skills gap analysis, levels of engagement, quarterly reports, annual meetings. Recruit additional Board members as appropriate, rotating off those who have either completed their terms or who do not contribute
  • Regularly commission reviews, opinion pieces, editorials, special issues and supplements
  • Work with Editors in Chief to communicate policy changes and other author-related developments via editorial pieces 
  • Citation analysis, analysing the reports produced by publishing partner or internally, and using those to inform commissioning strategy, calls for papers for the journals and drive Editorial Board recruitment
  • Updating and rolling the strategic plan and work plan forward every quarter
  • Work with Oxford University Press (OUP) to implement the journal development plan, ensuring milestones and goals are met
  • Demonstrate consistent improvements (eg. impact factor, turnaround times) in the journals over a period of time. 


Journal management 

  • Leading and supporting the work of our suppliers and OUP editorial team to ensure efficient journal workflow, ensuring journal issues are produced on time and with an appropriate balance of content
  • Lead regular status meetings with our suppliers and Publisher, ensuring action points are followed up
  • Take responsibility for monitoring of page budgets and turnaround times 
  • Work with the Marketing Manager (OUP), Publisher (OUP) and Chief Executive to determine journals marketing strategy, ensuring it complements RSTMH marketing efforts
  • Provide the Chief Executive with monthly reports on journal workflow and key outcomes and performance of the journals 
  • Manage the journal print stock, ensuring the required number of copies are ordered in for RSTMH events, in addition to maintaining a rolling stock
  • In collaboration with the Chief Executive, oversee the journal budget and monitor/report on finances throughout the year

Business development of journals 

  • Monitor and report reception/perception of RSTMH journal content through networking (e.g. at scientific meetings), organising author and reader surveys in association with the publisher 
  • Collaborate with Chief Executive and rest of RSTMH team on all matters concerning promotion of RSTMH journals 
  • Lead on the process of sharing information from the journals with the rest of the society, where relevant  
  • Actively seek out opportunities for, and commission, manuscripts and special projects to promote and maximise income from the journals and their content (e.g. online collections, themed issues, themed article series and supplements)
  • Ensure that relevant journal content is promoted on the RSTMH website and other communication channels

Supplier Management 

  • Manage the relationship with our publishing partner, OUP, and our suppliers who are managing parts of the peer review process, including oversight of the contractual side of these relationships
  • Establishing plans to meet, monitor and evaluate the performance of key contacts, producing quarterly status reports

Person specification 

  • Significant editorial experience on scientific journals
  • Science background, ideally with PhD in an allied area of medical research
  • Experience of open access publishing
  • Knowledge of major publishing trends
  • Experience in using online submission and peer review management systems
  • Strong project management skills and numeracy
  • Ability to network effectively with a range of external scientific and non-scientific contacts 
  • Self motivated 
  • Results oriented 
  • High level of communication skills: articulate, clear, concise, accurate 
  • Ability to prioritise and manage workload 
  • Demonstrated networking skills: able to form effective new relationships with a wide range of internal and external contacts 

Please apply by following this link and completing the online form by 17:00 BST 13 August 2022. Please be aware we will be interviewing suitable candidates as application are received, and so may close recruitment before the deadline. Please submit your application as soon as you can.