Managing Editor (maternity cover, 12 month FTC)

IOP Publishing (IOPP) is looking for a Managing Editor (12 month maternity cover) to lead a team dedicated to delivering the best possible peer review experience to our authors and reviewers. The role involves managing, motivating and developing a high-performing team; a team that is constantly striving to improve; a team that delivers its goals, but doesn’t forget that its core objective is to support physical scientists in getting their research published.

 

IOPPs goal is to deliver an excellent peer review service to our authors and reviewers. Our Managing Editors play a vital role in supporting that goal, leading our teams of peer review experts to ensure that the peer review process meets the needs of the physical science research community.

Each Managing Editor is responsible for a large team dedicated to managing the peer review process on a portfolio of academic journals. The role involves managing, motivating and developing the team so that we deliver a fair, inclusive and efficient peer review service to our authors and reviewers. The role is responsible for resourcing, for delivering a first-class peer review process, and for driving improvements to our workflows. They also manage peer review on a small number of titles within the portfolio.

Working closely with their peers, the Managing Editor helps deliver the peer review strategy, working on cross-departmental projects and initiatives designed to deliver excellent peer review to our author and reviewer communities.

Key job accountabilities include:

• Building and managing, motivating and developing a large peer review portfolio team.
• Maintaining a positive working environment for the team so that they can perform to the highest possible level
• Delivering against key performance indicators: overall time from submission to decision, average number of reviewers per manuscript, acceptance/rejection ratios
• Taking overall responsibility for the portfolio to deliver a fair, inclusive and efficient peer review process that meets customer requirements.
• Maintaining a focus on continuous improvement for peer review.
• Managing peer review on a small number of titles within the portfolio.

About you:

Successful applicants should demonstrate the following:

• STM Publishing and peer review experience
• Experienced people manager, ideally leading and motivating a large team.
• Experienced change manager/agent
• Excellent communication skills
• Ability to track progress against KPIs
• Ability to motivate a team to success
• Collaborative approach to team management and working with peers.
• Degree or PhD in a related subject.

We know it is unusual for someone to tick every box so if you don’t meet all the criteria, but demonstrate most of the skills and experience we are looking for, and have the enthusiasm to work with us, go ahead and apply.

What we offer:

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer employees an excellent pension scheme (up to 12% company contribution), discretionary annual bonus scheme, 25+ days holiday (not including bank holidays), standard 35-hour working week, volunteering days, and a comprehensive benefits package including private medical insurance, life assurance, and a range of flexible benefits such as cycle to work scheme, discounted gym membership, healthcare cash plan, and payroll giving.

Our modern and contemporary offices are based in the thriving city centre of Bristol, a stone’s throw away from Temple Meads train station, and within walking distance of Cabot Circus shopping centre, and numerous cafés and restaurants. Named on more than one occasion as the best city in the UK to live in, Bristol is a cosmopolitan and creative city boasting a historic harbour, internationally renowned cultural institutions and home to world-class festivals and events.

Flexible Working:

The contractual location of this role is our Bristol office, but we have recently moved to a hybrid working model with a dynamic and blended combination of office and remote working, dependent on business and team requirements.

We are open to considering applicants from a wider geographical area who are happy to travel to Bristol on a regular basis subject to business needs.

To apply, please submit your CV and cover note through our careers site.

We aim to review applications soon after they are received, and will arrange interviews when there’s someone we’re keen to meet, so please don’t hold off applying until the closing date is approaching - we don’t want you, or us, to miss out!

About us:

IOP Publishing is an international scientific publisher, through which leading-edge research is distributed worldwide. Our rapidly expanding journals programme is published alongside other sources of scientific information in the form of eBooks, magazines and conference proceedings. Other publications include easily accessible community and regional websites. We are a world leader in the development of electronic publishing for the scientific community and have offices in Europe, Asia and the US. Working in the interests of science and scientists, we aim to maximise the impact of the research we publish.

IOP Publishing is central to the Institute of Physics, a not-for-profit society. Any financial surplus earned by IOP Publishing goes to supporting science through the activities of the Institute. With a continuing focus on growth, we recognise that every single person has a real part to play if we’re to achieve our aim of becoming the world’s leading publisher in our field.

IOP Publishing is an equal opportunity employer. Our goal is to ensure that diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are built into our identity in a way that is natural and sustainable, visible through the work we produce, our company branding, our professional networks and the communities we serve and support, which includes our employees, talent communities and candidates. We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented backgrounds.

Vision Our vision is that diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are built into our identity in a way that is both natural and sustainable and that is visible through the work we produce, our Ways of Being, our company branding, our professional networks and the colleagues and communities we serve and support.